Ministry Focus & Equipping | Christian Ministry Training Blog

I Know Some Servants … with the Spiritual Gift of Pastor

Posted on July 28, 2010 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 6 Comments ↓

The Spiritual Gift of Pastor Defined

to be responsible for spiritually caring for, protecting, guiding, and feeding a group of believers entrusted to one’s care

Examples of How the Gift of Pastor Doesn’t Mean You’re a Good Administrative Leader

Servant #1: He directed a ministry. His biggest asset was not in making administrative decisions but in ministering to the staff. Though people would get frustrated with the process of getting from point A to point B, they knew he was there for them and tended to overlook his errors in judgment.

Servant #2: He pastored a church. His biggest asset was not in dealing with the details of programming but in caring for its members. Though people would get frustrated with his lack of excellence or quality, they appreciated his heart and usually would cut him some slack.

Servant #3: He directed the church’s small group ministry. His biggest asset was not in coordinating the various groups but rather in nurturing the small group leaders. Though people would get frustrated with his last minute scheduling and poor planning, they kept him in this position because he knew how to build a team of leaders.

None of these servants had the gift of administration, nor a personality that lent itself to good organizational skills, but they did have the spiritual gift of pastor. Consequently, under their leadership, things were often left undone, done poorly, or at the last moment. Their focus was on looking after people, not administrative details.

Lessons to be Learned:

People with the spiritual gift of pastor often find themselves in positions of leadership, even when they do not possess other leadership gifts or skills. To minimize the frustration their kind of leadership can bring, they need to surround themselves with other types of leaders to bring some quality and continued growth into the picture.

Get this example of different ways the spiritual gift of pastor can be used, along with 20 other gifts, in the Ministry Handbook: Spiritual Gifts in Use. In addition, the handbook suggests spiritual gifts most typically used in 16 broad ministry areas and 27 specific tasks that may need to be accomplished in most of those areas.

3 Reasons Prayer is Critical in Ministry

Posted on July 26, 2010 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 6 Comments ↓

Because of what prayer does, we should view it as essential for any ministry we might engage in. We should always pray, continually (1 Thess. 5:17).

Reasons Prayer is Critical in Ministry:

Prayer allows us to have intimate communion with the Lover of our souls as He delights in spending time with us.

Ministry is empty without this connection. John 15 draws the parallel to Jesus being a vine and us the branches. In verse five Jesus emphasized the importance of such a connection when He said, “apart from me you can do nothing.”

Prayer enables us to work in cooperation with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords as we get involved in the lives of people in our communities, across the nation, and around the world without even having to leave home.

Ephesians 6 pulls back the curtain to the spirit world to help us understand the battle going on around us. Verse sixteen concludes, “With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”

Prayer gives us a means of showing compassion toward other believers and the world around us as we take them and their needs to a God who cares and can help them far more than we could ever hope to do ourselves.

Read through the Apostle Paul’s letters for the many prayers he offered on behalf of those He served and you will sense not only his desire for them to walk close to God but also a heart of love.

Of course, the list could continue. I just wanted to share a few reasons we don’t always think about in conjunction with ministry. These three reasons alone are enough for me to ask, “How Can We Not Pray?“

I Know Some Servants … with the Spiritual Gift of Faith

Posted on July 21, 2010 by Ministry Tools Resource Center

The Spiritual Gift of Faith Defined

to be firmly persuaded of God’s power and promises to accomplish His will and purpose and to display such a confidence in Him and His Word that circumstances and obstacles do not shake that conviction

Examples of How Our Gifting Can Permeate What We Do

Servant #1: She was a missionary who wasn’t afraid to put herself in the line of fire for Christ, wholeheartedly believing in His ability to use her regardless of her circumstances. People saw her as an example of faith.

Servant #2: He was a pastor who prayed fervently, never wavering or doubting God to come through. Others turned to him when they needed a faithful prayer warrior.

Servant #3: She was a Bible teacher who experienced many setbacks in life yet kept her eyes on the Lord. She inspired others to trust God in their circumstances as well.

