What does it mean to "Enter the ministry"?
Guest Post by Larry Peabody - Try this experiment. Type the words “entered the ministry” (in quotation marks) in the Google search box. How many hits will you get? I did that recently. Those words returned 366,000 results. (The present-tense “enter the ministry” snagged another 265,000.) A small percentage of these had to do with going to work for the government in countries that call their agencies “ministries.” For example, someone might have “entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.” But most referred to Christians starting to work as religious professionals.
I typed the same phrase into my Bible software concordance, checking a dozen translations. The response: “No matches found for ‘entered the ministry.'” Hebrews 9:6 came closest, telling how the Old Covenant priests “entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry.” But their entering brought them into a room—not into the ministry.
The phrase clearly does not come from Scripture. Even so, does it communicate a biblical truth? Or does it send us down the slippery path of human tradition?
According to the Bible, the work of ministry or serving (Greek diakonia) belongs to the saints—to all of God's people (Eph. 4:12), Paul, writing to all the Christians in the Corinthian church, told them to give themselves fully to the work of the Lord (I Cor. 15:58). So the call of God to become a Christ-follower is a call to serve God and others—to minister. If you have entered the kingdom of God through Christ, the Door, you have been called into “the ministry.” (How well or poorly you are doing that ministry is another question.) So by entering Christ, the Door, you become a minister (servant).
But as typically used the phrase, “enter the ministry,” implies a second door. You become a Christian by entering the Christ door. Then you must pass through some additional door to enter the ministry. What is that door? Seminary? Ordination? Foreign missionary service? So this phrase teaches Christians to think of themselves as outside “the ministry” unless and until they “enter” it via that other door.
Of course, the doorway opens both ways. Googling on “left the ministry” led to about 419,000 instances of this phrase. In site after site, Christians who had once entered the door into “ministry” were now exiting it. One site speaks of a pastor in these words: “When he left his church, he left the ministry.” If the call to follow Christ equals a call to ministry, how can any Christian exit the ministry? A bi-vocational pastor heard this from friends with whom he had attended seminary: “Dale, if you're going to work in education why don't you get out of the ministry, or if you're going to preach, why don't you turn education loose?”
I recently led a seminar on serving Christ in the workplace. Afterward several participants came individually to say that they had finished seminary or Bible school and were now working in this or that non-religious job. One after another they told how they had struggled with feeling they had missed God's best for their lives. What I heard confirms this statement in a current web site: “Even late into their lives, [many Christians] wonder about leaving their businesses or careers to enter the ministry . . . .”
Christ calls every member of his body to serve—minister to—him and to others. If our Christian jargon deceives many of those members into thinking they are still outside the ministry, we effectively strait-jacket the full effectiveness of the church. The way we use the words, “enter the ministry,” comes not from Scripture but from our own religious traditions and institutional thinking. Let's abandon that phrase and learn to think and speak in ways that build the church.
Equipping Christians to live for Christ in their places of work has been on Larry Peabody's heart for decades. He has seen the workplace from three angles--as an employee, as a business owner and as a senior pastor.
About Larry Peabody- Larry has served in three Washington State agencies over a span of 11 years, primarily in the area of public information. For the next 17 years, he worked as a self-employed business owner. While still in that role, he led a team that planted a church, serving as a bi-vocational pastor for 8 years and then as a full-time, paid senior pastor for another 13 years. He retired from his senior pastor role in August 2007. Larry authored the book, SERVING CHRIST IN THE WORKPLACE. His book may be purchased on-line through Amazon.com.
Labels: Editorials, Sacred and Secular Divide
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Jesus in the Workplace
So many churches that I know of, which are actually great churches, hold to a local church-centric view of ministry. This means that the goal of the staff is to get the lay people involved in ministry, which is defined as either volunteering at the physical church location or through church organized service projects in the community.
Undoubtedly both of those are valuable and needed avenues. However, this is really what I call "faith addition", living your faith means 'adding' certain activities to your already busy life.
The contrast to this is "faith integration', living your faith means integrating your faith into whatever you are doing.
The average church goer in America spends 70-80 hours a year at church. The average work week is getting close to 50 hours a week or 2500 hours a year. If living one's faith means doing things at church then we are not on a whole living our faith very much.
If however, living our faith means following Christ in everything we do, everywhere we are then the doors have opened to a deeper, more meaningful conversation. As a result, it seems we need to take seriously what it means to follow Jesus in the workplace. Thoughts?
