20
Common Ministries
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Community outreach may look
different depending on where you
are serving. Don’t let the setting
intimidate you. The foundation for
effective outreach is prayer. Spend
time in prayer each day before you
go out to serve. Ask God to open
your eyes to the needs of the people,
and ask Him to create opportunities
for you to relationally invest in them.
Outreach is all about spending time
with people in the community. You
may be planting fruit trees in a
neighbor’s yard, delivering bags of
groceries to community members, or
going door-to-door alongside church
members asking to pray for people.
Regardless of the activity, your
presence with people and prayer for
them will make a real impact.
USEFUL TIPS
• Learn about the community you
are serving: primary language,
demographics, etc.
• Communicate with the host
pastor to learn about the needs of
the community.
• Keep your eyes open as you’re
walking. Look for the places and
people God might be leading
you to pray for. Don’t be afraid
to mention it to your leader, God
reveals things to different people
at different times, let Him use you!
• Don’t forget the kids! Make sure
the kids in the community feel
included as well. When speaking
to a child, bend down on one knee
to get on their level; even if there
is a language barrier, remember a
smile communicates so much!
MERCY MINISTRY
Mercy ministry is a broad category
and may include homeless shelters,
nursing homes, children’s programs,
hospital visits, or orphanages. Your
PPM leader will prepare you for the
ministry in which you are serving
and help you engage with the local
people in the best way possible. It’s
a good idea to come prepared with
a few songs for your group to sing.
If applicable, bring age and skill
appropriate crafts with you to help
break the ice and create a focus for
the group. Then, be ready to simply
sit down and have a conversation with
the people you meet!
USEFUL TIPS
• Spend time in prayer before
you serve.
• Before your trip, practice sitting
with someone you don’t know
well and getting to know them.
• Pay close attention to the needs
of those you are serving. While
you are meeting physical needs,
you may find that there are
spiritual needs as well.
SERVICE PROJECTS
Service projects are a great
opportunity to work alongside
members of the community, building
relationships and “building up”
the church. This ministry isn’t as
straightforward as grabbing a hammer
and getting to work. Its purpose is
to show that you care in a tangible
way while utilizing the idea that
“many hands make light work.” Don’t
limit your focus to just getting the
task done. Look for ways to work
alongside church or community
members. Get to know the people
with whom you are working. Use
break times as an opportunity to
generate conversation.
USEFUL TIPS
• Pack a pair of work gloves and a
good pair of closed-toed shoes
(avoid sandals).
• Coordinate with your PPM leader
to find out whether you need to
bring tools or materials.
• Assess the skill sets of your group
and communicate them to your
PPM leader.
• Read up on techniques for
specific projects on which you
know your team will be working.
• Be ready to do the “grunt work.”
You may be serving underneath
or alongside a local crew, we
are here to help boost their
productivity and oftentimes, that
means doing hard labor!