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| PART 6 |
| Women Though some women on the island work outside the home, many of them stay home and clean, cook, and take care of the children. What would it be like if once a week or every two weeks, the men stayed home with the children during the evening and let their wives meet together? Very possibly they could begin to draw closer together as sisters in Christ, and maybe they could spend time seeking God together for needs in their lives and the lives of others. Children are certainly a blessing from the Lord, but more than once I have noticed that a mother's baby will begin to cry when she is either praying or being prayed for. Another possible way of reaching out more specifically to the unsaved women would be through tea (parties) or gatherings of such nature. During these times, it might be possible to have one Christian woman to share her testimony about how she became a Christian or ways in which God has answered prayers in her life. This involves more of the friendship evangelism approach, but if it works, it should be used. A third idea would be to establish a ministry among the Christian women to other women who are unsaved and in need. This could involve cleaning the house of an invalid or sick lady, offering to cook for such a person, or even offering to take care of the children. Needs arise during sickness, a death in the family, pregnancy, and other times. By letting their light shine before others, the Christian women could very likely win several others to the Lord. |
| Children Children demand attention! Anyone who has worked with children before can relate that such work can be tiring indeed, but it is worth the effort. True is the proverb which notes that when a child is saved, a whole life is saved. Thus, it is essential to develop a children's ministry in the local church. One possibility for such a ministry is the telling of Bible stories through the use of flannelgraph characters. This requires a bit of practice, the ability to tell a story and make it interesting, and a knowledge of the Word. But the results are very good. People in general learn mostly by seeing, and children especially require some type of visual aid in order to maintain their attention. Another type of ministry which works well with children (and adults) is the use of puppets. Using puppets, a group can produce skits, relate Bible stories, lead in singing, and teach Bible verses. Over a period of time (if consistency is maintained among the workers), the puppets begin to take on separate personalities which can further be used to teach spiritual principles. A third idea would be to have an annual or semi-annual time in which ministry to the children is emphasized. In the U.S.A., we call these Vacation Bible Schools. Though this may not be currently practiced among some of the local churches in Britain, it could be a vital tool for not only ministering to the children which are part of the congregation, but also for reaching out to many of the children in the community. |
| General Ministry Apart from the specific emphases on the three groups listed above, there are several things which could be done in the realm of general ministry. Not the least of these is the consistent ministry of the Word of God through preaching and teaching. As mentioned above, it would be good to conduct a study through scripture on worship and holiness. As well, in one of the weekly services, it would be beneficial to begin working through one of the books of the Bible. A more specific application of this would be the initiation of discipleship classes, especially for new converts. Another area of involvement for the whole congregation would be the gathering together with other local churches for worship and fellowship. For those local churches which are interested, it could be very encouraging to pray with one another and to hear what God is doing in His Church. This could be done not only among the local churches on Lewis, but among the ones on the other islands and even the mainland. A third area is the development of a ministry training school. I firmly believe that God is not only desiring to save people on the Isle of Lewis, but that He is also intent on developing them to be thoroughly involved in the ministry of the Gospel, that is, in going out themselves. If we agree with that, then we must prepare for it. Through such a program, people of all ages and nationalities could be trained and prepared for their significant contributions to the body of Christ. Although this has been placed last in the list, it is this idea which could be of great import for fulfilling the goals of the mission. |
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| DEFINING AN APPROACH So far, we have looked at the people and their situation on the Isle of Lewis, the current work and state of the Church on Lewis, target groups for consideration and possible ways of reaching these groups. As well, we have defined a mission statement which is broad enough to allow for flexibility while still directing our efforts in a particular direction. |
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