Some day you may be in the hospital; if not as a patient, then almost certainly as a visitor. Few adults have never had any direct contact with a hospital or clinic. Because sickness and suffering often turn the thoughts of the patient and the family to spiritual matters, hospital visits present to watchful Christians wonderful opportunities to witness about the compassion and comfort of Jesus Christ.
Those who make regular calls to hospital wards find many opportunities to lead men and women to trust Christ as their personal Savior. For a patient whose illness may be fatal, such a visit can mean the difference between eternal death and everlasting life.
Anna Shaets and Yevgenia Chegir (SMS workers in Gomel and Minsk, Belarus respectively) have been called by God for such a task. Their hospital ministries with the patients have seen amazing results both socially and spiritually. They both acknowledge that God has bestowed upon them the "gift of mercies," which allows them to accomplish such a ministry.
How does one start this type of ministry? Christians who make it a point regularly to visit hospitals have various ways of making initial contacts. Sometimes, the ministry begins when they visit a friend in the hospital and become acquainted with another patient in the same room. One acquaintance leads to another. Soon, a ministry of encouragement and evangelism unfolds.
Other times, a small gift or pleasant greeting starts a conversation that develops into a friendly contact with future visits. Almost without exception, hospital patients appreciate true kindness thoughtfully expressed. Some Christians also have a fruitful ministry of follow-up visits when the patient returns home.
Visiting the sick, especially those patients who have no visitors, can be truly rewarding when spiritual assistance is given to the soul of an ailing one. Hospital evangelism does present abundant opportunities to reach souls with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. No training is really necessary to visit someone who is sick, just a passion to share the powerful love of Christ — the love that once was shared to you!
