Encouragement multiplies. Consider getting together with a small group of friends just for the purpose of encouragement and prayer. Keep the time short and simple. Start with a specified start and end date. You can always recommit once you’re finished. You might prioritize one area to pray for encouragement: spiritual disciplines, family, friendships, work, physical health, or something else. Find and discuss a Scripture to meditate on or pray for one another throughout the week. If this seems too complicated, you could always spend the time pairing up to check in on and pray for one another during the week; just keep the focus on encouragement. Then, share the blessing of encouragement by breaking out of your group, multiplying, and making new groups that include additional church members.
Commit to studying encouragement together. If you want to go deeper in discussing biblical encouragement with a group in your church, you could start by studying the subject of encouragement in Scripture. Alternatively, you could study the life of Jesus, Barnabas, or Paul. (My book, A Better Encouragement: Trading Self-Help for True Hope, is one tool to help you do this.)
Be patient as you work and pray for change. A church’s culture doesn’t take shape overnight. As you work to implement a culture of encouragement, be patient and diligent in studying encouragement with church members. Be patient with the weak who may struggle to biblically encourage. Be patient with those who aren’t skilled in blessing others with their words. Celebrate small, steady, incremental changes when you notice them. A church’s culture doesn’t take shape overnight. Be patient and diligent.
Encourage the weak. If you’re not sure who to encourage, ask your pastor or a ministry leader. Share your desire to grow in the skill of encouragement and ask them for ideas. Pastors and ministry directors are often aware of church members who could use an extra friend or a voice of support.
Encourage your pastor. Ministry is tough. And even if your pastor or ministry leader seems strong, he or she is shouldering heavy burdens. Look for ways to exhort and encourage the shepherds God has given you. Point out glimpses of fruit in sacrificial living and ask how you might pray for their strength and endurance. Celebrate fruit in their ministry whenever you can. Share openly with them when you notice fruit or growth in your own life that is the result of their ministry. Give your leaders the opportunity to celebrate and rejoice with you.
Encourage your church. Pray for your pastors, elders, and teachers to be strengthened by grace through the encouraging words and actions of the church’s members. Pray and ask the Lord for wisdom and humility to discern how God might use you to encourage and strengthen others within your own local church.
What is your church known for? Where is there already evidence of the fruit of the Spirit at work? As you brainstorm how you might work to cultivate a culture of encouragement, consider the unique personality of your church and how it has been shaped and defined over the years by the diligent contributions of certain leaders or church members. When God’s people bring their desires, abilities, strengths, gifts, and resources to the church and work for his glory, God produces beautiful fruit!