He
works on us in all sorts of ways. But above all, He works on us
through each other. . . .
C.S. Lewis
As followers of Christ, we have both the privilege and responsibility
of caring for others. You may have the opportunity to help others
in informal ways. If you participate in groups or ministries,
you could exercise your gifts in more formal settings.
You probably help others on a regular basis without a lot of
thought or preparation. You run an errand for a neighbor, console
a friend, or assist a stranger. You don’t take time to establish
ground rules, discuss expectations, or consider whether or not
you’re the right person for the job.
Helping others is a fundamental part of following Christ. Galatians
6:2 instructs us, “Carry each other’s burdens,
and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Reaching
out to others in caring ways is a natural expression of our maturing
faith, a way of “loving our neighbors as ourselves.”
Planned Helping
In addition to these spontaneous opportunities to help others,
you may also have the chance to participate in planned helping
relationships. The publication, Helping Others Thrive:
A Christ Centered Approach (see What
We Offer) will help you prepare as an effective people helper.
When you’re helping others in more formal ways, begin by
thinking through your approach. For example, ask yourself some
questions:
- Why do you want to do this?
- How much time do you have to contribute? How will you convey
this to the person you’re helping?
- How often are you able to meet? Where might this occur?
- Has your potential “helpee” asked for something
specific from you? Can you do it?
- If no specific person has asked for your help, what, in general
are you able to offer others?
- What expectations do you think a helpee might have of you?
How will you find out?
- How might you spend your time together? For example, will
you mainly have conversations or will you do some activities
or work tasks?
- How will you handle conflicts and other challenges? What will
you do if the relationship clearly isn’t working?
- How will you know when your work is done?
- Once your work is done, how will you handle the ending? Will
you become friends or part company with an open invitation to
return later?
The foundation you set at the beginning of your helping relationship
will influence the rest of your time together. Even if you’ve
agreed to help someone in a fairly informal way, give some careful
thought to the parameters of your helping relationship. Faith-Centered
Mentoring and More recommends that you take time to think through
these details before you begin your role as helper.
Setting Up a Formal Helping Program
Are you interested in starting a helping ministry in your church
or other organization? Meet with your leaders to assess needs,
explore possibilities, and determine what options might work best
in your setting. How could you help your organization better meet
its goals through your new endeavor?
We suggest that you form a task force or committee comprised
of a cross-section of people to do this work. If you carefully
explore and plan, you’ll save time, avoid mistakes, and
ensure a good fit between the needs of your organization or church
and the people-helping strategy you put in place.
If you’re setting up a formal helping ministry, you’ll
create a structured process that includes, among many other facets:
- screening, selecting, and training helpers
- assessing needs of those seeking help
- following ethical and legal guidelines
- creating steps and options for the helping process itself
- matching helpees with appropriate helpers
- determining how to make referrals
- keeping records and making reports
- obtaining resources
We wish you well in your informal and formal efforts! In future
articles, Faith Centered Mentoring and More will offer more guidelines,
tips, and tools for both informal and formal helping. We’d
love to hear what you’re doing so we can pass along the
best practices you’ve discovered and created.
For more ideas on helping others, check our Archive
and What We Offer. |
