I never wanted to be a pastor knowing it’s not a simple job. But the more I am resisting, the stronger the inner grip of my pastoral calling. The years when I was trying to escape from the calling were also the years when God was preparing me. Nothing that happened was a waste but God used them so that I would accomplish his purpose in my life. When I responded to His call, it was a liberating feeling. I could not find peace then because I was trying to resist the peace that God was giving.
In 2006, I “officially” became the youth pastor when our Youth Pastor then left the church to pastor another one. Being part of the youth ministry team prior to my appointment was a great advantage. I had no difficulty in relating to the young people. I knew their language and culture; somehow I knew the dynamics of youth ministry, as I thought. But then I realized I was looking to what my naked eyes could see. When I started to see vision for the youth ministry, my world was shaken. I began to see my shortcomings. So I entered into seminary to be better equipped as youth pastor, but I ended up being pushed away from the youth ministry.
What happened to me recently, that is from being a novice youth pastor to a status quo of “no-youth” pastor, has caught me to reflect what I have done wrong. In my mind, I was trying to minister to the young people then, but not minding the message I was sending to the pastor. Personal experiences thought me that leaving has never been easy, particularly when I left the church that affirmed my pastoral calling. It was painful though, but it helped me understand my pastoral mandate outside the roof of that church.
I am currently connected with Life Source Christian Assembly, a youth church that was founded in the U-belt area under the Chi Alpha (XA) Campus Ministry of the Philippine General Council of the Assemblies of God (PGCAG). At the same time, I was invited to join Southern Tagalog District Council (STDC) Youth Department of PGCAG to help the Youth Ministries of local churches within the Southern Tagalog provinces including the National Capital Region. And as STDC Youth Staff, I am privileged to see in wider scope the diverse culture of Youth Ministries in the Assemblies of God. So my observations in the context of Youth Ministry and the freedom of education in the seminary help me frame my understanding of pastoral ministry to the youth. I am writing my own philosophy of pastoral ministry for which I can use to start anew in the future. I also allow these principles to be tested over the course of time and to be refined in the length of my journey as youth pastor.
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PASTORAL MINISTRY
Pastoral Ministry is defined by its purpose. Pastors must understand why they are carrying out this mandate and how they are doing it. The purpose of pastoral ministry defines the characteristics of the pastoral ministry.
Expression of God’s Unconditional Love
Pastoral Ministry is the expression of God’s love. The Father’s unconditional love was demonstrated through the death of His son Jesus Christ. And as pastor who experienced his love, my ultimate mandate is to be God’s agent of love. No young person today is not struggling with at least one issue in life. The decaying morality of this post-modern world has added to the difficulties of biological parents in dealing with the issues of their children. For instance, dysfunctional families have caused the youngsters to face life in a wrong perspective. In some cultures, churches are no longer a safe ground to these vulnerabilities.
On other hand, these vulnerabilities are starting point to which they can draw closer to God. It seems easy for the hurting youth to immerse themselves in a trusted environment. Thus, a small amount of hypocrisy may defer an opportunity for ministry. When they experience a genuine love; it would be easy to lead them back to the loving embrace of the Father. They need to be accepted and loved regardless of who they are. Pastoral ministry must affirm that the love of God is unfailing and will continually pursue them forever.
Reflection of Transformed Character
Pastoral Ministry reflects the Christ-like character of the pastor and the church leaders. When the pastoral team models character transformation, challenging the members to do the same would be easy. The challenge for pastor is to be always ahead in spiritual journey at some sort. The Bible is clear that every believer must desire to grow in the knowledge and character of Christ. So the church does not stop at pacifying infant members but seeks to prepare them to digesting the solid spiritual food for mature person. Thus, the pastoral ministry that models and desires transformation of every believer is a reflection of Christ’s glory.
I once had a thought of quitting from the challenging job of pastoring the youth. But as I endeavor to join them in their pilgrimage, simple transformation in their lives encourages me to keep on going. After all, I had no power to transform every individual. It is only my thrust to ensure that the youth ministry is transformative but it is the Holy Spirit that transforms the person.
Dependence in the Holy Spirit
Every pastor reminds himself that Pastoral Ministry isn’t his ministry alone. Pastoral Ministry requires dependence on the Holy Spirit. The pastors can never replace the role of the Holy Spirit to transform the person. The moment we succumb to the perception of becoming a super pastor, it will make us feel inadequate. Pastor conveys the message from God while Pastoral Ministry promotes God’s agenda to the people. He seeks guidance from the Lord in carrying his mandate to God’s people.
However, while we attempt to wrestle with God’s will, sometimes it is our will that prevails. True ministry success measures the total dependence in the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Pride only impedes the progress of any ministry and will keep the person rationalizing his action. Humility is the key to be completely dependent on God. It is not saying we know nothing, instead we just know less.
