Called to ministry

In doing this, we will explore a few key questions. What does ministry outside church mean? And what does that mean for the way that I work? And not just in the sense of a paid job, but the work that I do in raising my children or volunteering or caring for my elderly parents. And how do I work out where God may be calling me to minister? Or to put in terms of calling – what is my specific calling to ministry outside church? These are some of the questions that we will explore.

Again, to dig into the topic, we will break it down into the what, the why and the how.

What is ministry?

What does the Bible say about ministry?

In the previous article, we explored what the Bible has to say about ministry and looked at ministry inside the church. The first question about ministry was whether ministry is just about the spiritual. As we found out, ministry is not just about meeting someone’s spiritual needs. Ministry also happens when we serve a brother or sister’s physical, emotional and practical needs. The second question is whether ministry is just something that happens in church. Is outside church also a place where I do ministry?

To answer that question, let’s go back again and look at the way the word ministry is used in the Bible. As we saw, the word is often translated from words that are related to the Greek part-word diakon. So first, let’s look at whether these words are used to refer to what happens inside the church.

The answer is that it clearly does. In 1 Corinthians 16:15, Paul uses the word to refer to the “service of the Lord’s people”.  And in Acts 6:4, it talks about freeing up the disciples so that they could give attention to “prayer and the ministry of the word.” Both of these are very much about what happens in church.

But, in case we are tempted to think that ministry is all about what happens inside the church, let’s look at a couple of other places where this word is used. In Acts 21:17-19, Paul reports back to the church in Jerusalem about his ministry. What was his ministry? It included the work of preaching and evangelism – ministry to Gentiles - that is to people outside the church. And in Acts 1:17, Peter refers to the ministry that the disciples shared in as they followed Jesus. What was their ministry? It was preaching, teaching, healing and taking the good news to people – it was a ministry that wasn’t limited to inside the church and wasn’t even limited to Jewish people.

So, if we look at these and other passages that refer to ministry, it appears that ministry is not just about what happens at church. As Christians, we minister to people both inside and outside the church.

But is still raises another question. Even if ministry happens outside church, is it just about the spiritual? There are times where that is clearly the case. As we saw in Acts 6:1-4, it talks about the “ministry of the word”. And the passages we just looked at also include preaching and teaching and evangelising. They are all forms of spiritual ministry.

But as we saw in the last article, exactly the same Greek word is used to refer to serving food in Acts 6:4 and to making a financial contribution in Acts 11:29-30 and Martha’s preparation of food in Luke 10:40. This indicates that ministry is not limited to the spiritual. And even though these cases are mainly focussed on serving other believers, there is nothing to indicate that ministry outside the church is any different. As we saw, ministry can also be translated as service. When we serve someone outside church, that is ministry.

So, coming back to our original questions – is ministry just about what happens in our church community? And is it about the spiritual? The Bible appears to indicate that ministry is not limited to what happens inside the church. And it is not limited to the spiritual. Ministry happens both inside and outside the church and includes serving someone’s physical, spiritual and even financial needs.

What does that mean for my ministry?

What does that all that mean for living as followers of Jesus? There are two important messages.

The first is that ministry doesn’t just happen when I am doing something spiritual or when I am at church. It happens whenever I serve someone I come across during my day. It happens when I am serving my friends, my family, my neighbours, my colleagues, my patients, my students. It happens when I teach someone, do their tax return, nurse them, build them a bridge, design their home, listen to them and stay in touch with them. Whether they are believers or not, it is ministry. And whether it is serving their spiritual needs or not, it is ministry. That means that whatever my job – paid or unpaid - whether I am a church pastor, an accountant, a volunteer or whether I spend my day looking after my children – I am involved in ministry.

The second is that if ministry happens when I am serving the people I come across every day, ministry will fill my day. From the time I get up in the morning until the time I go to sleep at night, my day will very likely involve encounters with someone. And each encounter is an opportunity for ministry. Even if I see no-one, ministry can happen through phone calls, writing emails, sending texts and praying. Full time ministry is not limited to those who work in church. And it is not limited to those who are doing what we think of as being spiritual. If I am living out my calling to follow Jesus, I am in full-time ministry.

What does that mean for how I live?

If we see our work as ministry, it can have a profound effect on the way that we see and value our work. First, our job is much more than a job. If we see our time at work as a place of ministry, it brings a different value and perspective to what we do. Work becomes more than a platform for evangelism or an opportunity to make money to support others. It is a place of ministry that is important and meaningful. That includes not just ministry to people I serve directly like my clients. But also, my colleagues, my manager, and the organisation I work in. It includes my friends and neighbours and the person who serves me coffee. And it brings value to those to unpaid roles that are often not regarded as work such as caring for and supporting others and raising children. That service is ministry.

