Part of your role in shepherding your flock well is to connect your people in service. At the most supreme level possible, that means raising up those leaders who are called into full-time ministry work.
Think of the call to ministry as the highest level of service your people can attain. It’s not a level they can aspire to based on their own will, but rather one that God has to invite them to. If you see people eagerly scaling the levels of lay leadership in your church, especially young people, don’t shy away from introducing a conversation about the call to ministry and helping them articulate the prompting they may be feeling deep down.
If you aren’t walking in awareness of how you can help the budding ministries or missionaries around you, you’ll do both them and the Kingdom a disservice. On the other hand, as you are open to raising them up, you will be taking an active role in expanding God’s work beyond your doors.
At The Journey, we have been fortunate to see more than a dozen men and women called out of our congregation and into full-time ministry. These individuals are now scattered around the globe, working in various churches or parachurch organizations. Now, I am constantly reminding myself to be on the lookout for the one, two or three people among our volunteers whom God might be planning to raise up to be pastors on our staff, or who may be called to lead new churches or to pastor existing churches in need.
My challenge to you — and to myself — is this: As you lead and equip your church, be diligent about raising up leaders in various levels of service; and as you do, don’t forget to cooperate with God in calling out those who are truly called for the sake of Christ and the expansion of the Kingdom.
Your partner in ministry,
Nelson
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