My mom has some very nice dishes that have stood for 40 years in a closet, never used. We were afraid to use them, fearing we would break them, they were so beautiful. Nor could we just get rid of them, they were too valuable.
Do they serve they any purpose?
Yes, people may wonder at the beauty of them… but are they any use if no one uses them? It seems they have lost their original purpose and that is… to be useful.
2020 showed us how much easier it is to be salt in the saltshaker than salt to the world. The salt shaker was hard to get out of and safe. A few managed it, though many couldn’t, or couldn’t as much as they would have liked. and now, as 2020 becomes 2021 and we are playing catchup with all our chores and work related pressures, the salt may still be in the shaker. But what purpose is salt that is not being used?
We are afraid of the idea of someone using us because we know we don’t have time, we need to run around our children, school, lunches, clean houses, jobs, ironed shirts… and then on Friday night ,finally, we have some time to sit down and prepare ourselves for our sabbath school discussion (or what ever other duty we have for our church family). And that feeling when someone tells us in the morning how well we are prepared or organised we are, or what a good job has been done, we became proud that we have fulfilled our purpose… we have served the church.
Sound familiar?
Well.. This is so far from what Jesus envisioned as a ministry or service to others. Our worship program will be more interesting and fuller when we take to the streets to work with people. our worship services would be about the miracles that God has done.
And that’s what people want to hear.
I, personally, want to hear miracles.
And very often we think that going out on the street means knocking on doors and more doors. And maybe you just live in a suspicious suburb and you don’t like it.
No, that is wrong. There is so much more we can do with our talents. Personal evangelism is much more than just knocking on doors and holding Bible studies.
As a bible worker trainers, we will try to widen horizons and see what you as a church can do. And even more…how you as an individual can become passionate in living and sharing the Gospel with others.
Would you like to be a part of the Personal Ministries Movement? Contact Personal Ministries Director, Andrew Jasper at the Conference Office (03 9264 7777) or email [email protected] (0419 324 245) or myself [email protected] (0429 688 619).
Steven and I are Bible Worker trainers and will come to your church for a motivational sermon, or weekend of programs, and offer subsequent training from one to three months. Steve works the Eastern suburbs and I the West.
So please touch base with us and see how we can help your church grow a powerful personal ministry among its members.