Thursday, September 22, 2016

Serving the Church when You Are Homebound

looking out a window

Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ who are homebound are a vital part of the Body of Christ. If you are a church member who is homebound, it may be easy to feel as if you aren’t a part of the body, but God’s Word says that every believer is a vital part of the body of Christ. Even the weaker members are indispensable (1 Corinthians 12:22). You have an important role to play in the body of Christ! Your service is needed and is valuable.

But, how can you step out and serve when it is difficult or impossible to leave your home? Let’s talk about a few ways you might be able to serve those in your church.

1) Live a life of faithfulness in the midst of suffering. A godly testimony in the midst of suffering is a precious ministry. Those in your church who see your faithfulness, or hear of your godly example, will be encouraged in their own walk with the Lord. Their faith will be strengthened on account of you.

2) Share your testimony. If your church has a time for sharing testimonies, perhaps you could write a few sentences for a friend to read at church in your place. Your words could encourage and help those in your church even if you are not able to speak to them in person.

3) Send cards in the mail. If there is someone else in the church who is disabled or homebound, you could send them a card to encourage them in a way that is very personal because you have faced similar struggles. You can also send cards to encourage those in the church who are sick, going through a difficult time, or grieving the loss of a loved one.

4) Prayer is a very important ministry. Through prayer you have the privilege of bringing requests before the throne of grace and interceding for others. God chooses to work through the prayers of His children, and “the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16 b, NIV). Prayer is an awesome opportunity to minister to those in your church!

Even if you are confined to your home, you are an indispensable part of the Body of Christ. There are important ways you can serve your local church, and your service is precious in the sight of God.

How have you been blessed by the service of a homebound member of the church? If you are a homebound member, how do you serve your local church?

{This post was originally posted on The Irresistible Church blog.}

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