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My ministry philosophy

Over the years I have reflected on what it means to be in ministry. As a result of this I have prayerfully developed a ministry philosophy. These are the things I encourage people to do to grow in their faith and trust in Christ.

As you will see below, it starts with helping people come to know Jesus and then I encourage them to doing things that will help them grow in their faith and impact the world around them. For me this encouragement process happens when I preach, in the things I write and when I am one one one with people.

1. Pointing people to Jesus

As a Christian minister I really believe that each and every person needs to develop a personal relationship with Jesus. Not only do we need to trust Jesus for our salvation, but we need to be in relationship with Him so we can make the most of this life we have been given. At the core of the core of the Christian faith is the need to be in relationship with Jesus and following Him each day.

2. Daily Bible Reading

I encourage people to obtain a Bible and read it daily. Once we come to Christ, setting a solid foundation for growth is vital. I believe the Bible is God’s handbook to life and if you are not reading it, you are missing a valuable resource that will improve your life and the lives of those around you. The Bible will help us to learn more about God and gives us practical advice and how we should live. Daily Bible reading helps to set us on course for growth.

3. Daily Prayer

I encourage people to pray. I believe prayer should be as natural as breathing. We just need to talk to God as we go about our daily journey. We don’t have to use big fancy words, but talk as though we are talking to a close friend. The Bible tells us that we should pray about everything and bring all of our requests to God.

4. Regular fellowship

I encourage people to meet with other Christians. I think it is far too easy to live this life isolated and alone. Being a part of a local group of Christians helps you to learn more about God, receive positive input, gives you an opportunity to serve God and it will give you a support network for times of need. Fellowship can be a part of a "traditional" church that meets on a Sunday morning or it can be as a part of a small fellowship group or house church. The most important thing is to meet with other Christians so you can share your journey together.

5. Seek God's will

I encourage people to seek God’s will for their lives. I really believe that God has created us with certain gifts and abilities to bless those around us. We could have been born at any time in history, but God chose for us to live now. I believe that God has given us everything we need to live a productive and useful life while we are here on earth. Finding God's will involves prayer and seeking God and it also involves looking at the things you are naturally good at or drawn to.

6. Sharing your faith

I encourage Christians to share their faith. I believe this is vital if people are going to have a personal relationship with Jesus. We need to think about and prepare ourselves for the times when someone asks about our faith. Spending some time in preparation can make a big difference in when an opportunity arises. If we purchase some tracts, memorise some Scripture or prepare a testimony it can really help if someone asks about your faith.

7. Family time

I encourage people to have more family time. I encourage people to look at how they spend their time and how much they spend with their families. I believe our families are a blessing from God and that we should arrange our lives so we spend less time at work, doing sport or extra ministry and spend more time with our families. In a time when many family relationships are breaking down, it is just so vital to spend time with our families building our key relationships.

8. Live generously

I encourage people to be generous. Generous with their time, money, energy, praise and their love. I try to encourage people to think about those around them and see this life as not just my journey, but our journey and to get along side other people. Simple things like sponsoring a child can change someone's life in a huge way. Taking some time to really listen to a neighbour or workmates story can make a real difference.

9. Living right

I try to live a life that reflects my faith in Jesus. I strongly believe that if our words point to Jesus, but our life points somewhere else, then we are not living the way God wants us to live. I really believe it is vitally important to practice what we preach and to hold a good testimony of our lives both inside and outside the church. People notice the way you live and if they know you are a Christian

Closing

So there you have it, my ministry philosophy. As I said above, these are the things I do as a part of my daily journey. I try to do them formally and informally. At the heart of this philosophy is to bring people to Christ and then encourage them to do things that will help them to grow in their faith and make a positive impact of the world around them. I guess in many ways it is about equipping people to minister to others and to be a light in this world we live in.