What is your Ministry? - 12/19/01 07:58 AM
What have you been called to do? What is your passion? Your spiritual gift? Your particular ministry? Like Saul/Paul, is there something God is calling you to do but you are fighting against the goads?
What have you been called to do? What is your passion? Your spiritual gift? Your particular ministry? Like Saul/Paul, is there something God is calling you to do but you are fighting against the goads?
I just taught a Sabbath School Class as a subsititute Teacher at our church. It had been a long time since I did much in the way of ministry; but to make a long story short; I have been asked to do it on a regular basis.
I like to talk about Jesus, and sing about Him...but I have been keeping the singing for when I am in my van, on the way to work...
In Christ's Love,
Dora
How do you know what ministry God has called you to? How do you discover where He wants you to work?
In Christ's Love,
Dora
how do you find your ministry, do what you enjoy doing, and do it for others, do what you have a talent for and do it for others, do what you know you will succeed at, and do it for others.
Dora
This begs the question, what do we do if we really have no clue what our calling is? We must open the Word and seek out what God has called us to do. Is it possible that there is really only one mission? If that is the case, then the questions is not what is our mission (or shouldn't be) but rather is what is my part to play in this mission? Which leaves us pretty much at the same dilemna, except that if we know what direction we are supposed to be heading, we can start in that direction - whether you go by car, by foot, by plane, by train, by bicycle (you get the idea) as long as you are going in the right direction, does it really matter? As soon as we start, we will be lead into the right path. Sometimes I wonder if we must first show a willingness to work before we get the job.
Okay, I'm done rambling for now, later, I may read this and realize that I have made no sense, but think on these things. How do we figure out what part we play in the body of Christ?
Maritime SDA OnLine serves two main purposes:
1 - As an inreach ministry where we are reaching in to one another as members of God's church and family.
2 - As an outreach ministry to bring others into God's church and family.
And then I have my offline ministry which is why I am also so involved with our local church as the Head Elder doing my best to promote all the good things in the church.
With help from people like Chantale, it makes things easier.
My current church ministries are Pathfinders, Youth Sabbath School teacher/sort-of-leader, prayer circle and choir. In addition, I try to have a Bible study group for the youth (even if only 1 shows up!). These keep me busy, but sometimes I must admit that I wonder if I am in the right ministries! God is continually leading me though and I know that He is in control of my life and will lead me into His Path and Will.
I am also looking to start a Suicide Survivors Support Group - hopefully in February, but am not sure how it is going to work, I have a lot of work to do on that one before we can get it off the ground. God willing, it will though because I have a very real passion for it and it lays heavy on my heart that it has not yet begun. Please pray that things will come together to allow this to work out.
Maybe Daryl can tell me where would be the right thread to ask (and hopefully discuss) all this and more?
If a relevant topic doesn't already exist, all you need to do is to begin one.
If you think posting it in this forum will be beneficial, then be my guest.
All too often we think that a ministry is as an evangelist or preacher or such, what about all the 'ministries' that meet the felt needs of people?
A listening ear, a shoulder to cry on when hurt or even someone to talk to us, that lets us know we are important, needed or just plain loved.
Without all the members doing for and with each other, we would all eventually 'give up and go home', congratulations on your 'ministry', it is especially needed now.
God bless.
I suspect there are times in many ministries that the short term effect is not pleasant. Did Christ have fulfillment in his ministry, yet you know the cry from the cross.
I would stand by my suggestion, that if you are not having "fun" in your activity, you are not engaged in your God given ministry. Your definition of fun may be the key.
One more thought on Jonah. We too often ignore the last chapter of the book. I believe the real lesson of the book is in the last chapter. If we could understand the message from God presented there, we would be a more loving, accepting and inclusive people. We would be less interested in condeming others and less pleased in destroying them with words and actions.
Therefore "go forth" with your ministry, and may your mode of transportation not be by fish, real or otherwise.
Gerry - how would you follow your suggestions on MSDAOL? And what about those you don't love?
DrD - good response. And I agree about the lesson contained in the last book of Jonah. There is also a lesson in the earlier books. Do you think God keeps dragging us back to the area in which He wants us to minister? I can see a pattern in my working life. I wonder if you and others have a similar experience?
Besides being treasurer and playing the organ and teaching adult classes I feel my fun ministries are outside of the church.
I have a special nack of getting people to open up and talk their thoughts, not pry, just show a sincere interest. Through this people have felt free to ask me to pray for them etc.
The other one is a humor ministry. It came in my lap accidentally. When I went on line an acquaintance who had been trying to get me to join a chat, said she would send me a joke each day if it was fit to repeat. Of course, I had to start passing them on and it has opened up a different set of close friends who also feel free to ask me to pray for their needs. It's neat.
I agree that we need to enjoy our ministries. My God is not a tormenting God and would not force us into a place that we would be miserable in! Jonah, I believe, came to enjoy his ministry, and I think he enjoyed it before. I do not think that his problem was that he didn't enjoy his ministry, but rather that he had a vendetta against Ninevah and knew that if they repented God would not destroy them, he also must have had some experience in knowing that God was effective in the way He wanted Jonah to pass along the message since Jonah seemed to highly suspect that the people of Nineveh would change their ways (since he ran away as he did). Jonah's problem was not necessarily that he did not enjoy his ministry, but rather that he did not like the people God needed him to minister to!
May we remember that sometimes God will call us to minister to people that we do not like but we need to do His work regardless of our own personal feelings - and in fact realize that we are to love all mankind, not just the select few that we get along with!