Читать книгу 20 Questions about Ministry - James Cunneen - Страница 6

God is well pleased when Christians want to serve Him. One of the clearest statements of this is found, I think, in the Lord’s words in John 17:18, As you sent Me into the world, I send them into the world. It’s a transfer of a job description. We Christians have a job—His job. And His instruction is to . . . make disciples of all nations . . . teaching them to obey all I have commanded . . . (Matthew 28:19,20)

Since these words are inspired Scripture, we can assume they apply to us today as well as to the original disciples. Otherwise, we’re just reading someone else’s mail.

If you desire to serve God, but aren’t sure what specific kind of ministry God wants you to do, you might want to skip ahead to Question 2: What kind of ministry is God calling me to?

There are different types of ministry, as noted in 1 Corinthians 12:5,6 . . . there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things . . .

For the purpose of this question, however, we’ll describe a disciple-making ministry that (primarily) involves adults. This focus will probably be relevant to most ministries, as many types of ministry involve helping people become more knowledgeable and godly, and that’s a big part of disciple-making.

Remember, a common essential that applies to all types of ministry is this—your own walk with God must be solid. Effective ministry comes out of the overflow of one’s relationship with God.

Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me . . . he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit . . .By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. . (John 15:4–8)

The powerful implication of Christ’s words is a sense of inevitability of fruitfulness for believers who have a close, obedient relationship with the Lord. In agriculture, an orange tree with no fruit is either immature, diseased, or dead. A healthy, mature tree bears fruit. That’s its nature. A healthy mature Christian bears fruit. That’s our nature, through the enabling of God.

Let’s quickly look at Jesus’ ministry during His time on earth. We see that the Lord did four essential activities. And we can pattern our own personal ministry after His.

1. He ministered to the many . . .

2. He selected the few . . .

3. He spent personal time with the few, and imparted His life to them . . .

4. He trained the few for service, so they could do the same for others.

While you will most likely not find yourself feeding 5000 with a few loaves and fishes, you can involve yourself with a group of people (the “many”) whom you can teach and from whom you can select a few to disciple. Here are four simple stages—similar to Jesus’ ministry—you can do to have a fruitful personal ministry:

• find a good local church

• lead a small group

• pick a faithful one or two

• help that person to grow in a way that is reproducible (or pass-on-able)

That’s it!

Find a good local church to use as the base of your ministry. Hopefully, you’re already involved in a good local church; maybe that’s a key reason you’re interested in ministry. But it’s helpful to quickly evaluate if a particular church is the place in which you can conduct a fruitful personal ministry.

How do I do that? There are many factors that contribute to a church being one you benefit from, and to which you can contribute. The needs of your family (e.g. good children’s programs) and proximity are just a couple. But here’s a little acronym that may serve as a starting point:

Go to the “B.E.S.T” church you can find. A good local church has at least these attributes:

• B = Bible . . . does the church proclaim and teach clear biblical truth, without denominational bias or liberal influence? (2 Timothy 3: 16,17) All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteouness . . .

• E = Encouragement . . . does going to this church encourage you— through the music, messages from the pastor, and the fellowship of the other believers? (Hebrews 10: 24,25) Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works . . .encouraging one another . . .

• $ . . . (sorry for the sneaky symbolism) . . . does this church present the New Testament, biblical view of money and stewardship? (2 Corinthians 9:7) Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion . . .

• T = Teach . . . will this church let you teach? This is very important. It’s a great privilege to be able to lead a small-group Bible study, or Sunday school class, and contribute good Bible teaching to the church in this way. (Hebrews 5:12). . . . by this time, you ought to be teachers . . . It’s also a great way to identify and invite one or two hungry ones in the group to meet for one-to-one discipleship and equipping. (2 Timothy 2:2) The things you received from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful ones who can teach others also.

It’s rare that a solid local church restricts those it allows to lead a class or small group, but it does happen. One church I know which has a seminary of the same denomination near by, seems to permit only seminary students or professors to teach in the church. In another instance, from the best intentions perhaps, another church requires any teacher to be a member for at least five years, and requires teachers to adhere only to the curriculum specified by the pastor. The good intention here is possibly to protect the congregation from false teaching, but it still seems excessive and even a bit wary of a lay person’s ability to teach doctrine as guided by the Holy Spirit.

Having found a good church, volunteer to lead a small group Bible study.

Most good churches welcome Bible study leaders. We’ll assume your local church is confident in you to be a biblically accurate and qualified group leader. The church leadership may ask you to take over an existing group, or to start a new one. How do you know what kind of small group to invest in? The discussion that follows may seem harsh or non-inclusive, but we must be realistic concerning how to conduct a ministry that will contribute the most to God’s Kingdom.

