A good Sunday

In my current ministry I directly relate to 77 churches.  Nearly every week I am in a different church as I try to visit each of them as often as possible.  Yesterday morning my wife and I visited a small, rural church led by a bivocational pastor.  He was a lay leader in another church in their association until a few years ago when this church asked him if he would be willing to serve as their pastor.  This church had been struggling for some time and needed a steady hand to guide them.  He and I sat down as he shared his doubts about his ability to serve as a pastor.  After we discussed it and he and his wife spent some time praying, he decided to accept the call.  I'm glad he did.

We had a very enjoyable worship experience in that church yesterday.  The church has grown both numerically and spiritually.  They are discussing adding on to their fellowship area as they now don't have enough room for church dinners.  The church is active in associational activities including ministries to other communities.  This pastor began attending a leadership development school we established in our judicatory and continues to grow as a Christian and a leader.  It is so exciting to see the changes in him and the church.

Across our nation we have countless numbers of small churches like this one was a few years ago.  They have lost their ability to have any impact on their communities.  They are drifting along trying to survive.  Their members can tell stories of great ministry in the past but cannot share a current vision for the future.  For some reason they have lost their sense of purpose.  Many of them need a person who can come alongside them, love them, and provide Godly leadership to help them get back on the right path.  This church, and dozens of others like them that I know, have demonstrated what can happen when such a person is found.

Let's pray that God will raise up an army of bivocational ministers who will accept this call of God on their lives.  Challenge the persons in your church who might have that calling to pray about it and see how God will lead them.  Yes, you might lose some of your best leaders, but the Kingdom of God will benefit from their serving in their new capacities.  Find ways to help develop these individuals through educational and ministry opportunities.  We have thousands of churches across America right now waiting for such leaders, and the impact these churches and individuals can have is immeasurable.