Matthew 13:1-23
Remember this parable? We probably all heard it for the first time when we were children.
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that He got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And He told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! a sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up.
Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away.
Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.
Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundred fold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!"
In order for anything to grow, it must have the right environment. Let’s take this valuable lesson and apply it to the creation of an environment where your cancer ministry can grow, flourish, and serve the needs of your congregation’s and community’s members who are living with a cancer diagnosis.
How many times do we start a project or have a great idea and then fail to see it through? We have the best of intentions and, then, for whatever reason, we stop, we falter, we allow other “things” to take precedent over our original intention or idea. The following guidelines will help you create the right environment, sowing seeds of hope and encouragement for the care receiver and the caregiver (who is often overlooked when a serious illness strikes a family).
1. Have a long-term vision and goals for the cancer ministry. Define the vision. Make it specific and meaningful. It should define your purpose. Then, align all your goals to support that vision. Make the goals measurable. Build in accountability at all levels of the ministry.
2. Write your goals down. Who are you serving? How are you serving them? Review them regularly. As you meet your self-imposed measurements, celebrate them! Involve all who collaborated to achieve them! Recognize everyone’s efforts.
3. Goal-set through your goals! In other words, as you near the achievement of a goal, extend it! Then you will sail right through it! Too often, if we wait till we achieve a goal to reset it, we lose our momentum and energy. So keep energy high for the long-term vision by resetting goals as you near them!
4. Specify methods and a timeline to use in collecting data about your ministry to share regularly with your cancer ministry staff and volunteers.
5. Have strategies to obtain additional support, volunteers, and funding for your cancer ministry beyond the time of the original plan.
6. Have a cancer ministry promotion and marketing plan for raising awareness of the ministry and updating and disseminating its offerings. Keep the ministry in the spotlight through continuous and varied activities.
In summary, faith communities must be engaged in the fight against cancer. And faith communities are not unlike secular organizations in the need for leadership. Cancer ministries need top-down support to meet the grass-roots efforts of its congregation and the community at-large. Engage your pastor and gain his/her commitment and active participation in your ministry.
Your cancer ministry will grow a hundred fold when you create the fertile ground for its sustainability. These steps will condition the soil for good growth. Your members will provide the care and feeding for its recipients. Now it’s time to sow some seeds on fertile ground.
The All Ribbon Group is dedicated to helping faith communities create cancer ministries that are customized to meet the unique needs of their congregations. For more information on The All Ribbon Group, please contact Lyn Thompson, Pastoral Care, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, 918-286-5235.