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.