Each of these servants had other gifts but the spiritual gift of faith seemed to permeate all they did. Not every missionary intentionally opens themselves up to persecution. Not all pastors have a good prayer life, albeit a dynamic one. Not all Bible teachers’ lives inspire others.

Lessons to Learn:

Certain spiritual gifts, like faith, knowledge, and wisdom, rarely seem to be stand-alone gifts in people. They tend to compliment or supplement or even help define how the other gifts are used. People with the gift of faith are not afraid to live on the edge in their ministries. They often find themselves turning to God in prayer. And, all their life activities, not just their ministry efforts, tend to be characterized by a deep-rooted dependency on God and expectancy in what He will do.

Get this example of the spiritual gift of faith in use, along with 20 other gifts, in the Ministry Handbook: Spiritual Gifts in Use. In addition, the handbook suggests spiritual gifts most typically used in 16 broad ministry areas and 27 specific tasks that may need to be accomplished in most of those areas.

Is Maximizing Your Ministry a Biblical or Worldly Concept?

Posted on July 14, 2010 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 2 Comments ↓

One of the teaching methods I’ve used is the Agree/Disagree Statement. I choose a statement that can be looked at in more than one way and ask students if they agree or disagree. This method often generates some lively discussions. Maximizing your ministry is one of those issues I could easily turn into an agree/disagree statement, saying something like

Agree or Disagree about Maximizing Ministry?

“Maximizing your ministry is biblical.
Agree or disagree?”

Here’s how I could disagree with that statement:

If by that statement you are looking at self-effort, getting all you can out of it for self-glory, self-promotion or self-actualization, then it is a worldly perspective and I would have to most definitely say, “I disagree.” God’s Word is filled with verses about how it needs to be God’s power at work in and through us to HIS glory if what we do is going to count for eternity. Here is a sampling of verses:

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (Jn. 15:5)

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. (Phil. 2:3)

“… for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (Phil. 2:13)

May the God of peace … equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Heb. 13:20-21)

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. (2 Pet. 1:3)

Here’s how I could agree with that statement:

If by that statement you are suggesting the need to plan, be diligent, and work toward excellence in ministry, to make the most of your time and resources in it, I would have to say, “I agree.” God’s Word is filled with verses about giving God our best and being faithful stewards of what He has given us. Here is a sampling of verses:

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Cor. 10:31)

… so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, … (Phil. 1:10)

… if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. (Phil. 4:8)

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. (1 Pet. 4:10)

Look at the Whole Counsel of God to Reconcile the Concept of Maximizing Ministry

When we look at the whole counsel of God, as in both sets of Scripture listed above, we must conclude that we are to do our best, to maximize our efforts, but to do so in the grace and power of the Almighty God. The Apostle Paul said, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them (He maximized his ministry efforts.) – yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me” (1 Cor. 15:10). The last phrase of that verse is the key.

God is in the business of maximizing ministry … beyond what we would ever think:

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Eph. 3:20-21)

Based on this perspective, let me ask: Is your church reaching maximum effectiveness?

So, You Think God is Calling You into Pastoral Ministry

Posted on July 6, 2010 by Ministry Tools Resource Center

I received an e-mail from a young man who sensed God’s call to become a pastor. He felt like he was at an impasse, not having much money and needing guidance on where, when and how to answer this call. I thought perhaps my response could be helpful to others.

Points to Keep in Mind If You Sense God Has Laid It on Your Heart to Be a Pastor

If God has laid this on your heart and gifted you to be a pastor, it will be a matter of timing for it to come to fruition. God does not always bring about what He calls us to do immediately. Look at examples in Scripture … Moses, the 12 disciples (spent 3 years with Jesus), Paul.

If God has laid this on your heart and gifted you accordingly, He will provide for what is His will. Do not let a lack of money deter pursuit of God’s will in your life. Learn early on that pastoral ministry is not a means of “great gain” (1 Tim. 6:3-10). It is waiting on Him and trusting Him to bring about His desires. If you don’t learn to do that now, you could find pastoral ministry very difficult. You must patiently wait on the Lord so that ministry is about Him and done according to Him. It is not about you and your ideas. It is His church. He is the Head.