Mark Russell is the editor/publisher of Our Souls at Work: How Great Leaders Live Their Faith in the Global Marketplace and the author of The Missional Entrepreneur: Principles and Practices for Business as Mission, available at www.russell-media.com. businessasmissionnetwork.com readers can use discount code: Rmdiscount4 and obtain 20% off plus free shipping.
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Fight the Starbucks Coffee Purchase Guilt
Guest post by Chris Horst - Visiting the Starbucks headquarters in Seattle last week was like a party for my senses. Delectable sights, sounds and smells emanated throughout the re-purposed historic train station Starbucks calls home. As part of my MBA program, my cohort had the privilege of visiting with several Starbucks executives–and tasting lots of delicious coffee, of course. Sadly, however, despite my hopes, there were no vanilla latte water fountains. The visit has got me thinking.
Have you ever been a part of a church service or conversation when someone said something like, “You selfishly spend $20/month on coffee purchases — imagine what good that money could do if you gave it to a non-profit!” I’ve heard it many times and am sure I have even said it more than once. There is some truth to that comment, and I am not writing this post to justify excessive consumerism, but I am increasingly convinced that is a misleading admonition.
Your purchases, be it for your favorite coffee, the car you drive or the computer you are using right now, are doing good. Did you know that Starbucks provides wages and health insurance to over 115,000 individuals people and are supporting over 75,000 rural coffee farmers throughout Latin America and Africa? Learning about the Starbucks Farmer Support program (see video below) was like watching a HOPE International marketing video — incredible how much of an impact the gourmet coffee craze is making on the lives of poor rural farmers.
Many times we assume that all our spending is selfish and detrimental to the world…as if only money given to charities is “money well spent.” That’s just not true. Look at India, Chile, Brazil, Hong Kong and even Rwanda. These countries are seeing massive numbers of people’s livelihoods improved and are seeing the flourishing of many of their communities. Many factors have contributed to these countries’ collective emergence, but the engine of entrepreneurship is leading the charge. We often judge the worth of businesses by how much they give charitably to charities. In my view, the primary good they contribute to our society is their provision of valuable products, services and meaningful employment to the world–from the smallest “mom and pop” shops to the world’s largest companies. Their donations are great too, but it’s their inherent value which is doing the most good.
Next time you buy your white chocolate mocha, use your Blackberry, or read your Bible, think about the people whose livelihoods, perhaps across the globe, you are supporting. Sip that latte with your chin-up. Your habit is putting food on the table for over 75,000 rural farmers in the developing world.
Dig into the ethical policies of your favorite companies, as you are voting with each of your purchases and charitable donations. Are you voting for candidates believe in?
Continue reading 'Fight the Starbucks Coffee Purchase Guilt'
Have you ever been a part of a church service or conversation when someone said something like, “You selfishly spend $20/month on coffee purchases — imagine what good that money could do if you gave it to a non-profit!” I’ve heard it many times and am sure I have even said it more than once. There is some truth to that comment, and I am not writing this post to justify excessive consumerism, but I am increasingly convinced that is a misleading admonition.
Your purchases, be it for your favorite coffee, the car you drive or the computer you are using right now, are doing good. Did you know that Starbucks provides wages and health insurance to over 115,000 individuals people and are supporting over 75,000 rural coffee farmers throughout Latin America and Africa? Learning about the Starbucks Farmer Support program (see video below) was like watching a HOPE International marketing video — incredible how much of an impact the gourmet coffee craze is making on the lives of poor rural farmers.
Many times we assume that all our spending is selfish and detrimental to the world…as if only money given to charities is “money well spent.” That’s just not true. Look at India, Chile, Brazil, Hong Kong and even Rwanda. These countries are seeing massive numbers of people’s livelihoods improved and are seeing the flourishing of many of their communities. Many factors have contributed to these countries’ collective emergence, but the engine of entrepreneurship is leading the charge. We often judge the worth of businesses by how much they give charitably to charities. In my view, the primary good they contribute to our society is their provision of valuable products, services and meaningful employment to the world–from the smallest “mom and pop” shops to the world’s largest companies. Their donations are great too, but it’s their inherent value which is doing the most good.
Next time you buy your white chocolate mocha, use your Blackberry, or read your Bible, think about the people whose livelihoods, perhaps across the globe, you are supporting. Sip that latte with your chin-up. Your habit is putting food on the table for over 75,000 rural farmers in the developing world.
Dig into the ethical policies of your favorite companies, as you are voting with each of your purchases and charitable donations. Are you voting for candidates believe in?