That also means that ministry not only fills my every day but fills my whole life. We may retire from our job, but we never retire from ministry. Whether we are a church pastor or an accountant, when we leave our job, we continue to minister. We continue to serve the people around us. Who that is and what that looks like will almost certainly change. But it is still ministry.

Is some ministry more important than others?

The idea that we are all in full-time ministry raises a couple of questions. First, does that mean that anyone who serves someone is doing ministry? Is it just another word for service? The answer to that is yes and no. It is true that ministry and service are used in very much the same way. But that doesn’t mean that anyone who serves someone is doing ministry. The Bible uses ministry to refer to service that it is being done by believers. So, it is not the person who is being served but the person who serves that makes it ministry. Ministry is fundamentally Christian.

Second, does that mean that we can be happy that whatever we are doing to serve someone, we are doing ministry and to not worry about the spiritual? The answer to this question is no. The message from the Bible is that the spiritual is the most important need that people have. At the heart of the gospel is the message that God invites us into a relationship with him both now and for eternity. At the heart of mission is the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). That doesn’t mean that serving someone’s physical, emotional and financial needs are not valuable. But it means that people’s spiritual needs should always be a priority.

How do I work where to serve?

So far, we have looked at what ministry is. But what about the important question of where do I minister? If ministry includes all those aspects of our lives where we serve people in some way it becomes a big question.

Where I am

Let’s start by saying that for many of us, it is not something we have to think about too much. Our place of ministry is already right in front of us. That may include family, friends, colleagues, students, patients, clients, managers and the whole range of people that fill our lives both in our jobs and the rest of our lives. Many of us already have a life full of relationships. That means a life full of ministry. We simply continue ministering where we are.

Where there is need

But for some of us, it may be that we are in a place of change. We may be looking at changing what we do. New opportunities may have opened up because we have finished study or finished a job. Or for some reason we may just have more space in our lives. That means we may have the opportunity to use our skills, talents and experience in a new way.

How then do we make decisions about where to minister? Sometimes working out the answer is very practical and very simple. Figuring out where to serve can simply be a matter of where there is a need. In Acts 10:1-48 we read about Peter having a vision. Not long after, men come to the house where he is staying asking if he will come to the house of Cornelius the Roman soldier. Most of us do not have such dramatic experiences as this. But sometimes opportunities and needs spring from nowhere and seem to be a gift from God to use the skills and experience that we have.

I’m not suggesting that responding to a need must be a spiritual experience. Most of the time it is not. There are lots of needs around us. And there are often many requests for our time and skills and resources. Sometimes the act of ministry is simply helping out when asked or when we see the need. That doesn’t mean we should just be driven by other people’s needs. But sometimes it can be a strong indicator that it is a place for us to serve.

Where I have skills

Another factor that helps us work out where we can serve is the skills that we have. As we saw in the previous article, in Exodus 35:30-35, Bezalel son of Uri was chosen for a particular job. Why? Because he had certain skills. He was skilled in working with able gold, silver, stone and wood. He was able to serve through the skills that he had.

So, in understanding where we may be called to minister, an important consideration is the skills that we bring. Does the job I am doing or looking at make good use of the skills and experience and qualifications that I have? It is not a guarantee that it is the place where God is calling. Sometimes we are called to jobs for which we have no experience or skills and feel completely inadequate. And some areas where we minister don’t require any particular skills. But if there is a good fit with the skills and experience that we have, it may be an indication that it is where we can best serve.

Where I am called

Another factor in working out where to serve is calling. In the previous article, we revisited the idea of general and specific calling. That we all have a calling to a relationship with God, to transformation and growth and to ministry. But that God may call us to a specific ministry within the church with the gifts, abilities and resources that we have been given. In Christian circles, it is more common to talk about calling in relation to church ministry or missions. So, what about calling in the setting of serving outside the church?

In some ways, this idea is quite common even amongst people who are not Christians. They may not use the word calling. But many people talk about their job as a vocation. They may feel they have a calling or vocation to be a nurse or teacher or politician. When people talk about vocation in that way, God is usually not part of the equation. They are often saying there was a strong emotional pull, or they had a sense that it was a job where they could make a contribution.

What about us as followers of Jesus, where God is part of the equation. How do we go about working out whether God may be calling us to a specific type of work – paid or unpaid?

The first thing to say is that the choice about what job we do or where we work is often more important to us than it is to God. The Bible has nothing to say about career advice. It has more to say about how we work. Often, we just a do a job because it needs to be done and it gives us the money that we need to live. So we shouldn’t place too much emphasis on our job and what it does for us in terms of identity and sense of importance.

