[dropcap]”D[/dropcap]o not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” — Ephesians 4:29
Jean Nidetch was a 214-pound woman who badly wanted to lose weight. In her desperation, she went to the New York City Department of Health, where Dr. Norman Jolliffe gave her a diet to follow.
But after two months of weight loss, Jean was still discouraged knowing she had 50 more pounds to go. So she invited six overweight friends into her home to share the diet and talk about ways they could help each other stay on it.
Today, almost 50 years later, over one million members attend 25,000 Weight Watchers meetings in 24 countries each week. Nidetch tells an interesting story about how she has helped millions take control of their lives.
When she was a teenager, she used to walk through a park where she saw toddlers sitting on the swings with no one to push them while their mothers gossiped nearby.
Nidetch said, “I’d give him a push. …Pretty soon he’s pumping, doing it himself. That’s what my role in life is-I’m there to give others a push.”
Jean had been given one of the fruits of the Spirit as one of her gifts. “The gift of kindness”. It was her nature to give others that extra push.
Yet in a time when she needed extra support and encouragement, she had the wisdom to reach out and ask others that shared her dilemma, to organize a small group that not only helped to bring her through her crisis, but ultimately encouraged millions of other people in their effort to lose weight.
This is a great example to those that have a desire to help others come to know Jesus.
Thousands are starting to bring others to Christ through “Bridge Ministries” by organizing small groups that share the same interest, or have come through difficult personal trials, and has a potential to reach millions.
God has given all Christians gifts that can be used as bridges to bring others to church first and then to Christ. We receive those gifts in several ways.
If you have a hobby or sport, you share that interest with millions of others. If you have come through a difficult personal problem or illness, you can be sure that is a felt need for millions of others. Do you have a professional interest? This is a wide-open field. The potential is mind-blowing.
Visit our website today, and enjoy the many free tools that are available to assist you with your spiritual growth, professional Christian counseling, answers to frequently asked questions and assistance with starting your personal “Bridge Ministry”.
A bridge ministry can bring as many as 100 new members to your church ever year.
Author: Ray Turner — Retired school teacher from Oklahoma State University’s School of Technical Training “Communications”. Website dedicated to encourage and teach others to find God’s gifts in their life, and to use them to bring others to Christ. [http://thebridgetochurch.com].
