by
April
Essentials of Ministry
CHMN 201 – D03 LUO
Introduction to Church Ministries
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
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Introduction
Ministry is not something one decides to do on a whim. Going into ministry can be the
most rewarding decision one can make, but also the most demanding. Before one decides to
enter ministry, there are ten essential attributes one must consider ensuring ministry is where
they truly should be. I will discuss the ten essentials outlined by Dave Early and Ben Gutierrez
and sharing weaknesses I see in myself as I discern the call to ministry, along with a measurable
plan to improve in those areas.
The Ten Essentials
The first essential for ministry is preparing oneself for the call. This essential is about
being willing to do the work God calls us to do. There are many who spend a lot of effort
avoiding God by making excuses as to why they are not able to minister. Ministry does not have
to equate to the pastoral level, but the ability to be the light of Christ to a broken soul. One does
not need to aspire to be a pastor, one just needs to be willing. In Isaiah 6:8, God was looking for
someone to send and one must be prepared to say, “Here I am”. The first step in any endeavor,
especially ministry, is the willingness to say, “Here I am”.
The second essential is to respond to God’s call. David Early explains that the call can
come in two forms, “For some the call is dramatic. But for many, the call of God is more like a
continual dripping”. 1 God’s call may not always be what we expect. The call may seem
impossible or may cause us to leave our comfort zones. When I was called to go into prison
ministry, it was definitely a situation of getting out of my comfort zone.
1 Early, D., & Gutierrez, B. Everyday Ministry: Applying the Christian Faith. Nashville, TN. B&H Publishing
Group, 2010, p 1037.
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Knowing that we are being called by God and not just having a feeling about ministry is
important too. Early list several indicators that help us to discern our call. Those include
confirmation of others, obtaining results, ability to use our gifts, intense desire, sense of joy and
fulfillment, and a consuming conviction. I believe the latter is very important. As Early puts it,
“Church ministry is not glamorous.”2 Most often you’re underpaid, underappreciated, and are
living in a fishbowl.
The third essential is prayer. Prayer is emphasized throughout the Bible and is an
essential part of any ministry. From Moses to the Apostles, prayer was their number one priority.
(Exodus 18:19, Acts 6:2-4). Even Jesus, being 100 percent divine, was 100 percent human and
relied on prayer. While we may be leading busy lives, it is important to make time to pray. As
Early states, “Time spent praying can be the best time-saving device we have.”3 I would agree
that prayer is a very important essential to ministry. It is an essential that keeps us focused on the
relationship with Jesus Christ and is a means of grace for the ministry.
The fourth essential, maintaining an eternal perspective, is a critical aspect of ministry.
Too often people enter ministry with a passion and soon get discouraged and may even want to
exit ministry. Whether expectations are not meet, unable to keep up with the culture, the
continuous demand, or disappointment in people we have been unable to reach, the aspects of
ministry can be grueling. However, it is important to keep the eternal perspective in the work that
is done through the ministry, remain focused on Christ, be thankful to serve, and to keep a
positive attitude. I feel this is so important to allow a minister to persevere through the rough
times of ministry. Keeping focus on the eternal plan, and not the immediate, allows us to push
through knowing God is with us, and for us, so nothing can be against us (Rom 8:31).
2
3
Early, D., & Gutierrez, B. 2010, p
1068. Ibid, p 1162.
2
Continuing in our growth, the fifth essential, is just as important in our ministry as it is in
any other vocation. It is easy to get stagnant in our current positions. We may rest on our past
laurels or get complacent in our position; however, we must discipline ourselves to continue
striving for more. While many things in our lives are uncontrollable, “the only thing you can
directly improve on is yourself.”4 I agree with the authors that setting goals, along with the
proper tools, a personalized plan and an accommodating schedule, is the way to prepare for a
successful ministry that endures.
The sixth essential to ministry is to love people. To understand how to love people we
only need to look at Jesus for the example. Early says that Jesus is a “model minister” and “A
quick read through the Gospels makes clear that Jesus loved people.”5 I find this is true in
ministry, but one of the hardest to do all the time. We tend to find it easy to love those that are
easy to love, but those that make loving the difficult is another story. However, to reach the
unlovable, we must love them first. Is that what Jesus did for us (1 John 4:19)?