If your church asks you to take over the leadership of an existing small group, and you have a choice about which group to be involved with, keep your ministry goals in mind. Since your desire is to teach the whole group, but select and disciple a few, that should be the major factor in determining which group to volunteer to lead. For example, while older church members often exemplify godliness and commitment to prayer, they are usually not the most able to adapt to the activities or spiritual disciplines of discipleship. This is a generalization to which there are many exceptions. And the Holy Spirit will guide you to those into whom you can fruitfully impart your life, regardless of age or life situation.

For the sake of this discussion, however, we’ll primarily consider young adults, or young couples (in their 20’s). They have the energy, relatively few major life problems, and motivation to consider paying the cost of growing to maturity in the Christian faith.

If the church asks you to begin a new small group, you can recruit to this same constituency simply by specifying the age group and focus of the group. For example, an e-vite on the church website:

“New Bible study group for the 18 – 30’s!

College students, alums, young adults, couples . . . all welcome!

Focus of the Bible study group: “Maturity in Christ!”

Studying key Bible passages and topics that help us grow and serve.

Led by Jacob Smith

Contact Pastor Jeremy if you’re interested.”

It’s helpful, by the way, to have the assistant pastor, or small-groups pastor, be the contact person instead of you, as people will feel more comfortable signing up through a church staff member.

The ideal size of a small-group Bible study is about 8 – 10. This promotes good interaction and it means you can have the get-togethers pretty much anywhere, at the church or in a home. One of the main reasons people like small-group Bible studies is to have friends. A group of about this size is perfect for building friendships with other Christians that provide encouragement and accountability.

So, let’s assume 10 people sign up for your small group. It meets weekly at your home. (By the way, snacks and drinks are good, but don’t get too elaborate.) You have an initial get-together so people can start to build relationships. Give the group a hand-out briefly describing the topics you’ll be studying for the first seven meetings. Make sure these topics are relevant to the group. Best bet is to have something like, e.g.“Seven Hot Topics for Millennials!” These topics can discuss what the Bible says about relationships, resolving conflicts, knowing God’s will for your life, money issues, etc. These are topics of sure-fire interest for most people, but especially the 20’s age bracket.

Now begin leading the group! See Question 2: How do I lead a small group Bible study? for lots of suggestions on how to do this.

Pick a faithful one or two. As you meet week after week, keep your eyes open for those in the group who seem most interested, motivated, and hungry. This is pretty obvious, but you can have a few criteria in mind, such as . . .

. . . persons who are attentive and engaged in the study as opposed to the one who’s yawning and checking his watch . . . well, it might not be that obvious . . . but it’s still quite clear who’s interested in the Bible study and who’s not.

. . . those who ask good questions. Good questions indicate a person who is processing the concepts of the topic or passage and trying to dig deeper.

. . . the person who takes the application of the Bible study seriously.

Let’s say the group has just studied how to share Christ, having gone through John 4, Jesus talking with the woman at the well. You could throw out a bit of a challenge to the group sometime, such as, “I’m going over to the campus this Wednesday evening and just talk to some students about faith; anybody want to join me? You don’t have to say or do a thing; just come with me.” If someone volunteers to go with you, that’s an excellent sign of a serious, growing young believer. Even if no one volunteers, it’ll be pretty evident which ones at least wrestle with saying yes.

Overall idea here is to look for and identify the one or two in the group who would respond well to an offer from you to meet together for some discipleship and ministry training.

Help that person(s) to grow. Spend personal time with him or her.

Okay, let’s assume you’ve identified a person you think is serious and interested in growing. Ask him / her if she / he would like to meet once a week. It’s fairly easy to schedule this if the person is a college student, as students have lots of open spaces in their week. It’s more difficult with folks who have jobs, especially if she / he has a family. It may have to be an early morning meeting, or a lunch near their workplace. Evenings are usually more difficult for a married person or one with a family, as that’s the time of day when family is a priority.

Now that you’ve agreed upon a time and place, for example, lunch at the fast food place near the person’s office, the big question then arises: “What do I do with this person?! How do I impart my life to her or him?” You can do with this interested young Christian what Paul did with his young man, Timothy.

It’s been said that all ministry is essentially two things: love and truth. The best picture of this in the Bible (I think) is seen in 1 Thessalonians 2:7 & 11. Paul tells the believers in Thessalonica that he and his team were . . . as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. (2:7) and . . . how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you, as a father would his own children. (2:11) The loving heart of the mother and the exhorting, teaching heart of the father are good depictions of personal ministry. Anyone who has ever seen a mother with a baby or toddler knows what demonstrated and verbalized love looks (and sounds) like. In discipleship, it’s affirmation of the younger Christian you’re helping, and genuine praise. This is not pretense or flattery, but sincere appreciation for the person. Someone once said, “I can live a month on a good compliment!”

