Everyday Issues Become Springboard to Ministry

Greetings from Pioneer Ministries! We love to hear how the Lord is moving mightily in your midst and thought we would share what He is doing in Jamestown, North Dakota.

Because we have never approached ministry in a traditional way, we have a weekly Bible study which meets on Tuesday evenings instead of a church service on Sundays. We had come to the place where our body of believers was not growing. We knew we needed a fresh way to reach out to our community and to non-believers. The Lord was faithful in showing us a way to reach out by offering classes regarding common issues in everyday life.

Last Fall we began two training series on Relationships and Finances. We encouraged our group of believers to invite two or three people who may need direction in their relationships and/or finances. We presented the seminars as training classes, not as church or a Bible study. There was no praise and worship or formal praying so that an unsaved person would feel comfortable attending.

For the Relationships class, we used several books and teaching tapes to create a four-week outline. We chose two books as recommended reading for the course and charged for those materials. We were amazed at the people the Lord brought to this class.

Every type of relationship was represented, from single college students who wanted to prepare for marriage to those who had been married for thirty years, to a widow who had been married for over forty-five years and everything else in between. What an amazing time. Our focus was not on fixing the other person in the relationship, but rather understanding who the other person is and how that person thinks. The course challenged those in attendance to be living their life for the other person in their relationship. Marriages were changed in this process. A wonderful opportunity to minister and counsel couples in a one-on-one basis arose from having presented the class.

The Finances class was created to help people see debt, assets and liabilities in a new light. We invited successful men and women in the community to share their story of how they got to where they are. This allowed the attendees to see how others have stepped out and the many ways God has blessed them. After each guest spoke, there was a short question and answer session so the attendees could learn more about the guest speakers. We also gave practical tips on creating a budget, making smart purchases, real estate investing and more.

With each training session, our attendance would more than double. We were honored to be able to give others such practical life lessons with biblical foundations in order to help improve their daily lives. We have had several requests to repeat the classes so that others can attend. The best part of the classes is the relationships that have formed with more people from our community. We continue to praise the Lord for the opportunity to share His love and grace in such a practical, life-giving manner. We were able to minister to others because we chose to step out in the ideas and plans the Lord put on our hearts. We want to testify to God's goodness in what He can do with our willingness to step out of the ordinary and thus receive the extraordinary. Praise the Lord! There is no limit to what God can do!

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