If God has laid this on your heart and gifted you accordingly, He will prepare you to serve in this way. While this will undoubtedly include formal training, His preparation will involve so much more.

The “where, when, and how” will fall into place and be more obvious when He has more fully prepared you and it is His timing. Let me caution you against trying to make it happen or thinking others can tell you all this. God will make it clear when the time is right. Look at examples in Scripture. God did not reveal all ahead of time. (Ex. – Abraham – Gen. 12:1 – “The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.'” God merely told him to go. He didn’t provide all the details.) We step out in obedience one step at a time as God directs us. We must be faithful in what He has given us now and trust Him for what is to come.

What to Do to Help Discern if God is Calling You into Pastoral Ministry and Prepare for It

Following are some suggestions to begin doing now. If God is calling you into pastoral ministry, these things will serve to intensify that prompting in your heart. If that doesn’t happen, you should question if it really is God’s leading or simply an emotional reaction or self-imposed expectations.

Spend time in God’s Word and in prayer consistently. You need to be in tune with the Lord, to know His heart and ways, which will be a guiding factor now and in future ministry. If you do not learn to constantly rely on God now, it will cut into ministry effectiveness. (See Jn. 15:1-7, especially verse 5 where Jesus said “Apart from me you can do nothing.”)
Ask God to continually search your heart (Ps. 139:23-24) and mold you to be the person with qualities in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. Character is very important in pastoral ministry.
Ask God to continue to prepare in your heart a love for Him and His people. According to Matthew 22:37-40, love is the greatest in God’s book. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 states that without love, you have and gain nothing. According to 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, love is what should compel us. Jesus told Peter, “If you love me, feed my sheep” (Jn. 21:15-17). Pastoral ministry needs to grow out of a love for God which spills over into a love for people. If you are having a hard time loving anyone, work that out now through His power and grace.
Take time to specifically study God’s design and purpose for the church. A pastor needs a philosophy of ministry based on the Word of God.
Involve yourself in a variety of ministry opportunities to get hands-on experience of the various facets of church ministry. A pastor has a servant’s heart. You are not going to be a servant if you do not serve. (Mk. 10:42-45; Lk. 9:23-26; Jn. 13:1-17; Phil. 2:5-8) Being an example, which is part of this calling, should begin now. (1 Pet. 5:1-4; 1 Tim. 4:11-16)
Seek out a respected pastor who would be willing to take you under his wings, to mentor/disciple you. This will help to give you a realistic view of pastoral ministry and it will also give opportunity for someone else to observe you and identify evidence of God’s calling. If God is the One calling you to pastoral ministry, certainly others will recognize God’s hand in your life this way. We have the example of Paul and Timothy and others Paul took under his wings. Also see Proverbs 11:14, 15:22, 20:18.
Begin now to offer pastoral care to others and to communicate God’s Word to others. You do not need a title or position to begin using gifts He has given you. The more you do, the more this passion should develop within you if God is calling you to pastoral ministry. (Gal. 6:1-5; 2 Tim. 2:24-26)

As you do these things, God will be preparing you for any specific ministry He has in mind for you when the time is right — character / heart preparation, philosophical preparation, and skill preparation.

A Holistic Approach in Ministry

Posted on June 30, 2010 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 2 Comments ↓

Jesus responded to a question about what the greatest commandment is with, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mk. 12:30). He created us with a body, mind, soul, and heart. We are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” knitted and woven together when we were made by Him (Ps. 139:13-14).

Some Implications for Ministry when Taking a Holistic Approach

God wants to use our whole being when we serve. Combining all these parts becomes a guide to how to best serve based on His design of our lives — what we can call our ministry profile.

God wants us to care about the whole person in those we serve. Remember the second greatest commandment, to love others as we love ourselves (Mk. 12:31). Just as we attend to the whole of who we are, so we should care for the whole person of those whom we serve. As a church we can get caught up in ministering to the spirit, neglecting other areas of people’s lives..

What about the body’s health and wellness?
What about our mental and emotional health?