In the 20 years my husband and I have been married, we’ve had the pleasure of being a part of several different church families: the tiny one in our college town, a small rural one after we graduated, a bigger one in Houston, and now the church we planted in Baltimore, Maryland.

At each of these churches, I entered the church community as a woman who loved Jesus and desired to grow in spiritual maturity and fruitfully contribute to our new church. But I also entered each of these families weary and heavy-laden with wounds, sin, and baggage. In every stage of life and spiritual maturity level, I’ve valued encouragement within the body of Christ.

I remember the encouragers. Their lives breathed encouragement because they were filled with joy. These men and women gently helped me see, understand, and apply the promises of God when my heart was weary. Their words and demonstrations of God’s kindness helped me to be strong, stand firm, and take heart in various seasons of discouragement. My faith, my testimony, and my work are stronger today because of the encouragement of these saints.

Growing in Encouragement

Some pastors and teachers are naturally gifted encouragers. For others, it takes time and effort. Churches are filled with members who all have different gifts. Whether or not your church members joyfully encourage with the skill of Barnabas or Paul, every church has room to grow in how we equip each member for the ongoing responsibility of encouraging one another.

Here are a few ideas to consider if you’re hoping to foster a culture of encouragement in your own local church:

Encouragement doesn’t need to be programmatic. You may be the one God has called to start investing in a ministry of encouragement first. Start small. Consider how you and a few friends might encourage a specific group of people. You don’t need a committee or a leadership team; just invest in others relationally.

Encouragement is a learned skill. Just like other parts of discipleship, encouragement should be taught, practiced, and replicated as an important aspect of the Christian faith. Encouragement is Spirit dependent. Ask God to show you who you might encourage. Pray for the Spirit’s wisdom and that he would provide the good counsel of a well-timed word. Depend on the Spirit to do the work of empowerment. You are the messenger not the Spirit.

Encourage regularly and systematically. Once you decide who God has called you to encourage, privately commit to their ongoing encouragement; this might include checking in on them each Sunday, praying once a week, or even sending a text whenever you hear there’s an extra need. Choose to invest for the long haul, even if it means only making small relational investments over time. You may be surprised at how God is able to support someone through simple words of truth . . . to be continued.