MinTools Blog Equips for Church, Ministry & Walk with God

What Makes a Friendly Church?

Posted on August 24, 2022 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 4 Comments ↓

Some churches would identify themselves as a friendly church while visitors say otherwise. The discrepancy comes, in large part, from the criteria being used.

Criteria Some Use to Claim Their Church is Inviting and Friendly

Some think that because they have helpful parking lot attendants and greeters at the door, people’s first impressions must be that this is a friendly church. Maybe they have a welcome center and/or kiosk stations to take away some discomfort of people not knowing what to do or where to go. To make people feel even more welcome, they’ll have a designated time to greet one another in the service. To provide time to get to know people better, they may even add a coffee hour or shop and/or a hospitality room or fellowship hall to meet and greet.

These Factors Alone Don’t Give Off the Impression of a Friendly Church

We may see nothing wrong with the above strategies in and of themselves. These acts of hospitality can be quite helpful. But, programmed acts of kindness should never be a substitute for real body life that leads to spontaneous acts of friendship that come from the heart.

God designed the Church to function with everybody doing their part (Eph. 4:16) to make everyone feel welcomed, loved, and accepted as seen in so many of the “one another” commands of Scripture (Rom. 12:5, 10; 13:8; 15:7; 16:16; 1 Cor. 12:25; Eph. 4:32; 1 Pet. 4:9). When we are who we should be as a church, His Body, we will relate with people in ways that make them feel like they belong.

A Better Criteria to Determine Friendliness

So, let’s look through our tactics again and see what also needs to be there for a truly friendly church.

Helpful Parking Lot Attendants?

What about members who give you the right of way or let you back out of your parking spot without an attendant having to tell them to?

Greeters at the Door?

What about an awareness of people’s presence throughout their visit, not just when they arrive … like people making eye contact and saying “hello” as they walk the halls rather than look right through you?

Welcome Center?

What about members who are not on the hospitality committee coming up to a visitor and helping them find their way?

Kiosk Stations?

What about going to people and personally inviting them to get involved rather than expecting them to always take the first step?

Designated Time to Greet One Another in the Service?

What about members greeting people outside of their normal circle of friends before and after the service without having to be told to greet one another?

A Coffee Hour or Coffee Shop?

What about a body who is able to stay and mingle without the coffee incentive?

Hospitality Rooms & Fellowship Halls to Meet and Greet?

What about churches who make it hard for people not making their way to these rooms to slip out the door unnoticed … without at least a few people greeting them before they leave?

Seriously, who wouldn’t rate churches with spontaneous acts of kindness, helpfulness, and hospitality by its various members as the most friendly churches? Programmed strategies should only be seen as a starting point. Spontaneous acts of friendship make the real difference.

Are you doing your part to make people feel truly welcomed?

School as a Mission Field ?????

Posted on August 17, 2022 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — No Comments ↓

Christ's Ambassadors with School as a Mission Field
As children and teenagers head back to school, as well as young people to college, they have increased opportunity for outreach, to share Jesus Christ with their friends, to be a witness in word and deed. But, do they see school as a mission field? … a place to reach out and share Jesus Christ as His ambassador?

Difficulty Seeing School as a Mission Field

It isn’t easy for kids to take a stand unpopular with so many of their peer. (Let’s be honest: It isn’t easy for adults either!) We live in a volatile world that doesn’t look favorably upon what Christians believe. Fear of ridicule and rejection makes witnessing seem overwhelming and stressful. Then, on top of that, we have government regulations and school policies setting limitations on what they can do.

How Can We Help Kids Reach Out in Their Schools?

Recognizing the difficulties of viewing school as their mission field, we need to come alongside of students with the support they need. Here are six ways we can do that:

1) Disciple, or train, them on how to reach out.

Feeling better equipped in knowing how and where to start can alleviate some of the insecurities they might feel.

Resource: Discipling Students in Outreach Worksheet

2) Prepare them by including apologetics in your Bible teaching plan.

Having a better understanding of some of the hard to understand issues, will enable them to be more ready to answer questions and objections they will undoubtedly face. (1 Pet. 3:15)

For Help, Go To: Apologetics Resources

3) Pray for them consistently and let them know you’re standing with them in prayer.

Sensing this kind of support from others encourages them.

