04.06.08 The 4th Key for Adding Value to Your Church

4. Learn from Others

Our ministry as the leaders of the marrieds fellowship at Dar es Salaam Pentecostal Church gave us the golden opportunity to impact the lives of several couples through seminars, given that their marriages were younger than ours. They were always ‘all ears’ to hear what was making our marriage ‘work’. But even then, we encouraged members to share their success stories and challenges as well, which made the seminars quite engaging and highly interactive. We inspired our leadership team to minister to the couples and, believe me, there was always a lot to learn from them.

When we see the role that Lydia played in the Philippian church and how it prospered, she must have been willing to learn from Paul and his team, regarding how to host a home church and the responsibilities associated with it.

A value-adding church member learns from other sisters and brothers rather than having an ‘I know it all’ mentality; provided what they say is in line with God’s Word. As the saying goes, learning never ends.

Therefore, when interacting with people, look for opportunities to build your knowledge and skills or even revitalising your attitude. Such a demeanor will show people that you value them, which in essence will make them feel more valued.

Another way that we add value to people’s lives is by acknowledging their strengths and applauding their achievements. For instance, at the end of the service, consider walking to the pastor, the preacher or worship leader and appreciate his or her ministry. You can also give the person a call. Let the individual know how impactful his or her ministry has genuinely been to you. You could pick a line or two that have touched you and re-echo them to that person. Showing that you benefit from someone’s ministry adds value to that individual and encourages the person to do his or her best.

As a word of caution, never belittle a person’s ambitions. If the individual has an idea which you feel may not work, think of an alternative to share before rubbishing his or her idea; and even then, find an empathetic way of informing the person so that you do not demotivate him or her.