Develop a Phone Ministry

by Dr. Timothy Starr

Provided by CN Building Adult Ministries Resource Center

A monthly contact by phone or a personal visit will help keep your members from falling through the cracks. It is also a fine way to keep up regular attendance. This will give some of your more active people responsibility for fellow seniors as well as to hold their interest. Those who participate will feel they are doing something that is worthwhile.

One of the strong benefits of this calling ministry is that it becomes a promotional tool for your meetings. It also helps you know about those who are facing surgery or need you for some other reason.

This is a ministry for any size group whether it be 20 or 200. In some churches it is called

‘The Buddy System’ and in others ‘Small Group Ministry.’ There are no costs involved but it does produce increase giving and better attendance.

It is a simple concept. Divide your total membership into groups from 8 to 12. Provide names, addresses and phone numbers. Give each group to one individual who will be their contact person. For example, we have 450 and 41 callers here at The Peoples Church, Toronto. We have one individual in charge of the 41 callers. She is key to this program. She calls me if she receives information I need to know, as in approaching surgeries or other serious crises.

This program began when we got our callers in place. Over a working lunch we gave a demonstration of a typical phone call, how to introduce yourself and what to say. We suggested they asked about health, family and other cares. We suggested they close the call with a presentation of the next program and encourage their commitment to it.

We hold an annual appreciation for our callers and present them with a gift. Once a year we introduce all the callers at one of our older adults meetings.

This works for us and I am sure it will for your group too.