4) Pray with them, not just for them.

Taking them to the throne of grace where they’ll find the help they need (Heb. 4:16) serves as a reminder of God’s power available to them.

5) Be a role model, letting them see the adults in their lives sharing Jesus with others in their mission fields (i.e., neighborhood, workplace, unsaved family).

Hearing reports of God’s activity as we witness in our spheres of influence helps them gain a realistic perspective of how life in Christ infiltrates all we do as believers.

To Read: Making an Eternal Difference in the Workplace?

6) Encourage them to get involved in some sort of on-going campus ministry.

Knowing they’re not alone can give them added boldness.

For some popular campus ministries, go to: Back to School Resources

7) Provide tools and resources to help them.

Having something in their hands can help them feel more ready when opportunities come:

Ideas: Tools for Teachers to Share the Gospel (same tools listed in this article could be good for students to use)

The bottom line?
Don’t just tell kids they should be witnesses at school. Help them in practical ways to be ready.

The Focus of Youth Ministry

Posted on August 10, 2022 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 1 Comment ↓

Focus of Youth Ministry to Reach Teens
If we want to truly reach today’s teenagers, we must get beyond programs and activities. More than ever, today’s young people need real connections — community. With that in mind, let’s keep the focus of youth ministry on relationships that build into their lives.

Reach Teens by Keeping the Focus of Youth Ministry on These Relationships

Relationship with God: Make youth ministry about knowing God personally and intimately, not just learning about Him. Get beyond religion or a bunch of rules to presenting a God who cares about them and has their best interests at heart. — to grow to love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength (Matt. 22:37)

Relationship with One Another: Face it. Most teens initially attend youth group because of their peer, unless a parent forces them to go. Purposely incorporate activities to build them into a community of believers, not just friends. Give them a taste of Body Life, what God intends the Church to be. — to be able to “encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thess. 5:11)

Relationship with the Youth Leader(s): Trust and respect grow out of relationship, not control or superiority. Be affirming and encouraging. Truly listen to them, actively, with your heart, to their feelings and body language, not just their words. Be available. Be a friend … an adult friend, not an overgrown teenager. Be real. Be genuine. — to care for them so much that we delight in sharing our very lives with them, not just the message(1 Thess. 2:8)

Relationship with the Total Church Body: This is often overlooked in youth ministry. Students need to realize that they are part of something bigger than themselves. If you don’t incorporate them into the total church body while they are still teens, why should they stay in the church when they can no longer attend youth group? Treat them like they are the church of today, not just the church of tomorrow. — to sense they belong as members of the whole Body (Rom. 12:4-5)

Everything we do in youth ministry should be seen as a tool to building these kinds of relationships.

For More: Youth Ministry Resources

Limitless Possibilities in Worship

Posted on August 3, 2022 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 2 Comments ↓

In answering questions about worshiping God like where, why, how, and who should worship, Psalm 150 shows the limitless possibilities in worship. Too often we confine worship to a certain time and place, to be done in a set way.

Learn about Worshiping God and the Limitless Possibilities in Worship

Let’s read through Psalm 150 and note what it teaches us about worship.

Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. (Ps. 150:1)

Answers the Question Where, letting us know that worshiping God isn’t limited to a house of worship (church) or any other place.

Also Read: Spiritual versus Physical House of Worship

Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. (Ps. 150:2)

Answers the Question Why, making clear the limitless reasons to worship as His greatness surpasses our ability to comprehend

Also Read: How Can We Not Worship Our God?

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. (Ps. 150:3-5)

Answers the Question How, showing that worship isn’t limited to any one means.

Internal Blessings in Serving

Posted on July 27, 2022 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — No Comments ↓

When asked about the effects of ministry on the one serving, my first inclination is to make it clear that our primary focus in serving should be on what we give rather than what we get. Even Jesus, the Lord of lords and King of kings, came to serve and not be served (Matt. 20:28; Phil. 2:5-8). Yet, God’s Word does refer to honor from the Father (Jn. 12:26) and rewards for what we do (Matt. 10:42; 19:29; Lk. 6:38; Col. 3:23-24). While we might not receive our “crowns” for what we do until later, we certainly can experience internal blessings in serving right now.

