Ministry/Service
Have you ever felt your ministry was not growing?!
Yes, you are thankful for the lives you have touched and you want to touch even more. You want to continually go deeper; expand wider; and grow higher.
Living for God and serving Him in ministry isn’t about growth. Serving God is about faith and obedience. Even in the slowest periods of life and ministry…when nothing seems to be working, reaching people, or growing, our purpose is not to look with our eyes, but with faith. God may not reveal His entire plan for a particular season of our life and ministry. Therefore, He does not need our help to progress things along if they aren’t moving to our own satisfaction. He needs us to trust Him – especially when the entire plan hasn’t been revealed. It’s faith that pleases Him (Hebrews 11:6).
In God’s time, the seeds we plant today in obedience may be watered by another and someone else may witness God’s harvest of that seed. Regardless of what today or tomorrow brings…
- be a servant that is faithful over a few things – no matter how small
- be a servant that can be trusted to fully administer God’s counsel – no matter how things seem
Photo courtesy of freeimages.com/Marco Michelini
1 Peter 5:1-3 – The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock.
Elders have a very important responsibility within the body of Christ. They are often the direct conduit for administering God’s instructions; growing His people toward discipleship; and building a strong community of believers. It is a position that cannot be taken lightly.
For many pastors, finding committed church members can be a challenge at times. When the ‘faithful few’ are found, they are praising God for their dedication and commitment to fulfill the church’s mission in Christ. As the load may lighten for the pastor, it is important that they ensure their faithful members (and all members for that manner) are healthy in all aspects of their lives.
For many members serving and working in ministry, they can experience unhealthy amounts of stress, frustration, and burnout. The ‘weights’ of ministry upon their shoulders can carry over into other areas of their lives such as work and home life. Therefore as a pastor, I believe it is important to consider their members within a ‘whole’ person concept.
Proverbs 23:12 – Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
After years of public school (college, etc.), the last thing many people want to do is read and study. As disciples of Jesus Christ, you’ll learn that a lifetime of learning will be extremely beneficial in remaining faithful and committed in your walk with Him.
Reading, meditation, and study are just a few ways you can grow in knowledge, understanding, and find success in the Lord (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 119:104 ; Proverbs 24:3-4).
You might not need to attend Seminary or some other formal training, but you can:
1. read/meditate on/study the Bible
2. read Christian books, magazines, etc.
3. attend conferences and seminars
4. volunteer in a church department of education (i.e. Sunday School)
Photo courtesy of Flickr.com/h-k-d. Image covered under Creative Commons License.
Blogging has become an explosive entity on the web. Blogging has provided a ‘voice’ for individuals to connect around the world. Depending on what you’re looking for, there’s a blog for almost every imaginable topic through many different people and organizations. At times it seems hard to find a good blog that meets your need, and if you consider blogging, you may feel that one more voice on the web isn’t needed. However, I wanted to share a couple of points to consider why blogging (regardless of one’s following or content) is important for today’s disciples of Christ. Here’s a few of reasons why blogging is important.
1. Record your thoughts. This is the basic premise of blogging. How many times have you wished you remembered or wrote down an important teaching or message? Even if you are not ready to start an online blog, please consider journaling your thoughts.
1. Ready for ‘full-time’ ministry. Right now, thousands of Christians are waiting for the opportunity to go into ‘full-time’ ministry. We are working jobs we dislike (mainly because they keep us from full-time service); supporting bosses we don’t care for; and are surrounded by people that drive us crazy!
As we think about the plight of our situation, we only become more discouraged and enraged because we cannot be where we like and do what we love. Dreams and visions of ‘running free’ for the Lord would dance through our minds, then in a flash, reality sets in – too far from our desire and too close to the surroundings that keep us ‘trapped.’
Attending seminary is a tremendous experience and blessing to ministers of the gospel. As students traverse their way through academia, there are a few pointers for their travels:
1. Be open minded. In the seminary setting, you have an opportunity to engage in conversations with people that may not be of your same race, cultural background, tradition, or affiliation. You have an opportunity to see Christianity from a different perspective. You may not agree with everything you see, hear, or read, but you don’t have to become controversial or argumentative (Proverbs 15:1, 28; Philippians 2:14-16). Voice your opinion, back it up with scripture (if applicable), and invite comments and questions. Be approachable.
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