Ministry Today

Radical Missions

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Published on Saturday, 01 September 2012 12:09

Written by David L. Meyer

How outreach ministry Hand of Hope partners and risks to reach the unreached

For as long as I can remember, my mom and dad (Joyce and Dave Meyer) have always looked for ways to help those in need. I’ve watched them cry with compassion for the homeless, hungry and mistreated—and then do something about it.

From the very beginning, using our resources to reach out to others has been extremely important to them. Our commitment initially started as a tithe—allocating 10 percent of our income to help the hurting through missions efforts. Over the years, that percentage has increased incrementally.

As CEO of Hand of Hope (the missions arm for Joyce Meyer Ministries), helping others is my calling. It’s what God created me to do. But witnessing my parents’ love for hurting people has influenced the course of my life. Through the years, their lifestyle of radical generosity has transformed the hearts of millions—including mine—and set the groundwork for everything we do through Hand of Hope.

Living Radically Generous

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Published on Saturday, 01 September 2012 12:31

Written by Joyce Meyer

Relieving suffering shows the world a faithful, compassionate, merciful and giving God

What does it mean to live radically generous? What does that idea look like both personally and in the context of leading a church or ministry in today's culture?

Most of us know what it means to be generous—the dictionary defines it as “liberal in giving, openhanded and marked by abundance.” Radical is “very different from the usual, extreme.” So to be radically generous believers means we aggressively and purposefully look for ways to reach out to others and help meet their needs.

Fortunately, we have the ultimate example. Our God is a generous God—radically generous. He’s passionate about helping people.

Loving Out Loud

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Published on Saturday, 01 September 2012 12:29

Written by Matthew Barnett

The eternal impact of radically serving the community around you

I can remember being 20 years old, coming to Los Angeles with the goal of having a 24/7 church that would serve the local community’s needs. I knew it wouldn’t be easy. But I had no idea of the challenges ahead.

Coming from such a large church—Phoenix First Assembly of God, led by my father, Tommy Barnett—it was a bit of an adjustment to have just a few people show up to some of our earliest servicesv. Feeling defeated after an especially difficult night, I walked through the neighborhood, listening for the voice of God. 

That night, I saw people caught up in drug addiction, homelessness, prostitution. Just walking around, I could sense the turmoil and oppression. In that moment, God told me these broken people were my congregation, that my ministry was and would not be confined to a church building. Instead, this ministry would reach beyond walls and throughout the neighborhood. 

That night—and finding that calling—was a life-defining moment for me.

Preach It ... With More Than Just Feeling

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Published on Thursday, 01 November 2012 16:00

Written by Ed Stetzer

Preaching. Countless people have done it and are doing it. And as we all know, there isn't just one way of doing it. When it comes to the work of proclamation, we have various strategies and styles—some healthier than others.

Three Common Approaches to Preaching
What I find most often among preachers is something close to one of the three following approaches. While each approach has value, they are not enough in and of themselves.

The inspired approach. We probably know this better as the "I had a word from the Lord" approach. In its best form, this approach reflects a preacher who has been impressed by the Holy Spirit concerning a particular truth in Scripture. It is, in a sense, first-person: "The Lord led me, and I want to tell you how He is leading." In some ways, it reminds us of 1 Peter 4:11: "If anyone speaks, it should be as one who speaks God's words."

The danger here is that if we aren't binding ourselves to the Word of God, it isn't difficult to get off the path of truth and allow our hearts—which the Bible calls deceitful—to guide our preaching more than we allow Scripture to guide us.