“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:1

Do you have an encourager in your life? You know, that person who blows wind in your sails and you leave the conversation pumped up. Or that one person you’ll call when your world falls apart to help you put it back together. Chances are, if you’re in ministry, you are that person to many people. Or at least you should be.

Ministry leaders should be Encourager-in-chief in their circles. They have experienced the encouragement of God first hand and, with their spirits lifted, they lift others. Yet for some, encouragement is a weak spot on their ministry. They can mobilize, teach, and challenge their people, but encouragement takes a back seat. While there are many reasons for this, I’d like to skip the “why” for now and offer three quick tips on “what” encouragement should be and answer the “how” with six practical ways to encourage your volunteers, members, students, or even your own family.

What Encouragement Should Look Like

In order for your habit of encouragement to last, it should be common, consistent, and casual. First, it should be common, meaning your people should not be caught off-guard by it. Your people should be so used to your encouragement that they look forward to it when they see you.

Encouragement should also be consistent, meaning it does not take time off. Often times, it is the busiest seasons where we let the most important habits like encouragement slide. Well it is in those busy seasons that our people may need encouragement the most! We must guard our habit of encouragement from busyness and forgetfulness to be a consistent presence in our people’s lives.

Lastly, encouragement should be casual if you want it to be sustainable. Sure, there are times where the extravagant gift or the formal letter are worth doing, but most of the time, all you really need is a hug in the hallway. A text in the middle of a hard work day or stopping someone in the hallway for prayer can make a world of difference without burning you out.

“How”- Six Practical Ways to Encourage

S- Scripture: In the early days of my walk with Christ, I would get a weekly text from an older man with a scripture passage and it always brightened my day. Even if the passage didn’t apply to me specifically that day, it always reminded me that I should love and follow God. Most of the time, it was exactly what I needed to hear to get my mind back on track. Try texting a verse or writing a card with a handwritten passage for your volunteer or encouragee to read.

C- Comfort: In times of struggle or loss, you’ll need to pull the comfort card out. The incredible truth is that when we comfort others, we are actually comforting hurting people “with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:4b). God’s comfort comes to us, then through us, and ultimately to them. So the supply of comfort we are tapping into is both personal and infinite! The infinite consolation and mercies of God is carried through our experiences and our presence in that waiting room or on the phone listening to a heartbroken friend.

R- Remember: Don’t underestimate the value of remembering details or key events in your people’s lives. People are encouraged when they open up their lives and you care enough to listen. Show you care by following up about that worry they had last week or asking for an update on a family problem.

I- Interest: People are encouraged when they feel liked, not just loved. They want to know, “are you interested in me?” By simply taking interest in a person’s life and what they are interested in, you can lift their spirits immensely.

P- Praise: Often times, people can’t see what God is doing in, around, and through them. But if they did, they would get so much joy and motivation to tackle life head on! Make a habit of praising God for what He’s doing in their life and tell them about it, and see what happens.

T- Thoughtfulness: Do your people come to mind when you’re not together? People like to know that you think of them when you’re doing through your daily life. If God brings them to your mind to pray, tell them you’re praying for them. If you see a meme or news story that resonates with something y’all talked about over lunch, send it to them to show they’re on your mind.

There is certainly more to encouragement than this, but the three C’s (common, consistent, casual) and the Encouragement S.C.R.I.P.T. are great places to start. The effort we put into encouraging our people will earn us the credit to challenge them to obedience and the closeness to truly minister to them in those pastoral care moments.

What encouragement tips have helped you the most?