Opportunities to Help

Everyone’s Help is Needed to Bolster our Smaller Churches and Plant New Ones

God has gifted each of us with unique skills and talents. Pray for guidance and discernment about how you can help through the opportunities listed below.

Pray For New and Smaller Churches

In James 5, the power of intercessory prayer is evident. New congregations are being established in faith, by God’s grace, and often in an unfamiliar culture and geography. Further, for many in smaller congregations there is a significantly reduced opportunity for fellowship and encouragement from others during the week.


KEY ACTION: Pray for those in new and small congregations when you hear of their requests and needs.

Encourage Others

We read in Hebrews that we should “provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together...”


To be effective in encouraging others, we first need to build a relationship. Those relationships can develop with brethren in smaller congregations by sending notes, phone calls, and consistent visits to assure congregations of your prayerful support. Relationships are also important within a small congregation where they are few in number and each contributes in multiple ways. With limited family groups, the church can assume many roles traditionally filled by a family.


KEY ACTIONS: 

  1. Reach out and encourage those in new and small churches as the Spirit directs.
  2. Build relationships with friends and neighbors in your own community and seek to meet their needs. Remember to include those from small churches as events are hosted (single invites, invite-a-friend, etc.).

Visit Small Congregations

In Acts 16, Paul and Barnabas visited many churches to encourage the brethren. As a result, they were deeply aware of their spiritual condition and their every day needs. View a list of our small churches.


KEY ACTIONS:

  1. Develop a personal interest in the welfare of the brethren in one or two smaller churches. Travel to these churches on a regular basis to provide fellowship and encouragement. Include your families, as children love coming to church and seeing a visiting young friend.
  2. By staying current with the minister rotation schedules posted on the website, broaden the support of the minister rotations to include a Sunday school class, a song leader, brethren with a heart to listen, a local work project on a Saturday, etc.

Be Willing To Relocate

New and small churches need a critical mass of believers to have an impact on the community and provide sufficient fellowship for their families. The fields are ripe for harvest. Laborers are needed.


KEY ACTIONS:

  1. Pray about relocating to a new or small church. Be willing to move if the Spirit directs. In any decision involving relocation or being sent, believers are encouraged to first counsel with their local elder.
  2. View a document for key questions and thoughts to consider in preparation to relocate.

Provide For Material & Financial Needs

In a number of Scriptures, mention is made of the warm generosity of churches for one another. Our Lord Jesus said that it is more blessed to give than to receive. (I Cor. 16:1-3, II Cor. 11:8-9, Acts 20:35) There are numerous opportunities to assist small churches with physical labor, materials and monetary gifts, supporting their mission to further the gospel.


KEY ACTIONS:

  1. Prayerfully consider helping to provide for the financial and/or material needs of smaller churches as you become aware of them.
  2. Participate in a disaster rebuilding work team when scheduled in the area of a small church. 

Assist Others In The Work

During Nehemiah’s time, some Jews were not able to return to Jerusalem, but sensing the significance of this journey, they shared necessities for travel with those who could make the journey. This is an example of helping by providing resources for others who are called, and are physically and spiritually able to carry out needed work.


KEY ACTION: If you are unable to travel or move to support a new or small church, assist others who are able and called to go.
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