My heart warms when I think of all the special ministries operating within our church. Ministry to men, women, children, singles, families, etc., are a blessing because they're about nurture.

Scripture reminds us of what sustained the early church in the wilderness: "They all ate the same spiritual food, and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that Rock was Christ" (I Cor. 10:3, 4).

I believe that our church has been strong in evangelizing and taking the good news to a hungry world. Personally, I have laid elaborate and prayerful plans to conduct a tent or hall meeting in the hopes of gathering a fine harvest for the kingdom of heaven. And the Lord has never disappointed me.

But we are sometimes weak in nurturing the precious souls the Lord gives us. Once these new family members are in our ranks, we must be as deliberate in our prayerful planning to keep them grounded and active in the Lord as we were in preparing to bring them to the Lord.

While pastoring in a large midwestern city, we formed an Adventist men’s group called "A-Men." It was our privilege to minister to members and non-members in our community. Clean-up, fix-up projects were done for the elderly. Children of single parents were given special attention and mentoring. The annual fund-raising banquet, along with membership dues, brought in the funds needed for the many projects. Scholarships and work programs for youth were established.

I must say that it was nurturing for both the recipients and the men who ministered. The closeness developed between us was refreshing. Men have a tendency to be private with personal issues. It means that we are unlikely to share with a brother when we are hurting. One of the good outcomes of A-Men was the trust we drew from each other. When it came time to tackle hard jobs and difficult programs, the team spirit that had already been developed helped to facilitate our mission.

If you need help in establishing one of these fine ministries in your church, please do not hesitate to contact your conference office for assistance. And there is some expertise here at the union office to support you. Nuture will help your church to grow and prosper, and create a spirit of caring that is so much needed now.