Preach and pray, love and stay.
As I walked around the village where we live and minister the other day I was struck by the number of connections I have. I walked and prayed as I walked. As I passed house after house I thought about the weddings and funerals, the visits and conversations I've been privileged to share with this community.
We may not have seen large scale growth at church, but we've built some important relationships, relationships that would be lost if I treated my ministry like a career to be furthered by moving on when it suited me. I remember Don Carson describing in one of his books how his father had spent his ministry life serving small churches. I've spent nearly 20 years of my life in ministry and almost all have been in smaller churches. Only three years were in a larger church.
I don't worry that I haven't moved up into a larger church. In fact I rather hope that if God wants me to lead a bigger church, he will grow one with me! And if he doesn't, well that's okay because I'm not in this for the money or the prospects.
So if God calls me into something else, I'll follow, but until then I'll preach and pray, I'll love and stay.
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