Labels: Coffee, Hope International
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When Work Becomes Deadening - Finding Meaning in the Drudgery and Deadness of Work
Seven hours later, I woke up at a small hotel, ate breakfast, and then realized that I didn’t have my card. I soon learned that, in less than an hour, sophisticated thieves had managed to siphon a couple of grand from my account. How they obtained my PIN and rigged the machine to hold my card is still a mystery.
My card’s fraud department said that I should make a formal report at the nearest police station. I had been feeling sorry for myself until I arrived at the station inside the airport. But my attitude changed as I spent the next two hours watching about 20 police officers perform dreary, lifeless work.
The station was in a back corner of the airport. Two private security guards were sitting on metal chairs without cushions and smoking cigarettes, half asleep. Stale fluorescent lighting illuminated the smoke-filled room. The walls were painted a drab, neutral gray. A small painting of a Greek villa overlooking the ocean was the only decoration; it seemed like a cruel reminder of life beyond the windowless police station.
Although each officer had a sidearm and heavy black boots, their actual work only involved stapling documents, shuffling paper from one file to another, rubber stamping official forms, and entering data on old computers. This movement was salted by officers singing little ditties in Spanish, telling jokes about the new woman in the office, and smoking.
After two hours of waiting, the officer who had typed out my denuncia couldn’t get the printer to work. In fact, none of the printers at the station were working. After 30 minutes of failed attempts, he took a pen drive to another location in the airport, borrowed a computer, and finally came back with the official document for my case. As we both signed the papers, he apologized for the problems. I smiled, told him not to worry, and thanked him for his perseverance. He still seemed embarrassed, saying “This is Argentina, you know.”
His daily struggle with mundane work, of course, is not limited to his country. Argentina is a vibrant, culturally rich nation with an amazing history. It’s possible that more people in developing countries have to endure mundane work than people in wealthier nations, but the problem has deeper roots than just the economics of a nation. Mundane, banal work is the result of a spiritual breakdown. Underneath the surface, I think those police officers realized that they were designed for more fulfilling and meaningful work. This is just the start to a GREAT article from the guys at InsideWork, to read the rest of it, visit their site.
Labels: InsideWork.net
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Rwandans Lives being Changed by Business as Mission Company
Cards from Africa in Rwanda has been creating stories of life change through its business for many years. Here's two recent stories Chris Page, the founder, had to share. To read more visit, www.cardsfromafrica.com.
Christine – Cards from Africa's Faithful Book-Keeper
Christine was already living at an orphanage before the genocide started. A few months before the fighting began, Christine's father took her and her siblings there, saying, "Do not tell anyone my name or your mother's name. If anyone asks, your parents are dead." That was the last time she saw him.
When the opposition army finally liberated the orphanage area, she remembers a huge sense of relief. "I could finally stop fearing for my life," she recalls. "I had been hiding the whole time, afraid that someone would kill me. When we were liberated, I felt the freedom from hiding, freedom from death."
Though Christine was no longer afraid for her life, she soon learned that her parents had died. In addition, the orphanage could not stay open, so she was suddenly in charge of her siblings. She was forced to find odd jobs, such as fetching large jugs of water all day to mix cement at construction sites. Life seemed hopeless, the work painful and endless. Even when she had enough money to buy food for one day, she was still unsure about the next.
Now that she works for Cards from Africa, Christine has found people who have a similar background, with whom she can relate. She has steady work that pays well, allowing her to support her family. "I wrote a song to commemorate the genocide," she says. "It is a song that tells people that it is time to stop crying. It is now the time to move forward with hope."
Christine hopes to one day go to college and get her degree. She would love to buy her own house, get married, and to have a family. But more than just hope for her life, Christine has hope for her country. "My parents' generation used to see people as different ethnic groups. But that is what led to the genocide. I have hope that Rwanda can be better as we learn to be of one mind, to see everyone as Rwandese, as one people."
Theoneste - Dedicated Card-Maker and Talented Musician
Theoneste is an aspiring artist who is full of love for all types of people. But his compassion has come despite terrible violence that wrecked his family.
Theoneste was only 11 years old when the Rwandan genocide occurred. For 100 days, he and his siblings hid in bushes during the day, and went in search of new hiding spots at night. Luckily, they managed to survive. However, upon returning home, Theoneste discovered that both his parents had not. He and his younger siblings were all orphaned, and Theoneste, being the eldest, was now in charge of the family.
