I remember my first Sunday at a small church in Lamont, Oklahoma. The pastor was so excited that we had moved to town. He assumed that because we had come from Christian college that we were ready to take on a ministry. He asked me if I could lead the music. Ha! I'm a drummer not a singer. Then he asked me if I would teach youth Sunday school. I replied, "Teenagers are punks. No."
The point is that some churches will jump on the fresh meat as soon as it walks through the door. Usually it is the pastor or ministry leader because they are pulling their hair out to get their members to get off the pew to do ministry. Is it wise to grab someone you don't really know and try to plug him or her into a ministry? No way! God has shaped each one of us and has given us gifts and talents and personalities to be used by Him to minister in the church.
I love the fact that at Nags Head Church we stress that every partner is a minister. Somehow over the years the church has been swayed into thinking that ministry is for the professionals, the ones that get paid to do it. Not the case at NHC. We are a freak of nature when it comes to church life. Almost every one of our partners is part of a ministry team. The percentage is mind-boggling. How did that happen? This amazing stat is the result of years of Biblical teaching about ministry and high expectations on our partners.
Who do you turn loose in your student ministry? Can anyone just walk in the door and start serving?
5 comments:
I know where Lamont is!!! We have some friends that did ministry there...Steve and Misti Hamm...did you know them? Anyway, we lived in Ponca City for 6 years, I am sure you have been there...or been to Enriques Mexican restaurant???
@tracy Did go to Ponca City to eat and Wal-Mart often. Don't know Steve and Misti. We only lived there for a few years they must have been there before or after us. Never ate at Enriques but did eat at the Blue Moon (?)
You ate at the Wal-Mart?? I guess they did have a McDonalds :)
We never ate at the Blue Moon even though we lived right down the street from it.
We could see the Pioneer Woman from our back yard :)
oh , I just read that wrong...you went to Wal-Mart and you ate in town often..sorry..I get it now. Not that there's anything wrong with eating at the Wal-Mart :)
this is too cool. I grew up in a small town just 30 miles from Ponca, Arkansas City, Ks. As a kid we would go to Kaw resivoir and I have also eaten at the blue Moon. Their fried chicken was legendary in those parts!
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