On the other hand, seeing our job as part of our specific calling can bring a sense of meaning and value to what we do. As Christians, we can value our work because of the opportunity that it presents to serve. If we see our work as ministry, then it is possible to have a sense of calling in the work that we do. This may be because of the type of work that we do, particularly if it is involved in serving the physical, emotional and practical needs of people. It may also make good use of particular skills that we have that allow us to serve in a particular way. And there may be circumstances that point to a particular opportunity that suggest that it is God’s particular call to work in this place.

Again, wise counsel can be important in helping discern God’s calling to a certain type of work or job. Because it is subjective, a sense of calling can be muddied by other factors such as prestige or convenience or money. Having someone who can walk alongside us and see whether they also sense God’s calling can be extremely helpful.

Why minister outside church?

Before we look at the practical issue of how we serve, let’s briefly look at the why of ministry outside church.

If ministry includes our job, the first and most simple reason is that we need to work. It is the way that we provide for ourselves. The reason is as simple as putting food on our table, a roof over our heads and clothes on our back.

But if we see our work as ministry, it gives us different reasons or a different perspective on why we work. We work because it provides an opportunity to use and express the gifts and talents that God has given us. We work because some aspects of our work can give us pleasure. We get pleasure through creativity and the satisfaction of achievement. And we get pleasure through relationships and the opportunity to make a contribution in people’s lives.

We also minister because it is an opportunity to bring God to those around us. We can be God’s representative in the place where we work. We do that through the way that we work and through the sort of people we are and through what we say. Through our creativity, our care, our wisdom, our love and through our interactions with people in various part of of our community we can make a difference. We have the opportunity to influence our society for good. And not just do good but point people toward God. That is why we need Christian teachers and lawyers and accountants and cleaners and nurses and CEOs and builders. To go out and be God’s influence for good in the community around them.

How do I serve outside church?

So, now that we have explored the what, where and why of ministry outside church, let’s look at how we can put this type of ministry into practice.

Where I am now

The first thing to say is that what we have explored can change the way that we work. It can bring a different perspective. We can have a ministry mindset in what we do. We are making a difference in the lives of people around us. That may be as a nurse or electrician or banker, raising children, looking after an elderly parent, or volunteering. All of these are opportunities for ministry. In fact, they are not just opportunities, they are ministry.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that we help our children or workmates or clients to understand the gospel. But by changing their nappy, by preparing a lecture, by fixing their car or by leaving their office clean and tidy, that is ministry. And even if I don’t directly serve someone in the occupation that I do, there are opportunities to serve colleagues or people I supervise or my boss by the work that I do.

Each of those tasks is not just a task but almost always involves an interaction. And each interaction with someone in our day is an opportunity to serve – an opportunity for ministry. It is seeing that opportunity from Jesus’ perspective – that in front of us is a person created in the beautiful image of God. No matter how challenging, how awkward, how we feel about them, here in front of us is an opportunity to bring Christ to them. Whatever role we have and no matter what person we come across in our day, they are not taking us away from ministry, they are our ministry.

Facing change

If you are not facing any change in your main occupation, there may be nothing to do differently at the moment other than see your work in a different perspective. But, changes in what we do happen quite frequently. We need to look for a new job. We have children. Children leave home. We are made redundant. We retire. A family member become sick. These changes can be opportunities to revisit our calling as it applies to work. What will our calling look like in the new work setting?

Sometimes we have little choice. It may be just seeing the change as an opportunity to have a ministry to someone else such as our children or an elderly parent. Sometimes we do have a choice. This can be an opportunity to find something that is not simply a move up the career ladder, an opportunity to enhance our CV or chance to make money. As Christians, we can look at a new opportunity and evaluate it in the light of an opportunity for ministry, an opportunity to serve. How does it align with the skills, the qualifications, the capacity that I have? And how it will it fit with the other areas of ministry in my life – to my family, my church community?

Bringing it all together

So, bringing together what we have explored in this article - we are called to ministry as part of following Jesus. In fact, we are not just called to ministry but to full time, whole of life ministry. Knowing that can have a powerful influence on whatever we do with our day. Whether we are a taking out a brain tumour, serving meals in a soup kitchen or a fancy restaurant, cleaning up after our children, leading a Bible study or preparing someone’s tax return – we are engaged in ministry. It can bring a sense of meaning and purpose to the smallest and most menial of interactions.  Discovering and living out our specific calling to ministry – both outside the church and inside the church - can bring an even deeper sense of meaning and purpose to the way we live.

In the next article, we will follow on from ministry to look at the fourth and last spoke on our discipleship wheel - our calling to mission. Having a clear sense of mission can be rewarding and satisfying. But often the way we think about mission can leave many of us feeling inadequate or guilty. What is mission really? And how can it be something that excites us and is a natural part of how we live? They are some of the questions we will explore in the next article.