Supporting Their Spiritual Steps with a Touch of Practical Encouragement

It often starts with little things. 

They’re showing up at meetings regularly. Taking notes. They’re asking sincere questions.

Maybe they’ve started reaching out in the ministry or staying after the meeting to talk with friends.

And then one day, they say it:

“I’ve been thinking about getting baptized.”

You try to keep your composure. (You succeed… mostly.) 

🌸 Disclaimer: This short reflection is a way to capture the joy many feel when witnessing a loved one’s spiritual progress—especially the milestone of baptism. It’s meant to honor the moment and lead into some practical gift ideas. For truly moving stories, we always recommend the Life Stories section on jw.org.

For many of us, watching a loved one grow spiritually is one of the greatest joys. It might be your niece. Your Bible student. Your best friend. Or maybe even your teenager. Whatever the case, you’ve seen the quiet steps, the steady progress, the decisions made from the heart.

School Supplies for Your Pioneer Friends

The most important preparation that a pioneer can do is to set their phone to "do not disturb" and take time to study and meditate on the material and references in their textbook.

If you know a brother or sister attending pioneer school for the first time, perhaps you are planning on getting a gift for them. Help them prepare with useful tools or get fun keepsakes. Ministry Ideaz has compiled a selection of pioneer school supplies to help.

Build Your Encouragement Recipient List

As loyal publishers, we understand that the preaching work still needs to be accomplished in these troubled last days, as we strive to display love of neighbor. We adapted sending Bible-based letters to our co-workers and neighbors, who may be troubled, coping with depression or some other illness. On the other hand, we understand that our priority is our spiritual family (Gal. 6:10). And thanks to our bi-weekly meetings on zoom and service opportunities, we now know them better than ever. What else can we do for them?

Prepare your “Encouragement Mailing List”

In our “Expressing Love in a Handwritten Letter” blog, we recommended making a list of recipients. Here are some examples of people you might agree should be included:

• Our dear elders and other publishers who willingly offer to serve in a Disaster Relief Committee. They may still be on the front line in many countries where new spikes of Covid-19 have been registered. We understand the sacrifices they’ve made, and they need encouragement for that.
• Pioneers who have been creative all this time to fully accomplish their work - setting a fine example of adapting to new circumstances. Help them combat “zoom fatigue” by expressing your support for their diligent efforts.
• Those who suffer a chronic illness. This winter is cold not only because of the weather but because of physical distancing. Although we may not be able to visit these dear friends in person, we can confirm we love them with a little note to warm their hearts.
• Single parents, someone who has recently divorced, someone who remains loyal after a relative left the truth…. the list may grow longer as you try to recall. Various circumstances can make the friends feel blue. 

But you can help! By dedicating just a couple hours a week to our “internal ministry” you can accomplish a lot of good.

How Do You Express Appreciation?

In these times of distress, expressing your support and sincere empathy with meaningful items has become the path of brotherly affection. Most likely, you know someone in need who would be a happy recipient of ministry supplies or more. Even if you yourself are finding these to be challenging times, a little handmade present goes a long way (1 Corinthians 13:1-4). Here are a few ideas of what you can include in your package:

Gift Ideas

As with any milestone of life, it’s natural to mark the event with a meaningful gift. Baptism gifts may be novel or traditional, they may be practical or purely commemorative. Whatever is given, baptism is an opportunity for individuals, families or the whole congregation to demonstrate their hopes and support for the newly baptized.