The hallowed halls of seminary are behind me now, and the first years of ministry have quickly passed. In my time in seminary, I learned about Peter and Paul, Calvin and Luther, apologetics and Christology and much, much more. That being said, I was never taught the secret of doing ministry, a simple formula that would enable me to connect my theology with my pastoral care, my exegeses with my sermons. In my final term of seminary, I came to the conclusion there was no easy answer to connecting these dots. So following the example of Peter, I girded up my mind (1 Peter 1:13) and began to search for a call.
So it was with some surprise that after graduation I was told, by several ministers, what was to them and also to me “the secret to ministry.” And this secret was so simple; all I had to accomplish were three easy steps which would connect my theological training to the practical elements of ministry.
Warning! This is a secret! If you do not want to ruin the beginning of your ministry then please stop reading now!
Okay, now that you have been warned you are probably wondering: what is the secret of ministry?
The first secret is to preach the Good News. Yes, it is that simple, just step up and lead those gathered for worship in the Good News. Do not let the illustrations, or the plot hook take centre stage, because what we are commanded to do is to simply speak the Good News (1 Thessalonians 2:4). For more on how to preach the Good News just sing the words to the old hymn, “Tell me the old, old story.” Finally remember it is the “good” news! Not the sad or boring news but the source of our rejoicing. This is especially true in the midst of strife and the conflicts which trouble our lives. (1 Peter 1:6-9)
The second secret of ministry is to visit. Again, it is just that simple, step out of your house or your office and visit with church members, visit with individuals you have not seen at church for a while or visit those who cannot attend church at all. Now if you are like me, visiting may be a daunting task but Jesus never preached that serving him would be easy (Matthew 16:24). So we are to visit fellow members of our holy family, brothers and sisters in Christ. As ministers and elders we visit to touch and to support others in their daily walk with Jesus. Visiting is caring; it may entail holding the hand of someone dying, dropping in to just say hello or opening your office door to someone who just wants to talk.
Now the final secret of ministry, love the people. This point can often be the hardest, but in the end it is the one which will enable you to accomplish the other points. For if you love the congregation, how can you not preach about eternal life with God? How can you not drop everything and visit with a person in need? But to love is to make yourself open to hurt and suffering, to be rejected and spurned. Also, by loving others you are enabled to walk the miles of the journey with them, to bend down and pick them up and to allow them to be a part of your journey. With love we are able to see the hand of God and to joyously lift up our confession that Jesus is Lord.
Now these are the secrets of ministry that I have been told by ministers who have struggled to live out their calling. Carrying them out will be mine to accomplish, though I hope that you will find direction through them in your own ministry. But what I have already experienced behind these secrets is the love, the mercy and power of God. I know carrying out these three points will be worth all the costs. So I pass these secrets, as told to me, onto you so that in the beginning or in the middle of your ministry you can reflect on how God has called us to serve Him and His children.
