Desire

Every Christian can pursue their calling; the emphasis is on developing our personal lives in order to become ministry-oriented people, using God's Word and examples of others who have answered His call. There is a group of easy to read missionary biographies’ that are simple and worth the read. Written by Janet and Geoff Benge.

My hope is that each of us will become more ministry-minded.  And you will be encouraged to pursue your ministry potential within the context of your local church.

I believe we have made a grave mistake in abandoning the local church as we attempt to work out our ministry calling.

Unfortunately, sometimes, we have had no other choice.  In essence, we have been forced to look outside the local church to unleash our God-given potential for ministry.

If you feel called to teach Sunday School, usher or work in the youth ministry, you will find plenty of opportunity within your own church.  Others are forced into a spectator role, having to be satisfied with the challenge to have good Christian testimonies. But the entire Christian community, local churches, and parachurch organizations as well, will be better off when churches are designed where everyone can minister.

Before anyone can become an effective and consistent minister of the gospel, he or she must have a deep desire to do so.  As most people think about what it takes for the average person to become an effective minister the first thing that normally comes to mind is training.  That thinking is a big mistake.  The first thing needed is desire or what I refer to as passion.

From experience I have learned that if people do not have the passion to get involved in ministry, it doesn't matter how well trained or gifted they are.  But where does that passion come from?

The apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Philippi: "For it is God who is at work within you, giving you the will and power to achieve his purpose" (Phil. 2:13, Phillips).

So, the desire for ministry comes from God.  Churches can do a great deal to cultivate and encourage that desire, but not create it.  That's why the promise of Philippians 2:13 is so encouraging.  It assures us that God is working in us giving us the passion He wants us to have.  He is not only giving us passion in harmony with His purpose, He has also given us spiritual gifts and the power to achieve those passions.

I know we are entering an age of unprecedented impact by laity. Join that with the scriptural promises we have just read and I believe the time has come to challenge the fortress mentality that has dominated our churches for so long, we can pursue unleashing our God given dreams and passions with optimism and confidence.

Fortress Mentality

When Frank Tillapaugh my friend and co-author of our book “Calling” wrote his first book “Unleashing the Church,” he established a phrase that I think describes one of the greatest problems facing each of us. He called the problem the “Fortress Mentality.”  As I've traveled these past few years, it has become clear nearly everyone in the Christian community agrees the "fortress mentality" dominates the vast majority of our Christian environments.

The domination of fortress thinking has produced an enormous amount of frustration. The good news is, all that is needed is desire.

The average Christian must stop thinking about a special group of people as "the ministers" and start thinking about their own ability to minister to another's needs.

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul is talking to the entire Church when he says: "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (2:10).

What is one “good work,” you can do this week?

Yesterday I had to put down my daughters horse. I loved that horse a lot, and my neighbor simple reach out with I am sorry for your loss and an invitation to Thanksgiving dinner for my family…it speaks volumes of his faith. Simple “good works.” You and I were created for that; it is like gas in your tank.  

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM

Since the publication of my book “Giving The Ministry Away,” I have gotten to address groups about unleashing people for ministry; my constant theme has been lay ministry. How to unleash people for ministry. How to create environments that encourage people to find their dream. I have told the story over and over about a talented pastor named Mike and a talented layperson named Sarah. So let me share it with you.

Michael, a single’s pastor invited me to lunch. He was concerned because he had two groups of single adults at his church. He called the singles in their early 20’s, Singles One, and the singles in their late 40’s, Singles Two. But the church had a lot of singles in an age bracket between these two groups. Mike referred to them as the “Singles 1.5er’s”. He had been trying for months to get Sarah and her friends to start a class for their age group. But they wouldn’t do it, and he was frustrated. So, my job at lunch was to convince her it was a good idea to start a class for the 1.5er’s at their church. Hey, he was buying lunch so I figured I should at least try. Right?

Over lunch I asked Sarah, “Sarah, I understand you are one of the Singles 1.5er’s at your church?” She laughed and said, “Yeah, that is what Mike calls us!” I said, “Well, Mike tells me there are a good number of you at the church, is that true?” She said, “Yes, there are.” I said, “Well, why don’t you all start a class for singles that age?” She said, “We don’t want to.” I could tell she was not at all happy about my questions so I dropped the subject. I had tried, now on to the free meal.

A few minutes later I said, “Sarah, if you could do anything for God in your church or community, what would you do?” She replied, “What are you talking about?” I said, “You know if you could get involved in some ministry what would it be?” She responded, “Really?” I said, “Yeah, anything!” She said, “Well, some of my friends and I have been talking about getting involved in a literacy program, just down the street from our church.” I continued, “You said, you and some of your friends, what friends?” She said, “You know the 1.5er’s.” I blurted out, “Oh that’s great! Listen on Monday Mike will call them and set up an appointment for you all to go there and discuss getting involved.” She said, “Really!” I replied, “Yeah!” She was delighted. However, Mike looked a little confused.

A few minutes later, I asked Sarah, “If you could do anything for God in the whole world, what would you do?” What would you do if money, education or time was not an issue? What is your dream?” She began to talk about the desire she and some of her friends had to go on a short term mission trip to Romania to work with babies who have aids. I was excited for her. I said, “Sarah, what I want you to do is get your friends together for a meeting to begin to plan going on that trip.” She laughed and said, “Now I like this kind of ministry.” I looked at Mike and said, “Well, I guess you have your Singles 1.5er’s ministry.” He said, “Not quite what I had in mind.” We all laughed.

