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 hy you need a broad understanding of God's call.
by Dr. Tom Fuller, Director, Ministry Leadership Development, Beeson Divinity School
"What kind of ministry role do you believe God is preparing you for?"
It is a staple question I pose to seminary students who pass through my office. The answers are varied. Some come to seminary with a well-defined sense of their call, others use the time to "figure it out," and a few are not sure they should even be pursuing a seminary degree at all.
I was one of those who was sure of my call when I first enrolled in seminary. God had called me to teach. I felt it was important, however, to stay grounded in the ministry of the local church so my teaching would be relevant as I prepared others to serve in such settings. So throughout my seminary days I served as a youth minister and as a pastor. By graduation, I was convinced I should continue serving as a pastor rather than pursue a teaching ministry.
Did I get it wrong in the first place? Had God changed his orders? Or was I taking a wrong turn to pursue pastoral ministry?
Most seminary education helps students narrow their call: identify a particular ministry role in which to serve. This can guide one’s course of study and set initial career trajectories. However, it can also lead to vocational myopia. Christian ministers must develop an understanding of call that is broad enough to accommodate the wideness of God’s redemptive work and their place in it.
|  | My own anxiety over God’s call was assuaged by a seminary administrator who shared that his call was to preach the Word. Then what are you doing here? I thought to myself. You’re serving in the wrong place.
As he continued to share his story, I began to grasp how his understanding of call energizes the work he does in the seminary. The point is not to justify one’s work to oneself or to others as legitimate ministry, but to ground the call in the mission of God’s people (the church) in the world.
Here are some principles I have come to appreciate for keeping my ministry focus set at a wider angle:
1. My "job" is never big enough to contain my call. God’s call to ministry is life-size. One’s ministry position may entail many responsibilities; even so, the boundaries of the call to ministry cannot be drawn by a job description, office hours, or formal duties. God has called you to a way of being in the world, not to a career. |  |
2. All ministry is pastoral ministry. This does not mean that God has called everyone to serve in the role of pastor, nor does it empty the pastoral office of distinction and purpose. Pastoral ministry—caring for the sheep—was Jesus' charge to Peter in John 21. It is the universal charge to all persons who are called and set apart for servant leadership. Whatever your gifts and function may be, you have a pastoral ministry to discharge.
3. Center on discipleship. The first and the last word to God’s call is, "Follow me." Discipleship is the larger framework within which we function as Christian ministers; we never stand outside of it, especially as we disciple others. |
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|  |  he truth about leading a church.
An interview with Willow Creek Senior Pastor Bill Hybels
Students talk about life after seminary—the day when they'll finally put their training into practice. And some wonder what it might be like to lead a megachurch. But what does it really take to lead a church? Are you ready?
Recently, Ministry Mentor spoke with Bill Hybels, senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, IL, about the unglamorous realities of church leadership and why staying humble is essential to leading a church of any size.
What do you think is most surprising to seminarians when they begin to lead a church?
I think seminarians are quickly surprised by how much organizational leadership is required to pastor a growing church. In seminary you can get the impression that if a pastor gives good sermons on Sunday, he or she can build a prevailing church. After six months behind the senior pastor desk, the truth comes out.
|  | Churches must be well led in addition to being well fed. Staff must be focused and inspired. Volunteers must be raised up and mobilized. Budgets must be raised and allocated. Facility issues must be faced and resolved. These everyday realities often catch seminary graduates unawares and can be overwhelming at first.
What would you say to a student who goes to seminary to be the next megachurch pastor?
Warning lights would start flashing in my head if a seminary student told me that he or she was planning to build a megachurch. Most of us who have wound up with large churches never really had that as a stated goal. We were committed to evangelism, discipleship, or the vision of an "Acts 2" church; the byproduct of that focus was growth.
At Willow we often say that we are far more committed to the idea of being the church to each other than simply watching more people drive onto our campus. We learned a long time ago that a large crowd does not guarantee a well-balanced, biblically functioning community.
How do you remain humble while being a renowned leader?
I get a fresh dose of humble pie every day as I look at Willow's unfinished task. After 30 years of intense efforts here in suburban Chicago, there are still millions of people within a reasonable driving radius of our church who are far from God and facing a Christ-less eternity. We just don’t have time to pat ourselves on the back for reaching the relatively small number of folks God has enabled us to reach. There is too much work yet to do! |
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he value of multiple and diverse mentors.
by Sherry Klein, student, Dallas Theological Seminary
We often have no way of visualizing our potential for growth unless we see others modeling those qualities we admire the most. That's why mentors are so important.
Mentors help us evaluate where we've come from, discern more fully who we are in Christ, and determine where we are being led to serve. Mentors are at the heart of spiritual and skill development.
In my case, it has been beneficial to have more than one mentor. In fact, I have four--with very different personalities and gifts--who offer guidance, encouragement, and honest evaluation on a regular basis and on a variety of issues.
Academic Internship Advisor. I met the first of my four mentors as I began the process of my internship search. I set up an appointment with a professor who had experience in the same area of ministry I was interested in, but whom I had never met personally. After learning about the internship program, he offered to be my mentor. Since then, he has offered wisdom regarding my ministry track and encouragement when I get discouraged.
|  | Life Coach. On the verge of leaving seminary, I inquired about a program called E-LEAD (Emerging Leader Evaluation And Development). Through this program, others validated my calling and value in Christ. I was given a "Life Coach" as part of the program and encouraged to stay in contact with him after the five-day intensive self-evaluation. I now consider that coach a mentor, as we meet every three months to evaluate my "Game Plan" for long-term ministry and personal growth. By taking the initiative to ask if he would continue meeting with me quarterly, I am able to constructively evaluate my ministry skills.
Ministry Mentor. After learning there was a women's mentoring program at my church, I jumped at the opportunity to be a part of it. I meet with a full-time staff member and volunteer women's mentor. Being able to honestly share our lives has allowed me to be part of someone else's growth while I am also fed. This is a big part of what the mentoring process is all about: mutual edification.
Supervisor. While considering options for the last part of my internship, it was brought to my attention that my church needed assistance in my area of ministry. I considered how I could help and it occurred to me that it fit very closely with my ministry calling so I applied. The ministry hired me and delegated those areas to me. Since that time, my supervisor has been an important sounding board when it comes to communicating in our transitional ministry setting. Her patience and steady ability to let things go are things I greatly admire and am learning from.
|  | | God has clearly and continuously guided my steps through the formation of these mentoring relationships. I can say from experience that God truly does use other people to speak to us, support us, encourage us, and model what he intends for each of us when we invite them into our lives. As we look closely at their character and ministry, we are challenged to evaluate and develop those qualities and skills within ourselves. |
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