The seventh essential to ministry is an uncompromising life. To live an uncompromising,
one must “develop an uncompromising commitment to live according to the truths of the Word
of God… no matter what.”6 Just as we cannot pick and choose what truths in the Bible we will
stand on, we cannot choose when we will stand on them either. It is important to conscientiously
live out the truths as to not convey a mixed message.
The eight essential, much like the previous essential, is loyalty to the truth. Gutierrez says
that “learning to distinguish what is true and what is not”7 is a major challenge in ministry. Many
people believe in relative truths, those truths that apply depending on the situation or person
4
5
6
7
Early, D., & Gutierrez, B. 2010, p
1304. Ibid. p 1370.
Ibid. p 1456.
Early, D., & Gutierrez, B. 2010, p
1555.
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involved. This can be troubling, especially for ministry, as it allows a God persona to flourish as we
decide who and when these truths apply. However, God’s Word is absolute truth. If it is true, then
it applies to all people and places, regardless of the historical context.
The ninth essential entails being what God has called us to be, His church. Many
congregations do church; however, Gutierrez says that “God wants us to live up to our name, the
church, and all that it means.”8 To live up to our name we must live in unified fellowship within
the body of Christ, being faithful and dependent on Him, while supporting those within the body.
The body cannot survive trying to go in many different directions or allowing a part to decay,
wither and die. The church must follow the head, which is Jesus Christ, and be willing to pick a
brother or sister up along the way to ensure we all arrive at our destination.
Finally, committing to obedience is the tenth, and last, essential discussed. Committing to
obedience is related to the seventh essential, an uncompromising life, if that we must not allow
ourselves to get lacks in our behaviors and moral standing. Being a minister means being held to
a higher standard, which entails greater judgement (Jas 3:1). This judgement is not necessarily
from God, but from the people. The microscope is held over those in elevated positions, much
more than the average person. When one commits to the call, I feel it is important to also commit
to the obedient life and understand that our guard cannot be let down for the slightest of
moments, for Satan is always ready to expose a weakness.
Areas Where I Can Improve
Of the ten essentials of ministry outlined by David Early and Ben Gutierrez, I find that
living a life of prayer and being loyal to the truth are at least two of the areas where I can
improve. Prayer is key to not only to ministry, but to life itself. Dale Salwak wrote that “Prayer is
8
Ibid. p 1684.
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the very life of oneness, of being on with Christ. Therefore, prayer is as necessary as the air, as
the blood in our body, as anything, to keep us alive to the grace of God.”9 However, unlike the
unconscious effort to breathe, like most people, I do not pray enough.
Being loyal to the truth is another area that I could definitely use improvement. This is
important to me because, like many, I fall into the trap of relative truths. How does interpreting
the truth fit to my current situation, or worse, someone else’s. Living in relative truths does not
give myself, or those I interact with, a chance to trust in God’s truths, no matter our situation.
Being able to trust in God and properly discern the truths presented will help me be a better
Christian and minister. Being truthful requires courage, and “both are bestowed on the person
who knows that his life is kept safe in the kindly hand of God.”10
Specific and Measurable Plan for Improvement
My plan for improving in the area of prayer consist of increasing my prayer time to 20
minutes a day. This plan will consist of spending 10 minutes in prayer each morning along with
10 minutes of prayer in the evening. Prayer time will consist of me adjourning to my upstairs
office to be alone with God and to spend time, not only lifting up prayers for myself and others,
but to take the time to be quiet and listen for God to speak to me. This will allow me to not only
talk to God, but to listen to God, which is the most important part of any conversation.
My plan for improving on my ability to be loyal to God’s truth is to spend more time in
God’s Word. In addition to my weekly Bible study, my plan will be to spend 10 minutes in the
morning and evening, right after my prayer time, to read scripture. I believe this will not only
9
Salwak, Dale. The power of prayer. New York: MJF Books, 1998. p 9.
10
Demmer, Klaus. Living the Truth: A Theory of Action. Washington, US: Georgetown University Press,
2010. p 150.
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Bibliography
help me continue to grow in God’s truths, but will allow God to speak to me after our time
together in conversation.
Word count 1762
Demmer, Klaus. Living the Truth: A Theory of Action. Washington, US: Georgetown University Press,
2010. p 150. Accessed April 6, 2017. ProQuest ebrary.
Early, D., & Gutierrez, B. Everyday Ministry: Applying the Christian Faith. Nashville, TN. B&H Publishing
Group, 2010.
Salwak, Dale. The power of prayer. New York: MJF Books, 1998
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