Life was not easy. Theoneste quickly learned that if he wanted something, he had to fight for it himself, sometimes literally. "I had to grow up very fast," he describes. "You have to be tough if you want anything. We had no money, nothing to eat. I felt like no one could understand me, so I became very stubborn. If I wanted something, I would fight. I did not listen to others because there was only my way. That is what you had to do to survive."
Then, in 2006 Theoneste found a job at Cards from Africa. At first it was not easy because he had to work in a team. "I would want to do things my way, and if others disagreed, I would want to fight. But as I spent more time there, I learned that they could understand my life. " With the steady income he earned at Cards from Africa, he could stop worrying about affording food for his brother and sister. As he experienced the love and compassion of his co-workers, he learned how to be more loving and compassionate himself. "My favorite card we make is ‘Bunch of Hearts'. It is a card that shows love, and in my heart I feel like I have more love for everybody."
When asked if he still gets into fights, Theoneste laughs and says, "These days, I prefer music to fighting. I like to play my friend's guitar. One day I want to buy my own guitar and learn to write songs."
I visited Theoneste in his home once, and listened to him as he played the guitar to me that he had made himself. Much joy fills my heart when I think of the peace and joy that God has now given him.
Labels: Business as Mission Impact Story, Cards from Africa
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Back to the Basics - Foundations for Leading a Company for Christ
With that thought in mind, FCCI will be hosting their 31st International Conference September 26-30th in Tucson, Arizona.
Kent Humphreys, Walt Wiley, one other keynote speaker that will be announced later and FCCI Members from around the world will bring us answers to the foundational questions that have drawn men and women to the FCCI Vision for over 30 years. With Kent, Walt and others on the platform enhanced by 15 powerful and practical breakouts (5 each day), being equipped and encouraged is a guarantee.
And don't forget, FCCI is committed to the belief that you (and your spouse) need time to decompress, to build relationships (to shop), and to refresh your spirit. That means that onced again every afternoon will remain open, and on Tuesday you can have both the afternoon and evening for yourselves.In 2009, we were reminded that God Called us into business. Now in 2010 we continue to explore how we respond to that call - especially in these circumstances. Come share the practical wisdom that comes from those who have done and are doing what FCCI is equipping an encouraging all of us to do - to operate our businesses and conduct our personal lives in accordance with biblical principals. For more information visit the FCCI website.
Labels: Events and Conferences, FCCI, Kent Humphreys
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HOPE International Looking for Director of Internal Auditor for Africa
HOPE Democratic Republic of Congo’s Director of Internal Audit is responsible for developing and managing HOPE DRC’s Internal Audit function. The incumbent is responsible for managing all HOPE DRC internal auditors, methodologies, planning and delivery of the DRC audits. This Leader, reporting to the HOPE International Director of Internal Audit will support the DRC Audit Committee and DRC management team by assessing risk, evaluating internal controls and assuring compliance with internal procedures, regulatory pronouncements and financial accounting standards. This person will be responsible for direct management of the HOPE DRC’s team of internal auditors and will have oversight of internal audits across HOPE DRC. All interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter to Laura Grovatt, Human Resources Generalist, at jobs@hopeinternational.org by April 30th, 2010.
Full details can be found at: http://www.hopeinternational.
Labels: Hope International, Recruitment and Job Opportunities
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Tear Down this Wall: A Note for Pastors and Laity
By Kent Humphreys - Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan stood
at the wall in Eastern Europe in June 1987. Following are excerpts from that
historic speech:
The 12-foot concrete wall extended for one hundred miles and stood as a stark symbol of the decades-old Cold War. Two years later, East Germans issued a decree for the wall to be opened. Families that had been separated for decades were finally reunited.
When I attended Lausanne II in
I again thought of walls, and prayed that the wall of misperception and misunderstanding that existed between the “professional minister” and the “ordinary believer” would finally begin to come down.
This wall was erected within a few hundred years of Christ’s ascension, and still affects us today.
During a recent trip to
Please understand that a small minority (perhaps one to five percent of the “professional vocational ministers”) do understand the problem and are modeling the biblical paradigm. Another fifteen to twenty percent may think they understand (and may even preach it), but they do not model it. I am convinced that a full eighty percent of “ordinary” believers do not understand their calling as full-time ambassadors of Christ.
Obstacles for Pastors and Christian Leaders
Let us first address some of the reasons why pastors and leaders of Christian groups are hesitant to build bridges and let the walls come down.
