It was my second semester at North Central University, and I was a junior. I had transferred in from Winona State University, leaving a year after the startling conviction from God that I had chosen a school based on mathematics and not obedience. I found myself lacking direction, even then. I had no mentor. I had not allowed anyone who was older to speak truth into my life, nor developed relationships with godly men who could offer advice.
I was in a class taught by a large and thick-necked man named Garth Heckman (on the interwebs at http://harmonybwb.com/). And he was big. And if he wasn't so smiley and nice and kind, it would have scared the Garth Heck right out of me, man. At one point during a class discussion, he responded to one of my questions with, "What youth ministry are you involved with?"
At that point, I wasn't involved anywhere. "Um... nowhere."
"You want to be a youth pastor, and you're not involved anywhere?" he asked, incredulously. The look on his face was all I needed to know. I was not on the right track. I immediately offered myself at a church in the area.
Later, I had built some relationships with the youth leadership at a mega-church in Minneapolis. They would have "found something" for me to do, and that would have been great. They were exactly what I was looking for-- a spirit-filled church that did everything with excellence. But as I prayed and discussed it with my fiancee, God revealed to me that he didn't want me to be shoehorned into an existing ministry. His church had needs (and still does), and those need to be filled.
Get involved now. Don't wait for "someday."
The point of this is to say: if God has called you into ministry, then do not wait to find some place to be involved. Start serving somewhere right now. Don't necessarily bother looking for a great church that could find a place for you. Find a church that has a need that you can fill (no matter what your planned focus/emphasis), and meet that need.
"I haven't found the 'right' church, yet."
Prayerfully get involved in a church that has a need, and meet that need. As you develop relationships and credibility your example will influence that church body. You may be surprised to find after some time that will "become" the "right" church. I know that's a lot of quotes, but I'm serious. For many of us, the only thing holding us back from doing the right thing right now is the fear/hope that something better will happen if we wait a little longer. If you're planning on being in the kitchen, you'd better grab a knife and start prepping.
©2010 Adam Jennings Posegate
No comments:
Post a Comment