Think of a loving parent who lacks the ability to communicate that love. Even though the love exists, the child may not feel it or know it, and their emotional development may be delayed. For love to achieve its full benefit, it must find expression.

The same is true of faith, praise and generosity. Once these good things find expression, they build. There is a momentum or a cumulative effect that reinforces good patterns into the future.

Effective ministry helps bring latent goodness to clear expression. This process relates to the theology of incarnation: love made real. When people find the goodness and faith within them brought to new expression, they are often summoned by God beyond themselves, and grow.

Here are just a few ways that effective Christian ministry can achieve this.

1. Providing inspirational music programs.

2. Challenging members to productive Christian giving.

3. Sponsoring and assisting worthwhile charities.

4. Partnering with other community agencies for social improvement.

5. Supplying Christian learning programs that inspire and lead to personal growth.

6. Building bonds of affection between generations by inter-generational activities.

7. Offering opportunities where people can be awakened to new patterns of prayer.

8. Constructing opportunities for deeper levels of Christian friendship and contact.

Christian churches have an important conversion role that must not be neglected. This involves calling people to faith and life where sin and darkness prevail. But there is a parallel task which is also important. Many people in our congregations have deep reservoirs of faith, goodness and generosity that have never found tangible expression. How do we turn all of that latent goodness into real productivity for the Kingdom?

Item 59

©2004 Ronald C. Ferris