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What type of ministry do you have and how did the Lord lead you this ministry ? I like to visit the elderly people in nursing homes and will usually have someone come with me ,we usually read scripture to them upon request,it brightens their day as well as it brightens mine. I think what drew me to the nursing home was for the fact I remeber seeing an elderly woman slumped over in a wheelchair and thinking how lonely that woman must be as it seemed there was no one to visit her ,so my heart just goes out in that direction of ministry.
This is an excellent thread!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A++++++ to you Noland!
Oh Noland123 we share a similar feeling. When I first graduated college I was an activity director in a nursing home. I will never forget the one activity that seemed to brighten almost everyone was just by having a child in the building. I vowed if I ever had children I would take them to visit a nursing home. Our church has hooked us up with a person who never has visitors.
I also feel like you can be a ministry at things you already do. I belong to a volunteer group for women and it has taken me to some unbelievable and wonderful places. San ANtonio has the highest rate of teen pregnancy and because of that, a place was started here for girls who wanted to keep their children AND go to school. The girls and their children are allowed to stay at this place through the completion of college. It is made up of some of the most incredible people I have ever met. And like they say, you think you are going in to help and in the end the people you thought you were going to help, give you more. I love this thread.
I was a CNA at one point in my life. (Certified Nursing Assistant) and I loved talking to the elderly, especially the ones that didn't have visitors. When I had my first son, I would take him with me on my days off and we would do our "rounds" by visiting and talking to them.
I went back to school and further my education and became a nurse. I am a hospice nurse now. I sit with the dying. I try to bring them as much comfort as possible in their last hour. I talked to them about Jesus Christ and tell them how I myself got saved; and walked them through the sinners prayer. The Holy Spirit of God does the convicting of the heart. I just do my part. A lot of people ask how can I bear it. I tell them that God has given me the strength too do it. Sometimes I am the only person they see or talk to before they pass away. I have to stand before God Almighty one day, and when asked the question as to why I didn't tell Mr/Mrs. So and So about Jesus; I wouldn't have any good answer as to why not. I've turned my job into my ministry. God is Marvelous!
I spent some time in voluntary service among the homeless in Los Angeles, and this impacted my life.. there are a lot of sad stories - you don't know what the person you see on the street has gone through. I occasionally am in contact with the down-and-out either just meeting on the street or at a rescue mission, but not often enough.. listening to their stories, offering words of encouragement. My dream is to someday devote more of my time in service to mankind.
Abused women and seriously ill children are my main interest..We have just opened a shelter here for women and their children, and I hope to be involved with some of the things that go on there...Over the years I have taken teenagers into my home who are not getting along at home..Mostly they were acquaintenances of my own kids whose parents gladly let them stay with us..At one point when I was younger I had no problem taking a homeless lady or two to lunch and arranging for a spot at the shelter for them..When my dad was in the nursing home , my sister and I would take our kids to visit him and the other residents were entertained all afternoon with the antics of our kids who never missed an opportunity to perform I don't do so much ministering of that type any more , because my hearing is so bad, but I do what I can for some of the people who need prayer or a friend on this forum..Ministering comes in many different shapes and forms and the opportunities are everywhere..
Amen Blue. We had five kids and we took in two children who were friends of our kids also. So many kids have such rotten home lives. I also took my grandfather in for three years.
The past few years my husband and I have gone to Peru and worked with a dental team from VA. We live in OH and our church has sent several people over the years. There is something about going to a developing country and seeing how poorly people live in other areas. We are all so blessed in this country. I mean just down to having a roof over our heads and toilet paper. It was such an eye opener for me to see how so many people live around the world. It made me realize how much I need to be thankful for and how much we need to look outside ourselves and give to others. God has given each of us special gifts to use for His kingdom. We all can give in some way.
I'm on the mission's committee for our church which I love. We also have done a casual B&B the last 12 years. Since we had five kids we built a big house and when the kids were all out of college we weren't sure what to do with the extra space. We live in a college town so most of our guests are parents of college students. We donate the money to Christian groups. My family also has a Christian Fund that gives money to kids who want to go to Christian camps. My brother died in 1987 and our family took his insurance money and started the camp fund. It truly is more blessed to give than to receive. It makes no worldly sense that the more you give away that the more you have but it is really true.
God loves a cheerful giver but in the Greek "cheerful" means "ridiculous". Since it is God's money anyway we should just laugh when we give it away. He really supplies all our needs anyway.
a)certified volunteer ombudsman for local department of aging
b)volunteer fireman
c)local business association member
d)caretaker of 84 yr old mother in-law ( lives with us, had a stoke )
e)honest gov't employee
f)husband
( might see that I believe in coming to the help of "widows and orphans")
use to teach 6th grade religious ed , was hospital/homebound minister for our local Church.
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