Tag Archives: lay ministry

Connecting People To God

We live in a world full of people who are disconnected from God. Some have never known Him and don’t know to connect with Him. Some have been through traumatic events in their life that have them disconnected. Some refuse to acknowledge Him and are purposefully disconnected. No matter their reason for being or remaining disconnected, you and I as believers are to be connectors that keep one hand holding onto God and one reaching out to them. Before I step on a stage as a minister, I’ll pray and ask God to use me to help people reconnect or to connect with Him. However, it’s not just ministers, or people on stage in ministry, whose job it is to connect people. It belongs to each of us as believers because every day we walk through crowds of people disconnected or are in meetings with them.

In John 3 we read the story of John the Baptist. He was at the Jordan river baptizing people and calling out to them to reconnect with God through repentance. When Jesus walked by one day, God revealed to Him that He was the Messiah. As he called it out, two of his followers left to follow Jesus. After he baptized Jesus people began leaving his ministry to follow Jesus. Others came to him to try to stir up jealousy, but he remained humble. He told them that he said all along he wasn’t the Messiah and that his job was to go before Him to prepare the way and connect people to God. Then in verse 30 he said, “He must increase [in prominence], but I must decrease” (AMP). As a connector, John kept everything in perspective and remained humble.

2 Corinthians 5:20 says, “So we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us; we [as Christ’s representatives] plead with you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God.” Never forget that you are an ambassador for Christ wherever you go. Your job as Christ’s representative is to reconcile, or reconnect, people with God. You must remain connected to Him though as you reach out to others. Pray each day that God would open your eyes to see people who need help connecting with Him. Ask Him to give you boldness and courage to reach out and to know what to say. It’s also good to ask Him to help you stay humble as John the Baptist was. When we have this mindset and are grounded in prayer, God will use us as His ambassadors to help a disconnected world reconcile and connect with Him.

Photo by Maksym Tymchyk 🇺🇦 on Unsplash

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Performing Your Ministry

I am one of those people who was born on Saturday and in church on Sunday. My parents served in our church and so did my aunts and uncles. My siblings and all my cousins serve in their churches as well. Several years ago I was struggling with trying to be a lay minister while having a full time job. I went to my pastor and told him I was having a hard time being a part time minister. He chuckled a bit and said, “I’ll tell you the same thing your grandfather told me. There’s no such thing as a part time minister.” Ministry is 24/7 because people need help 24/7. Most of us aren’t ministering all day every day, but we must be ready in season and out of season.

You may be thinking, lThis devotion doesn’t apply to me since I’m not a minister.” If you’ve accepted Jesus as your savior, then you are a minister. Ephesians 4:11 gives us what is referred to as the five fold ministry. There are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. However, if we go to the next verse, it tells them what their calling is. It says, “And their calling is to nurture and prepare all the holy believers to do their own works of ministry, and as they do this they will enlarge and build up the body of Christ” (TPT). You, and every other believer, are called to do your own works of ministry where you live and work. Your pastors simply can’t do all the ministry necessary to reach the world. That’s everyone’s job.

The New Testament is littered with lay people doing works of ministry. Paul mentions several by name in each of his letters. They have different occupations, but also responsibilities in their local churches and cities to minister. Paul goes on to say in verse 16, “He (Jesus) makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love” (NLT). We are part of the Body of Christ and we all have a role to play. There are no useless parts. If you’re not sure what part you’re supposed to be, seek God, talk to your pastor and take a spiritual gifting assessment. Your church and community need your ministry.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

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