- They believe in the “priesthood of every
believer,” but have not seen a biblical model of it.
- They do not see the wall they have created
that separates the “professional” and the “ordinary” believer.
- They have confused teaching with equipping
and modeling.
- They have elevated programs and buildings
over relationships, and growing their local church over building God’s
kingdom.
- They have allowed walls to exist so that they
will not have to be vulnerable to a small group or other individuals.
- They hate to give up control and are
intimidated by strong lay leaders.
- They do not understand the difference between
leading followers and equipping leaders.
- They enjoy the platform and attention of the
crowds.
- They have elevated the teaching of the mind
over the changing of the heart.
- They are afraid of partnerships with other
churches, other denominations, and even other strong leaders in their own
churches.
Obstacles for the Laity
Let us now address some of the reasons laity have chosen to let the walls remain.
- They have little or no idea of the biblical teaching of the “priesthood of every believer.
- They think the “professional” has a “special” call, and that they are very ordinary.
- They have no understanding of the principle
of biblical “calling.”
- They do not understand the biblical model of
the equipping ministry of the saints.
- They do not see their responsibility to be
doing the ministry where they live, work, and play.
- They have bought into the fact that they are
to help the pastor and the professional church staff to do their ministry.
- They would rather pay hired “professionals”
to do it than to have to do it themselves.
- They would rather tell the pastor what to do
and have him take care of them, pray for them, preach for them, entertain
them, and make them feel good.
- They like creating heroes and putting pastors
on pedestals as celebrities, then they love to take them down when they
fall.
- They do not feel qualified, trained, or
gifted.
- They do not want to be full-time ambassadors
for Christ and on call twenty-four hours a day.
- They want the freedom to do their own thing.
- They are afraid God might call them to be
missionaries to some far-off land.
What can a pastor do to break down the walls? Let me share a few suggestions I give in my book, Shepherding Horses.1
- Instead of trying to build your church or
create programs, try to build bridges of long-term relationships and
concentrate upon a few at a time. Do not worry about what others will
think or about losing your job. Follow the model of Jesus.
- Seek to understand the issues those in your
church are having, particularly in the workplace. Go and visit them in
their workplace. In fact, volunteer to be a chaplain in the workplace one
day a week. It will change your ministry and how you preach.
- Affirm each of your people in his or
her calling.
- Equip them to minister where they live, work,
and play.
- Commission them as ministers formally in
front of the entire church.
- Release them to serve God where they are.
Below are suggestions to help workplace leaders build bridges with their pastor.
- Invite your pastor out to lunch. It may take
months for him to be vulnerable and open up, but take the first step.
Share with him a struggle you are facing. Ask him how you can pray for
him. Promise total confidentiality.
- Share with him some of the ways God is using
your workplace position to impact others for Christ. Give him real
examples and he will be greatly encouraged.
- Invite him to be a part of your small group
of workplace leaders that may meet weekly or monthly. Eighty percent of
your pastor’s issues are the same as yours. He is the CEO of a church, a
volunteer organization. It has some unique challenges of its own.
- You and your spouse could take your pastor
and spouse out to dinner. Try to keep the conversation on family and
hobbies, instead of just church business. The walls will begin to come
down.
- Get together and dream of ways that both of
you as leaders can encourage your congregation to get “outside the walls”
of the church into the city, nation, and world. Use your unique gifts and
learn to work together.
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Originally published in the Lausanne World Pulse monthly newsletter. Reprinted with permission.
Kent Humphreys has been a business leader
for over thirty years. From 2002 through 2007 he was president of Fellowship of Companies for Christ
International (FCCI), an organization that equips and encourages
Christian business owners who desire to use their companies as a platform for
ministry. He now serves as a worldwide ambassador for FCCI.
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Labels: FCCI, Kent Humphreys, Sacred and Secular Divide
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Michael Novak Speaking on Business as a Calling in Southern California
Rob Tribken, Chairman of the Center for Faith and Enterprise emailed to let us know about an event coming to Southern California featuring Michael Novak on April 15-16th.
Novak will examine the moral foundation of markets and what this means for the well being of our society. On Friday (April 16) he will revisit his ground breaking book Business as a Calling: Work and the Examined Life in light of our current economic challenges. He will offer insights into the role of business (and our work in general) as a potentially important calling and the implications this has for the way we work and do business.
(The events will be free and open to the public. More information is available at www.faithandenterprise.org)
Labels: Center for Faith and Enterprise, Events and Conferences, Michael Novak, Rob Tribken
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