Mike and Sarah took our meeting seriously, and within the next year over 20 singles got involved in a literacy ministry plus they went on their mission trip. Mike wanted a class, because he thought that is what “real ministry” is, that is the way people think in a Closed System. Sarah didn’t feel called to start a class, she was, however, primed to live out her dream for God. We just needed to ask the right question and create the right environment. Oh, by the way, I saw Mike and Sarah a year later and she said, “Rich, you will never believe this but we just recently decided we wanted a class for single 1.5er’s and we started last week.” She and I both laughed!

Ask someone this question, “If they could do anything for God this next year what would they do?” Remember money and time is not an issue. Anything!

Unleashing Your Calling

I am going to take a break from talking about the Church. I want to talk about each persons personal calling. Dreams are the windows of the future and change must begin with the individual, who must be able to envision his or her potential for ministry.

America is Up for Grabs

This quote haunts me. "The Christian church in the U.S. is still strong numerically, but it has lost its decisive influence both in American public life and in American culture as a whole, especially in the major elite institutions of society." Os Guinness. I remember a talk Os gave in Oregon 30 years ago and later turned it into a book, "The American Hour." He said, The clock is ticking on America."  At the end of the 21^st century will America still have a strong Christian influence or will we be totally secular, Muslim, or just filled with vague ideas of spiritualism that are common in paganism? We believe that the answer to that depends on how our generation responds to “release our members for ministry,” and to do so with passion. The ancient words, "Let My People Go." 

Still The Heart

Church Leaders tell us that they plead with people to give their hearts fully to God. But it’s the way that they go for people’s hearts that is the problem. People are more likely to invest their hearts when they are pursuing their own ministry passion. “Individuals tend to hold reserves of energy in check until they see how to use it to their own highest interest. The challenge is to release more of that energy.” (Somebodies and Nobodies, pg 114).

The number one need that most church leaders feel they have is, “to get our people involved in meaningful ministry.” On the other hand most Parachurch leaders feel that their greatest need is for more “Christian servants” to help the organization capitalize on it enormous ministries opportunities. There are more International Students who want American friends than there are American friends to respond.  There are more kids who need mentors than there are mentors available, and so it is with hundreds of needy people groups in our country. So what is the answer?

Always Go For The Heart

Yesterday I was in DC at a ministry called DayBreak. I was there with several others visiting. I observed those of us who where there looking and others there working. It is easy to go look, but very different to be there working. The difference is heart.

My friend and co-author Frank Tillapaugh and I have served over 50 years on church staffs. And the most important lesson we have learned is: ALWAYS GO FOR THE HEART. If someone invests their heart, they will give everything they have. When we talk with pastors about their church’s people getting involved in community ministries, they often tell us, “I know our people and they don’t have time to get involved.”  Our response is “If God touches their hearts they will find the time to get involved.” We have seen it hundreds of times, when someone invests their heart, they not only find the time; they will move out of their comfort zones, and on occasion they will even risk their life if necessary.

But, unfortunately passion for ministry is rare among the rank and file in most churches. The reason that there is so little ministry passion among lay people is that church leaders tend to aim for their heads, attendance, pocketbooks, consumer satisfaction, felt needs, involvement in the church programs, comforts and above all to inspire people. And in the process they seldom touch the heart.

Why is passion so important?

I watched a DVD by Bill Hybels yesterday. I cried…way to go Bill. If was from his lecture from The Summit this year titled, “The Courage Leadership Requires.” He reminded me of his definition of vision, “Vision is a picture of the future that produces passion.” page 33 from his book, “Courageous Leadership.” 

People, especially those who do not get paid for doing ministries, do them ultimately because they want to.  I have met many lay people who are passionately involved in various ministries both inside and outside of their church. Some know their spiritual gift, but most don’t.  Many of them have never studied their Strengths, DISC or personality profile.  Some are involved in ministries that don’t make a lot of sense in light of their life experience, occupation, or natural abilities, while others have their ministry calling in the same area as their profession. In fact they only seem to have one thing in common; they are all motivated by passion. 

It is that place you experience your created greatness. What is your passion?

Better Roads...jump on!

The other day I flew into Dallas and needed to get on the 121 freeway, I could see it, but for the life of me I could not figure out how to get on it. I could see it, but all I did was circle around it wondering how to get on it. Have you ever had that happen? Many leaders in the church have had to deal with a person coming with a great idea for a ministry, only to realize they have no idea or knowledge of how to do it. Just buy a book it will tell you how to do small groups, evangelism, discipleship, etc.right? No!

If those same leaders ignore the pressure for success for a moment; and look outside the walls of their churches, they will see a huge number of organizations already in place.  You name the target group and there are Christian organizations positioned to minister to them, prisoners, addicts, mothers of preschoolers, motorcycle riders, athletes, internationals and the list just goes on and on.

The Freeways are in place, we just have to know what roads connect with them.  And unlike the freeways in most American cities these ministry freeways are not crowded at all.  They have far more capacity to engage lay ministers with their target group than they are now using. The biggest mission challenge of the 21^st century church is to connect with the current ministry freeways. The freeways are the fast track to unleashing the ministry passions of millions of church members.