Being raised in a pastor’s home where my dad served one church for 23 years and serving in the local church myself for more than 31 years, 26 years at my last church, I strongly believe that ministry for the long haul produces exponential results. Here are five characteristics needed to stay in a ministry setting for the long term.
“When Christ ascended into heaven, all He left behind was a prayer meeting.” Armin Gesswein, an early associate with Billy Graham and a pioneer in the prayer movement, believed the church was born in prayer. Since that’s true, a culture of prayer should be the family portrait of the New Testament Church. Why, then, does it often seem as if prayer is a peripheral issue?
He’s not like us. We subtly beg for compliments, we subversively seek affirmation, we passive-aggressively look for allies – but not Jesus. Jesus knows what He’s about. And He knows that what He offers is the only thing that truly satisfies.
Many are on fire for God’s mission—but for all the wrong reasons. Here are five traps people easily fall into, as we wrongly pursue everyday mission:
For a church revitalizer or replanter, the heartbeat of their ministry is the desire to be obedient to the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) and to lead others to obey it as well. What if I told you that a tiny tweak to your worship service could raise the missional awareness of your congregation?
