Driving into the Sunset, Part 3 - Ministry

[mithrandir]

In the assemblies, we were defined by what we did for George and his gang.  But in my personal experience, corroborated, I think, by passages such as John 15, I have come to believe that God gives each of us a ministry from Him.  It is our task before Him, our labor to be done as unto Him whether we're in the limelight or not.  What ministry do you believe you have now?  (Even if you can do nothing more than just chill right now, that's okay.  Perhaps that's all the Lord is telling you to do for the present.)

mithrandir

[Kimberley Tobin]

Without even thinking very hard............MY FAMILY!

For sooooo long, family took a back seat.  It was always, THE MINISTRY.  We were supposed to believe that your children would get quality time with you as you were pulling them from one "assembly" activity to another.  But kids get the message.  They feel unimportant and don't understand why our lives look soooo different from everyone else around them.  Now we are concentrating on family and it is oh so wonderful!  Another refreshing thing is to meet other people (especially in the context of the parents of our childrens' friends).  We don't have to be different.  We can get to know them, etc without feeling like we are the judge as to whether they are going to get into the kingdom or not.  We can just be "people", the Lord will arrange circumstances if he wants us to reach out to these people in a spiritual capacity.

FREEDOM, HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!

[vernecarty]

Without even thinking very hard............MY FAMILY!


FREEDOM, HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!

Isn't it greeeaaaaat??!!!  
Verne

[d3z]

I have now played the piano two times with the band during worship at church.  Since this is something so different than what we did in the assemblies, it has taken quite a bit of thinking, but I feel this is a way that I can really serve.  In the assemblies this gift/skill was something that only really got used at the campus conferences.

In the assemblies, we had a very narrowed notion of what ministry was.  I have gone witnessing, since leaving, and enjoyed it, but I don't think that is necessarily something for most.  The guy in the back of the church who controls the sound has a ministry, and many other things, we probably never would have thought of in the assembly.  (Except that we needed sound at the seminars, and someone had to record all of the precious words spoken during the preaching).

[jackhutchinson]

David,

One of the most enjoyable things I did in the assembly was making video tapes of lectures and events/outreaches, and, of course, the summer camp.  I would make tapes for each of those who gave their testimonies and for those who entertained during outreaches (mimes, Remedy, singing groups, etc).  I had so much fun doing those things.  Nobody had to cojole me to do it.  I wasn't being selfless.  I was doing what I enjoyed.  Summer camp was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed working with the staff there.

Doing those things gave me invaluable experience that I'm now using to make a living making wedding videos.  When I find a church one of the first things I'll do is hook up with the video crew - not because I 'have' to, but because I want to.  It would be soooo neat to serve God in a church that way.

Jack

[outdeep]

I write now.  Not for the Torch.  And I enjoy it.  Also edited an Advent Devotional for our church, developing 30 other interested people in my church to write as well.

I no longer feel I have to put myself in the area of weakness and confront strangers face to face with the gospel (don't get me wrong - I believe in evangelism).  However I strive to do it in a way that uses gifts God has given me now.

My stuff is at www.outdeep.com by the way.