Hospital Visits and Youth Ministry
If there is one aspect of ministry that I dread more than any other, its hospital visits. Even for minor surgeries it is uncomfortable. Major stuff – yikes! Yet, these times can be some of the most powerful of your ministry. Families are less and less likely to allow you to enter into their homes, but when someone is lying there in the hospital bed they are hungry for you to enter into their uncertainity and struggles.
The problem is that most of us are unaccustomed to dealing with such times of suffering. I am no expert myself, but here are a few things I’ve learned over the years that you can and should do to minister.
1. Listen – Don’t come ready with answers, Bible verses, or conversation. Just be ready to listen. Your presence is what they crave, not some nuggets of brilliance from your mouth.
2. Help – Be willing to bring some food for family, take a small child off their hands for a bit, get ice chips, or whatever they need. Always look for those ways that you can take added stressors off their minds, but also don’t force it (sometimes people need those things for distractions).
3. Don’t make it just a token visit; also don’t overstay your welcome – Don’t just show up for 5 minutes, do your duty, and take off. Also don’t overstay and become a stress to the family. It is a tough balance to find, and is different for every situation.
4. Pray – Don’t go "Minister Spiritual" on peoplel, but don’t miss this opportunity to pray with the sick or injured student and the family. Prayer is powerful. Don’t neglect this.
Hospital visits are tough, but in those moments you are being invited into a family’s toughest moments. You need to simply be Jesus in those moments – loving, compassionate, and full of grace.
I’d love to hear any other suggestions or ways you’ve helped during difficult hospital visits in the comments.
Tags: hospital, visitation, youth ministry, student ministry, sick, injured, family
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