Too often, people see ministry as another activity to fit somewhere in their schedule. It’s just one more box we have to check in between weekly church services, small groups, and daily Bible readings. But God never designed ministry to be just, “one more thing.” Ministry is the way we live. It’s the way we take the passions God has placed on our hearts and express them to the world. Ministry is the way we invite the people around to be a part of our lives, and nothing brings people together better than food.
While quarantined due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kate Campbell prayed for ways she could live a life of ministry. “I was just praying and asking the Lord for ways that I could tangibly serve people during this time,” she said. “It was just really instinctual for me to cook.”
Kate soon set to work when she felt the Lord give her the idea for a reverse meal train. Meal trains are usually designed as a way to ask people to sign up and bring you food. However, Kate thought, “How cool would it be if someone could sign up to receive a meal.” She wanted to use her passion for cooking as a small way to bless others and share the love of Christ.
Kate created a Google form for people to sign up and receive a home-cooked meal. After posting the form to social media, she quickly started getting requests. “I got to drop off a meal to a house with a nurse living there and serving patients with Coronavirus. I was able to give her a meal before her shift.” Kate was also able to deliver meals to families with kids as well as other houses within her community.
Most importantly, Kate never felt like her newfound ministry was a burden. “It’s been a really fun thing for me to do and I hope I get to keep doing it,” Kate shared. By using something she was passionate about and already doing, Kate was able to develop a ministry that served the people around her without feeling like just one more thing. We all have passions God has placed in our hearts. What would it look like for us to ask the Lord how we could use those passions for ministry?
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