The Ministry of Encouragement

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The word encourage comprises two syllables. "En" means to put in or into and the word "courage" meaning confident, brave and strong. To encourage literally means to put courage into someone.

The New Testament character Barnabas means "the son of encouragement" (Acts 4:36).

The ministry of encouragement is underrated and often overlooked (Rom 12:8).If you are looking to discover, develop and deploy a grace gift consider being an encourager (1 Thess 5:11).

Here are a few examples:
Think of those who have lost a loved one and post them a personalised sympathy card. 
Think of the widow or the single person and invite them for dinner. 
Think of the one who has been through surgery and deliver them a lasagne or take them a bunch of grapes.

"Encourage the disheartened" (1 Thess 5:14).

Customise a gift to a person's known likes. It may be as simple as sending a text message to let the person know you are thinking about them.

Some 'blue sky thinking' means the list is endless - this is brainstorming with no limits.

Encouraging words are one thing but encouraging acts mean so much more.

"Encourage one another daily" (Heb 3:13).

Selah. 

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