You think you’re called to ministry. Now what?
God’s calling is a funny thing. You can have the most life-changing experience with God explicitly calling you to something, but there is still doubt. That’s what happened to me when I was first called to ministry.
Yet, for many others, it’s subtle. You’re serving God faithfully and find yourself living out His purpose.
One question I’m asked often is what should you do when you’re called to ministry? I understand the question. There are a lot of different ways to get started. And it’s not always clear what the next steps are.
Should you quit your job and go to seminary? Should you look for a ministry position and change churches? Should you plant a church or parachurch ministry?
Anyone of those may be the right step for you. But before you blow up your life, there are some smaller steps you can take to confirm your calling and find some clarity.
1. Serve Somewhere
After washing the Disciples feet Jesus said:
Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. John 13:14-16
Ministry is service. It’s putting others’ needs above your own, over and over again.
If you think you’re called to ministry, then you need to start serving somewhere. And it doesn’t have to be a leadership position.
I’d argue if you’re just starting out you shouldn’t lead. Rather, take the lowest position. This will teach you humility. It will help you see how ministry actually works. There’s a lot more that goes into a Sunday morning service than standing on stage. Serving, however and wherever you can, will prepare you for what’s next.
Don’t sit on your hands and wait for the perfect opportunity to arise. Don’t demand to be in charge. Get started serving and see where God takes you.
2. Find your why
I’ve worked with volunteers before that are serving just because they like the attention. Standing in front of people can bring prestige and accolades, but that’s not why you should be in ministry.
Your gifting and calling are not for show. They’re to bring glory to God. You can have big vision for building a huge ministry like Elevation, Northpoint, or Life Church. But none of those leaders started with huge ministries. They all started small and grew. Their talent and gifts played a role for sure. But they also knew their why.
Ministry is tough. There’s something about being a pastor that people naturally trust your or hate you. You may have just met, and a person starts sharing their deepest, darkest secret asking for prayer or advice. Or they don’t want anything to do with you simply because you work at a church.
And that’s just casual relationships. There is so much more you have to handle. My whole blog is about it.
That’s why it’s important to know why you’re doing this. I’ve written about my own why in my book Next Level Kidmin. Early in my ministry I led a boy to Christ. It deeply impacted me. So, whenever ministry gets tough and I want to quit, I think about that moment. I’m then reinvigorated.
Serving in ministry is about saving souls. Not the applause. Not the compliments. Certainly not the pay. As you serve somewhere, find the reason why you do this, so that when life and ministry get hard you can stick it out.
The harvest is plentiful and the workers are few. We need you.
3. Be faithful in the small before you expect the big
I’ve alluded to this last point in before, but it’s important. Jesus said in Luke 16:10,
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”
Maybe your path does lead to you seminary. Or a church plant. Or a parachurch ministry. Only God knows. But before you do all that, you need to scrub some toilets, wipe some noses, and wrangle some three-year-olds.
It’s not pretty. Ministry rarely is. But you need to be faithful with the place and the tasks God has given you. Those times weren’t fun for me. But they brought me closer to God. I worshipped with Spic & Span. I refined my theology with seven-year-olds. I learn to care for others with a skinned knee.
I’m not an outlier either. I know many, many pastors with similar stories.
So, as you serve in small areas with excellence, ask for more. Volunteer for more. Show up. Do your best. Learn. As Patrick Lencioni says in the Ideal Team Player, be humble, hungry, and smart.
Do that, and you’ll find yourself with more responsibility. But you’ll never forget those humble beginnings.
Living out God’s calling in your life is a noble purpose. Following these steps will bring you clarity. You can do a lot of things under the umbrella of ministry. As you serve, you’ll either confirm what God’s calling or realize it’s not for you. Either is fine. God has a place for each of us in the body of Christ. Not everyone who ministers works at a church.
In whatever you do, follow Jesus last command,
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, you must love one another.” John 13:34
