Celebrating 30 years of Ministry!
1 Thessalonians 5:24 … He who calls you is faithful. (NKJV).
30 years ago today, (5th January) I was inducted into the ministry at our first ministry position, as Pastor at Timaru Elim Church in the South Island of New Zealand. It was 1985. I’m still going!
A short ministerial history:
- 1985 – 1992 Pastor of Timaru Elim Church.
- 1993 – 1995 Pastor of Nelson City Elim Church.
- 1996 – 2000 Director of Studies at International Ministry Development School, Auckland.
- 1998 – 2000 Area Pastor Auckland City Elim Church.
- 2000 – 2007 Pastor of Taupo Elim Community Church.
- 2012 – Present Associate Pastor Elim Christian Centre Tauranga.
There’s been some high highs, and as is life, some low lows. There have been some dark times. I left Taupo, reluctantly, due to health. I was in burnout and dealing with depression. This would be my darkest time. During this period I read this verse; Psalm 31:12 I am like a dead man, out of mind. I am like a broken vessel. (NKJV). It perfectly described how I felt at that time. Dead, out of mind, and broken. It felt like me and my “call” were finished and I’d be no more use in full time ministry. But God is amazing. His grace incredible. And people believed in me again and have given me another chance. I’m very thankful for that.
Over the years I’ve been blessed to see people come to the Lord, refreshed in their walk with God, baptised, filled with the Holy Spirit, equipped to live the life they were made for, and helped in whatever role they had in life.
We’ve (of course this includes Wendy) met some amazing and wonderful people along the way and we now have friends all over the world.
The history of my ministry doesn’t seem to record huge numbers of people being saved or of massive church growth. This has been a burden to me at times, but in more recent years I have come to be at peace with this as I’ve discovered more of who I am and how I am wired.
In fact since we’ve been here in Tauranga I think I have experienced more internal change than in my whole life! I thought my life was over spiritually but God had other ideas. I thought I was finished physically when I had a heart attack, but again God has brought me through.
As you get older you tend to boil things down to what really matters. (I always thought to myself I wouldn’t do that, but it’s true!). I’ve always had the thought that I want to last the distance of life and ministry. Not wanting to drop out, burn out, or stop ministry for any reason other than the clear direction of God.
Thinking about the last 30 years, here’s four pieces of advice, or keys to last the distance.
1. Don’t stop reading the Bible
Just don’t! Whether life is good or it sucks (and I’ve been right there), just keep reading the Bible. It is a life-source of spiritual energy that may just keep us alive. It did for me and still does. God’s Word has been my guide, my guard, my encouragement, my direction, my truth.
2. Find out who you are.
Who am I? What am I here for? Where am I going? These three questions plague mankind, but as I’ve discovered they also trouble Christians. During my short years (although they seemed agonizingly long at the time) out of active full time ministry, I discovered that God loved me for who I am, not for what I do. He doesn’t love me because of the ministry. He loves me because I am His son! Ministry doesn’t make the man, the Cross does.
3. Have a laugh!
I love a good laugh! There’s nothing like a good, wholesome belly laugh to lift the spirits, inject some life-giving serotonins into the system, and bring fresh perspective. As Henry Ward Beecher says; “Mirth is God’s medicine. Everybody ought to bathe in it.” Over the years I’ve been blessed to be around people that have helped me to laugh, which has helped me through the dark times.
4. Believe your dreams.
The truth is, I couldn’t at one time. To believe that I could ever stand and deliver a message to God’s people, to lead and serve people, to write to touch people around the world, to bless my family, was a dream too hard. But the dreams keeps coming back, and God in His grace keeps refreshing the dreams He gives us. That’s another reason to keep reading the Bible, because His dreams are watered by His Word.
1 Thessalonians 5:24 … He who calls you is faithful. (NKJV). It’s true. He is faithful. Over the years we’ve had times of praying in the next dollar to pay for bills, we’ve been touched by sickness and God has healed, we have walked beside people as they’ve started their journey with God, we have been bursting with the thrill (and yes pride) at the growth and exploits of our kids, loved ones and mentees.
30 years! It is an interesting number Biblically. The number 30 can symbolise dedication to a particular task or calling. Aaronic priests were dedicated to serve at 30, in part because it was the age when a person reached both physical and mental maturity and could therefore handle major responsibilities. John the Baptist, who was of priestly descent (his mother was a descendant of the daughters of Aaron and his father was a priest), began his ministry at age thirty. In the Fall of 26 A.D., at the age of thirty, Christ began to publicly preach the Gospel (Luke 3:23).
I’m 58 years old now, yet I feel excited to look ahead. It could be because the 30 year milestone has been passed. It could be because we’re in an exciting day for the world and the church. It could be prophetic, but our best days are yet to come!
Thank You to the Lord for Your faithfulness. Thank you, for walking with us. Thank you for praying and encouraging us, some for more than 30 years!
Whatever your particular and God-given call is, whatever your age, remember this as we have discovered; He who calls you is faithful.
Photos from www.graphicstock.com
