Last week, I described why my primary enjoyment in pastoral ministry is being trusted. It brings me deep joy to be trusted by God with this call to serve Christ’s Church through the pastoral life and to be trusted by God’s people.
A second enjoyment is closely tied to trust. I enjoy fulfilling my twofold pastoral responsibility delineated in Ephesians 4:12 to fulfill two purposes, “to equip the saints for the work of ministry” and “to build up the body of Christ.” In other words, I enjoy the relationships with people as we learn ways of collaborating to continue Jesus’ ministry in the world and strengthen the health and vitality of the local church and global Church.
Because I grew up as the son of a pastor, I was aware how Dad organized his pastor’s life. He introduced me to other pastors throughout my childhood and adolescence. By observing them, I realized there was no one approach to the work of the pastor. The pastors who seemed to be the most effective were committed to helping people learn.
By the time I entered my studies in college, I knew that pastoral ministry is not so much a ‘doing of things’ as it is a ‘growing of people.’ For this reason, I have always been interested in studying how to help people and groups learn. Throughout my fifty years of ministry, I have been involved in presenting seminars and workshops, designing leadership training modules, developing curriculum resources, training teachers, and writing materials used in Bible studies.
The teaching ministry of the local church is sprinkled throughout every aspect of congregational life. People experience spiritual formation through worship, learning groups, mission experiences, music and hymnody, etc. My preaching ministry has always focused on the didactic. Equipping God’s people for ministry in daily life is at the heart of my calling to ministry. It seems essential for a pastor to equip God’s people for ministry in daily life since we are called disciples (learners) of the Way of Jesus. I experience deep joy when people learn and when they grow in biblical, theological, and missional literacy.
Our world needs a Church that shapes of people for God. And God needs a Church consisting of disciples who are committed to obey everything Jesus taught us.
