The blogging community has taught me three things:

1. We all have something to say
2. We have a need to be heard
3. We want to know that our thoughts are valued

I am no different. It appears to me that these are pretty basic staples of human needs.

There are obvious implications for ministry here, but I’m not quite sure what they are. How would our churches be different if members experienced freedom to share their heart knowing that others would listen and be genuinely interested in what they have to say? What if ministry revolved more around listening to people instead of preaching to them? What if we did more to intentionally communicate love through listening and valuing people’s thoughts? What would this look like for the local church? Or do we already have a fair balance between listening, affirming, and returning heart-felt communication? I’m not really sure where I’m going with all this — just some thoughts I’ve been mulling over for a week or so. Anyone have ideas? (I promise I will listen and value what you have to say.) ;)

Posted on November 14, 2005