This heart of the mother builds trust in the relationship. The young Christian will come to see that you really do like him and care about him. He or she will feel, rightly so, that you are on her side.

The father’s heart to teach and exhort is the “truth” part of this spiritual “Velcro.” Paul describes his goal in ministering to the Colossian church this way:

. . . admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ. (Colossians 1:28)

Helping someone else to grow is basically helping her or him to do and be what you do and are. As the Apostle Paul urged the believers in Philippi, The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you. (Philippians 4:9)

Christian disciplines which you know to be biblical—and that provide the foundation for your relationship with God—are the very same disciplines which another person will find foundational.

It’s a simple idea—a kind of spiritual parenting—but it’s one that’s sometimes overlooked. Some may feel that personal, one-to-one ministry is just too slow or even inefficient. One man said to me, “It’s too much attention given to too few people. If it’s good training, why not give it to the biggest group you can?” While I understand this thinking, I feel there are some real strengths to personal discipleship.

• First, in this day when many young people struggle with a good self esteem, personal ministry demonstrates to someone that she or he is valuable. “If this Christian leader is spending personal time with me, he must think I’m worth it!” As the Apostle Paul put it, …we were well-pleased to impart to you…our own lives, because you had become very dear to us. (I Thessalonians 2:8) It has to do with the worth of the individual . . . the concept that individuals are worth receiving personal, one-to-one ministry, and that individuals are worthy of giving this kind of help to others.

• Second, one-to-one ministry is a great way to teach principles of life, character, and ministry because the instruction, feedback, and application can be tailored to the individual. It’s an answer to the old criticism of group instruction that… “Telling isn’t teaching; listening isn’t learning!”

• Third, life-to-life ministry can result in spiritual multiplication, a kind of chain-reaction of lives impacting others for the Kingdom. Paul implied four generations of godly people when he said to Timothy…(Paul, Timothy, faithful ones, others) You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. (2 Timothy 2:1,2)

What “things” did Timothy learn from Paul? I’m sure there were a multitude of lessons and issues Timothy received from Paul during their time together, but let’s look at a few key “things” mentioned in Paul’s two letters to Timothy.

1. prayer –Therefore I want the men in every place to pray . . . (1 Timothy 2:8)

2. exhortation and teaching – In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus . . . give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. (1 Timothy 4:6,13)

3. time in the Word of God –. . . and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:15 –17)

4. sharing the Gospel –I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus . . . preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction . . .do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:1,2 & 5)

5. godly character – Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. (1 Timothy 4:12) Godly character has these three foundation stones:

• sexual purity – (relate to) . . . the younger women as sisters, in all purity. (1 Timothy 5:2)

• having God’s perspective on money –For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith . . . (1 Timothy 6:7-11)

• humility . . . seeing ourselves as God sees us, beloved and valuable; but not a self-made superman or superwoman . . . not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think . . . (Romans 12:3)

And let me add this, not mentioned explicitly by Paul in his letters to Timothy, but implicit in Paul’s writing, and emphasized by Jesus: friendships with other serious Christian men and women. These relationships are important for encouragement and accountability. I would use the term “fellowship,” but that word has become so trite and misused as to mean little more than socializing.

Help the younger Christian to have these disciplines in his / her life (prayer, time in the Word, sharing the Gospel, teaching others). The basic approach to helping the younger believer is for you to share with him how you do it. Remember the saying, “You teach what you know; you reproduce what you are.” In this relationship you have with a hungry-to-grow young Christian, you’re providing both: your knowledge of Scripture and your own life as a model. Godly habits are more caught than taught. The Apostle Paul said numerous times that young believers should imitate him and his walk with God. This isn’t pride or vanity. It’s just common sense. People often emulate their leaders, which is beneficial when the leaders are living for God.

Imitate me as I imitate the Lord. (1 Corinthians 11:1)

Now, train the young disciple for service to Christ. Jesus sent His disciples out (Luke 10:1–17) to experience ministry without Him. You encourage your ministry trainee to do same . . . lead his or her own small group, ID a hungry one, teach her or him these same disciplines that lead to a good walk with God. Discipleship is really just having someone do what you do, and equipping is just one more step beyond, having your disciple do the same for another. Aha! That’s the very essence of 2 Timothy 2:2! Entrust good stuff to faithful ones who are able to teach others as well.

Conclusion: You walk with the Lord, and help other faithful ones to do the same. This is ministry.

(* For an in-depth look at how to disciple another, please see Seven Principles of Ministry for the Average, Radical Christian, Cunneen, Resource Publications, Eugene, Oregon, 2011, Chapter 3, pp. 13ff )