What does it take to be effective with an inner-city children’s ministry like Power House? What skills do you need? Do you have to live in the inner-city? Do you have to come from a certain background?

I have had this discussion with many different people. Some people think that you have to possess a certain skill to be effective with inner-city children’s ministry work. Some people feel that you must live in the inner-city or at the least have some sort of inner-city background. These things will obviously increase your effectiveness, but the one thing that is vital to being effective is your heart. Without the right heart, all of these other factors are worth absolutely nothing at all.

You may have grown up in a sheltered home in the suburbs. You may feel like you don’t have any skills that would help you to reach inner-city kids. It doesn’t really matter what your up-bringing was, what your skill level is, or where you currently live. Kids see through all that. They are just looking for someone to show them love. Heart is all it takes to make a difference. The Apostle Paul by all accounts should have focused his ministry to the Jews since in his own words he was a Hebrew of Hebrews and a Pharisee (Philippians 3:5&6). But God called him to the Gentiles (Galatians 2:8). Logically it seemed like Paul could relate to the Jews better than the gentiles, yet God called him to the gentiles. You may be like Paul. God is tugging at your heart to get involved with inner-city ministry, but it just doesn’t make any sense. God is just looking for someone that is willing and who has a heart to reach the lost. There’s no need to make sense of it, just follow your heart.