It Wasn 't Until I

After a car accident three years ago, God used the recovery period to hone my old skills and birth new. Over the course of the process, He repositioned me for a different journey. The new path led to a transition from a secular K-12 setting to Christian higher education; yet, still within the context of supporting a diverse student population. My purpose became preparing and teaching ministerial leadership in a

Earley & Gutierrez (2010) “Ministry Is…How to Serve Jesus with Passion and Confidence” (Nashville: Broadman & Holman).

Ministry is more than just choosing a vocation for life; ministry calls the individual and beckons them to follow. At 53 years of age, I have taken a long journey to get to where I am today in ministry, yet I can say with all honesty, "I have not yet arrived." In describing the ingredients to a lasting ministry, Kevin Miller states, “A ‘call’ to ministry is not easily defined, but nothing could be more solid to most pastors. The call of God is

In chapter one, Cannister claims that when teenagers matter, student ministries will thrive. Cannister begins by showing what most churches are doing by outlining the “good enough” principle, a mentality and form of organization that states that 80% of youth/parents will be satisfied with only 20% of the effort, much like a consumer. Cannister, however, advocates for a comprehensive youth ministry or a ministry that does not just focus on safety, what the parents want, or only

This paper is the final results of my internship ministry practicum II experiences reflection in my church organization work settings and training. My experiences from different areas of exposure sharpened my skills for my professional role of the Doctor of Ministry Program in the theological field of counseling and teaching. My ministry practicum consists of direct involvements with hands-on, real-life interactions under the supervision of my Supervisor, Chaplain Andrea Fletcher. This Comprehensive Written Review analyzes the full spectrum of my observation and participation in tasks from my Ministry Learning Agreement Form. The opportunity allowed me to view other leaders in ministry exercising their gift and in turns

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors, and the teachers to equip his people for works of service, so the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature,

First, he distinguishes the key differences between a youth group and a student ministry. Youth groups, according to Boshers, are activity-driven, have unclear visions, are inward focused, experience minimal growth, include songs and games, are focused on keeping traditions, and are busy in the world. On the other hand, he asserts that student ministries are purpose-driven, have clear visions, are outward focused, experience consistent growth, include worship and prayer, ask questions to continue growing, and are focused on kingdom work. In order to build a vibrant student ministry, Boshers claims that one must focus on becoming a leader instead of simply being a baby-sitter. In addition, the author asserts that, for a student ministry to truly develop healthily, a leader must provide students opportunities to serve and make a difference.

I was born in the year 1972 in Springfield, Missouri and I grew up in Polk County. I had lived an uneventful, "westernly" normal life up until which point I realized I am called into full time ministry. In retrospect this is a calling or concept which I knew fairly early in life and yet denied with all my strength. I had all the excuses, i.e. "I am terrified to speak in public", "I hate crowds", "I am inarticulate", "What do I know about the Bible"...This list goes on. Sometime in the late 2000's I decided I would go back to school and get a degree in psychology or counseling and put it to some sort of use "at church", I took classes, got the Biblical Studies certificate through CCU, changed majors two or three times, and did very much average work. I

After adding in Root and Nouwen into exposing what happened, why it happened, what should have happened, and what I can do about it, I’ve come to terms with both a challenge and a relief. These authors have set me free from viewing my ministry as a failure that is my fault, yet they have also sobered me into a challenge to share their vision. The three don’t always harmoniously unified, as Osmer says that “leadership is the exercise of influence” (Osmer, 26) while Root says that “influence was not only threatening but deadly to relational ministry” (Root, 764). So where do I go from here? I have never been more confident to say that the answer is that I don’t know. Because as my view on ministry matures, I become acutely more aware that “Jesus has a different vision of maturity: It is the ability and willingness to be led where you would rather not go” (Nouwen, 81). Until then, though, I’m looking forward to my interview with the Sioux County

Among the challenge of understanding the people that you are ministering to or with is the challenge of being able to maintain high standards of moral behavior in a challenging environment (Martin.n.d). There is also the challenge of ever changing volunteers and the lack of volunteers (Martin.,n.d). As a Christian leader, we tend to believe that there will always be an abundance of volunteers to serve God but that is not always the case as I have witnessed personally.

I am adept in missions, community outreach, and mentoring new Christians. Moreover, while my on-the-job experience has afforded me a well-rounded skill set, including first-rate strategic planning and program management abilities, I excel at: working with youth, young adults, and older adults as individual groups and a collective body. Last but not least I am not afraid to preach the word of God.

“I was at church camp the week of June 5-10, a few years ago and there was an awesome youth pastor named Reggie Dabbs speaking to us that week. He was great, he made the lessons and bible stories that went with his lessons come alive and he made them personal to fit his story and so many others’ stories. On the last night at the end of his message, he asked if anyone felt called into ministry to stand up. I stood up, not having really any clue why I stood up. I now know that it was God prompting me to stand up because He was giving me a glimpse into what He wants me to do. I am glad I did.”

Recently I sat down with my pastor to discuss my future in ministry. I had some very heavy things weighing on my heart. After laying them out, I stated that “I often feel like I don’t have the needed self-confidence to do this ministry thing” and that “I think that I’m going to need a very supportive pastor in order to survive my first pastorate.” It was there that he stopped me cold and made if very clear that I could not and should not enter into ministry with that mindset. I could not expect my self-confidence to come from other people. I had to seek that from God. In the moments to come, through some very introspective conversation, I realized that I had been approaching the entire idea of ministry from the wrong direction. Without realizing it I had made it a “strong on the outside” thing. I had completely avoided the true spiritual formation that needed to be occurring on the inside.

Vocational ministry can sometimes seem like simply working at a church means that you are living out all the biblical principles immediately, but it is definitely more complex than that. You can go through meetings, planning, discipleship programs, teaching, and still not live out the Gospel and the central cores that are taught in the Bible. That can sound scary, but I find it comforting that living out the principles is not a mindless task, and was never meant to be. Following Jesus is a conscious denying of self, and that taking intention with every step. I foresee the potential to lose sight of God’s Creational Design, in forgetting to view all people as made in God’s image. Many times dealing with people consistently, and especially dealing with people who are especially broken can wear down on your patience and attitude. It could be easy to become fed-up with the same stories, the same-issues, hard-heartedness, stubbornness, and ignorance, but remembering all people are made in God’s image is something that must remain central to continuing to bring God’s healing process here on earth. One particular principle that I know I will struggle with no matter what I am doing vocational will be Cultural Idolatry in the form of doing things myself. I many times default to what I can do on my own, to my own plans, my own ideas, and my own strength. That usually takes the form of God reminding me to rely on him by allowing me to fail myself, and thus gently pointing me back to a heart of surrender towards

This course has had a great impact on my walk with Christ as well as my witness for Christ. I pastor a church and teach two classes and for me I thought that I was doing plenty. However this course has helped rekindle my passion for sharing Jesus Christ with people through personal evangelism. This paper will demonstrate what I have learned throughout this course.