Experience Internal Blessings in Serving Right Now

Many byproducts, or blessings, come from serving when we serve for the right reasons and from an undivided heart devoted to the Lord. The transformation that happens inside surpasses any tangible reward we might receive. Reflect on these examples:

>>When we see His power at work through us, it builds a confidence in us. We find ourselves then doing things we would never have imagined ourselves doing — not because of our own abilities but because of God’s “power that is at work within us” doing “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Eph. 3:20).

>>When we realize we have made an eternal difference because of serving, we have a renewed sense of purpose in life. This can bring a joy and passion to life we might not otherwise experience. — “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” (Rom. 12:11)

>>When we know we have been faithful stewards of what He has given us through serving in the strength He provides, we can be at peace within ourselves knowing all is well and so we find ourselves “content whatever the circumstances” (Phil. 4:11-13).

>>When we sense the presence of the Lord, serving in ways that acknowledge our inability to anything of eternal value apart from Him (Jn. 15:5), we’re able to lay aside our fears and insecurities. We can instead “be strong and courageous … not be afraid .. not be discouraged” knowing that the Lord our God will be with us wherever we go (Josh. 1:9).

>>When we experience God taking care of our needs as we serve, seeking His kingdom and righteousness (Matt. 6:33; Phil. 4:19), we gain a greater appreciation for God’s faithfulness which propels us to keep going even when we don’t see results we might have hoped. We will persevere and not get discouraged because we believe that “He will not forget” (Heb. 6:10). We will “not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:9). Because of His faithfulness, we’re able to give ourselves “fully to the work of the Lord” because we know that our “labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58).

Resources on Prayer

Reading the Bible the Whole Way Through

Posted on July 20, 2022 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 4 Comments ↓

Have you ever read through the Bible in its entirety? Reading the Bible the whole way through can seem like a daunting task but it doesn’t have to be if you are doing it for the right reasons and if you have a good plan.

Why Read the Bible in Its Entirety

Our reason for reading needs to be about more than saying we read through the whole Bible. Aim at the difference it can make in your understanding of God’s character and ways which in the long run should yield greater trust and love for Him.

Getting a handle on the whole counsel of God helps us understand some of the harder passages. It gives a context in which to figure things out. Scripture must reconcile with the whole of Scripture.

Getting an idea of God’s big picture helps us gain perspective for the here and now as well as for the end times.

Getting a broad perspective of who God is and how He works helps us trust God more even when we don’t understand what is happening because we see through the pages of Scripture how He is a sovereign and faithful God.

Personal Testimony About Reading the Bible the Whole Way Through

Some people use a plan that guides them through reading the Bible in one year (link goes to affiliate store). While that approach has merit, I personally vary the ways I read through the whole Bible. I usually don’t give myself a time limit but rather simply go at a comfortable pace and get done when I get done because my objective is more than simply reading through the Bible. Some methods have taken me a few years to make it through but it has been well worth it. Here is what I’ve done some of the different times I’ve read through the Bible:

developed outlines as I went through the Bible
recorded everything that showed God and man communicating (prayer)
marked all passages that pointed to Jesus
determined what character of God it depicted
profiled the various Bible characters as I came to them
more diligently prayed over what I read than usual
underlined key verses for the passages I read each day
purchased a chronological Bible and simply read it in the order provided based on dates the various books were written (link goes to affiliate store)

By changing the way I read through the Word each time, it doesn’t grow old to me and God has used some of the results in providing substance for materials on the web site and in seminars. I didn’t read through the Bible for that purpose. I read it because of my relationship with God, to learn more about Him and consequently build my love for and faith in Him but He uses it in various ways.

What’s Your Plan for Reading Through the Whole Bible?

If you’ve never read through the entire Bible, or if it’s been a long time since you did, consider doing so for the purposes listed above. Make it your goal to get beyond mere words to encountering its Author. Ask God to use it to refresh your soul, to make you wise, to find joy in Him because of it, and to light your way (Ps. 19:7-8).

If you’re new to Bible reading, rarely or perhaps never have read it on your own, starting from the beginning and going through to the end may not be the best plan for you. Check out the New to Bible Reading Discipleship Tool for help understanding Scripture’s big picture and find a reading plan that helps you see that before venturing out on reading the Word from cover to cover.