Category Archives: Miscellaneous Ministries

When asked for suggestions as to what path to take in becoming a Christian writer, I didn’t know the background of the person. What was clear, however, is that this individual needed a starting point.  If you don’t begin somewhere, you’ll never go anywhere.  As in pursuing anything, you need to bathe this venture in much prayer, continuing to pray at every turn.

Possible Starting Points for Becoming a Christian Writer

The starting point may not be the same for everyone depending on one’s background but following are some suggestions:

1) The starting point could be some training.

Have you considered writing courses?  Sometimes you can take courses at community colleges. Christian writers’ organizations often offer conferences. Search online for what is available. How much you invest time-wise and financially depends on how seriously you wish to pursue writing.

If you want to begin simply by reading, you’ll find some helpful articles and books about writing on the Church Communications Resources page.

2) The starting point could be networking.

Sometimes connecting with other writers helps spur you on as you see the journey they have taken to get to where they are today. Remember Proverbs 27:17 — “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”

Support and encouragement from other writers can be invaluable. From casual sharing with one another to deliberate mentoring, any kind of input can help you grow as a writer.

3) The starting point could be to simply begin writing.

Online blogs can provide a platform to share what God lays on your heart.  Realize, however, that just because you build it does not mean people will come. You must promote your blog to secure readers.

You can write online and offline articles.  Search online for article sites to which you can submit your articles to make them available to others.  Writing for magazines is another possibility. Learn the requirements of the various magazines and send a query letter to see if they are interested in what you plan to write.  Slant the article to match that magazine.  If your church has a newsletter, they might be open to including an article from you.

Then there are books.  You can go through a book publisher which can be a tough market to break into if you do not have a portfolio of writing or perhaps if you are not a well-known speaker. Getting articles published first enhances the possibilities of book submissions being accepted. Or, you can self-publish.  If you do that, find a good proof-reader. Usually the more books you get printed, the less cost per book, though print on demand is becoming more popular and less expensive.  The downside with self-publishing is that you might then need to do your own promotion and distribution.

The Christian Writers’ Market Guide provides contact info and submission guidelines for both books and magazines. (link goes to an affiliate store)

The starting point could include all three points mentioned above simultaneously.

Where ever you start, just make sure you begin. Diligently stay the course, trusting God to open doors and use your writing to His glory whether done professionally or in a church newsletter or personal blog.

I received an e-mail from someone asked to coordinate a health ministry in her church, looking for help.  I thought perhaps my response could benefit others.

I’m not in the medical field and I have never been involved in a health ministry of a church.  So, right upfront, I need to say that I am not coming at this from an experience base.  I am looking at it from a biblical perspective for balance, and observation of what churches have done.

Some churches do nothing, solely dealing with spiritual issues.  On the other side of the spectrum we find churches that have a health and wellness program so focused on the physical that it could just as well be done by a secular group.  Some churches merely “dabble” in it, perhaps providing blood pressure screening and having a nurse/doctor within the church recruited to be on-call for emergencies or first-aid.  And, some churches have a full program of services but keep focus on people’s whole being, not just the physical.

It would seem to me to have a health ministry in a church, it should have some purpose other than purely attending to the physical being of people, a distinct purpose or emphasis that distinguishes it from what people can find elsewhere.

Questions to Ask in Pursuing Ministry Geared to People’s Health & Well-Being

Before beginning a health and wellness ministry, try to answer the following questions. If you already have something in place, it may be helpful to use these questions to assess what you’re doing.

How far should your church pursue and provide a health and wellness ministry?  How much of the church’s resources (time, volunteers, budget, facilities) do we devote to it?  — I cannot provide answers for your church.  Prayer is integral to answering those questions.

How many of the following services should your church provide?  blood pressure and other health screening, fitness training, nutrition classes, scheduling medical personnel (nurse, doctor) to be on standby for emergencies or first aid during services, participation in a blood donation program, HIV/Aids awareness, making referrals, providing information & resources about health care, massages of head, neck, and shoulders for stress relief, CPR training, flu clinic, help for living with chronic illness, visitation, basic care for the elderly, basic care for pregnant women or new mothers, visitation, serving as a liaison or advocate, etc.

How far should your church go in instructing about health and wellness?  (health fair, classes, preaching, workshops, seminars, newsletters, support groups, counseling of options, etc.)

How far reaching should these services be extended?  (your church family only or also as a community outreach)

Starting Points for Coordinating a Church Health Ministry

If getting involved on the ground level, then you should:

Establish a purpose/vision statement.  — why you will do what you do

Build a profile of your church members (age, sex, physical issues and needs they face).  —  where you will focus (start with greatest needs)

Recruit a team of qualified people and train them.  — who will implement the ministry

Develop a plan.  — how to meet the needs with the time, budget, facilities, and volunteers you have to work with

Make a calendar of activities.  — when you will provide services, training, classes, etc.

Build an awareness among the congregation and/or community.  — what this ministry can do for them

If directing or coordinating a pre-existing health ministry in your church, then you would probably not do the first task listed above unless it was never done. The other tasks will be ongoing activities. You will organize, schedule, plan, recruit, train, and supervise volunteers to achieve the ministry’s objectives.

For more specific help, let me suggest that you network with people from other churches who have implemented an effective holistic health ministry.

Over the years I have received numerous e-mails asking the same question:  What must I do to become a Christian counselor?  I thought it would be well to provide my response for others who might have the same question.

Two Important First Steps to Becoming a Christian Counselor

As in any pursuit, here are two very important steps:

1. Bathe it in prayer.  What is God’s desire for you? – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Prov. 3:5-6).

2. As you are praying, learn as much as you can about it.  Sometimes the more you know, the more that passion grows.  But, sometimes the opposite happens.

Further Steps Dependent on the Direction You Go with Counseling

You also need to determine where you want to go with it, how you want to use it.  Do you want to become a professional counselor or do you want to do lay or peer counseling, perhaps as a ministry in your church?

This should become clearer as you invest prayer into it and gain a greater understanding of counseling.

The answer to that question will point you toward your next steps:

If lay counseling, a certificate program could be sufficient.  A good starting point could be the site of the AACC, the American  Association of Christian Counselors.   They have some courses that could be of great benefit to you.

If professional counseling, you will undoubtedly need to have a degree, probably even a Master’s Degree, to get licensed in your state.  Each state varies in their requirements and procedures so you should check with your state government with questions you have about state requirements.  It could be helpful to network with a Christian counselor or two in your area to learn from them what procedures they followed.

An example:  As of the writing of this post, Pennsylvania requires you have both a  bachelor’s and master’s degree to get licensed.  The Master’s degree must be 60 credits. You also have to do 3600 hours of supervised counseling and take and pass the National Counselor’s Exam. — Where you are located could be different.

If you do not get licensed, then you should be careful in calling yourself a counselor as with that can come liabilities.   People who are professional counselors usually purchase liability insurance.  Those who live in the United States can  get some ideas on that at the American Professional Agency.

 Some use the term “Biblical Life Coach.”

Some put it under the umbrella of discipleship.

At minimum, you should refer to your counseling as “lay counseling” and not just “counseling” so as to denote that you are not doing this as a professional.

Getting More Help Pursuing a Counseling Ministry

Here are some additional helps on the MinTools.com site:

Counseling Ministry Training – This is primarily for lay counseling, not professional counseling.

Counseling Ministry Resources – Most of these links will take you to other sites.

Also be sure to scroll down and read through the comments. Many of your question may be answered.