Most of my failures in Youth Ministry are due to the arrogance of self-reliance. Having the knowledge and talent to carry out the task gives me confidence to resolve things on my own. Fortunately, it didn’t turn out the way I figured out. I would realize that I have ruled out the role of the Holy Spirit. Those humbling experiences reminded me of my shortcomings that only God can fill in. I can never do what God wills apart from God. In fact, the longer I go my way, the more frustrated I become.
THE CORE OF PASTORAL MINISTRY
Pastoral Ministry focuses on people. The pastor must understand the dynamics of relationship. To be surrounded by people who share the same passion and gift of caring for people makes the pastor more effective.
Accountability and Community
Team-based ministry is an effective leadership model for today’s postmodern world.[1] Understanding the priesthood of every believer, one can realize that even pastoral ministry requires a community of leaders. In other words, pastoral ministry operates in the context of communal accountability of the leaders. Pastoral Ministry is not a ministry of one person. The book “Can The Pastor Do It Alone?” speaks itself about how effective it is to designate some of the pastoral role to lay pastors who have the gift of pastoring.[2]
The team-based ministry protects the integrity of the pastor and the testimony of the church. We have seen great ministers who have fallen from grace. It damaged not only to the person responsible, but the community of believers. This tainted reputation of the church has caused believers to wander in faith and unbelievers to doubt the mandate of the church. It is a very loud call for pastors to have ministry partners who will check the alignment of their spiritual and private life.
I have understood this principle in my early experience as Youth Pastor. I never intended to do it all alone. In fact, it is even encouraging to share the ministry with fellow young adults. It was an exciting journey for us as a team. Ministering to the youth is demanding but ministering alone is depressing. The rewards to Pastoral ministry are great when we realize the advantages of teamwork.
Developing Leaders
At some degree, pastoral ministry is restricted by the pastor himself except when he has a team that can do what he does. It’s a pressing need in Pastoral Ministry to develop leaders- the key to a team-based ministry. Pastor becomes more effective when he delegates some of his roles to other people. This requires developing leaders and equipping them to be his ministry partners. The pastor who doesn’t develop people consumes all his energy and becomes frustrated in the long run. Doing pastoral ministry as a team provides opportunity for pastor to replenish his lost energy. This will keep his passion on burning.
Developing leaders takes time and requires great amount of patience. The pastor may even hurt in the process. But that’s how it goes. That’s the cost of our pastoral calling. We must remind ourselves of Jesus’ sacrifices. No matter how hurtful the process is, we must be faithful to our job of equipping potential leaders.
Caring Pastoral Team
Team Pastoral Ministry plays a significant role in shepherding the flock. Like nurses in the hospital, the pastoral team knows how to care. Pastoral “care giving” becomes available to all because of shared pastoral ministry. The pastor cannot be in different places at the same time but with the help of his pastoral team, church members are accommodated.
Having a pastoral team does not necessarily mean taking away the function from the pastor. In the urgency of situation, the pastoral team can give the first aid medication. It would wise for the pastor to develop a ministry framework for his pastoral team as precautions.
THE COMPONENTS OF PASTORAL MINISTRY
Pastoral Ministry is not about program. Programs are only means to accomplish the purpose. Creating programs without a purpose accomplishes nothing. Pastors must understand that the components of pastoral ministry such as discipling the members, training for evangelism, mission and ministry, pastoral care, etc are not the end in themselves.
Pastoral Ministry prepares the people to honor God in their respective lives. It is therefore redemptive in nature. So the pastor must equip the members to grow in faith, knowledge, and character- the result is transformation! In a team-based ministry this challenge becomes ministry opportunity for the pastoral team. The pastoral team becomes a great aide to the pastor’s equipping ministry.
In my observation, most of the Youth Ministries are entertaining while less emphasis is given to the equipping of young people. I think of two reasons: first, young people enjoy the program; and second, youth ministers are not equipped to equip the youth. There is nothing wrong with former, but there should be a greater emphasis on the latter. Pastoral ministry should put a highest value to eternal components in its efforts to reach the younger generation. Most of young people are struggling with issues in life; the Youth Ministry is where they find comfort and care. For this reason, youth ministry must be grounded on a strong discipleship.
While it is through evangelism that the young people become believers, discipleship is the next crucial task to behold. They should not remain as believers but to become followers of Jesus Christ. Pastoral Ministry to the youth should be equipping them to grow in the knowledge of God. Pastors must look at eternal impact of discipleship- the method for which transformation could happen. It would be natural for believers to evangelize, participate in missions, and join a ministry team, etc. when they are equipped to do so.
THE CALIBRATION OF PASTORAL MINISTRY
Pastoral Ministry deals with different people and diverse personality. The pastoral team works out to build relationship with the members. In as much as we want to avoid it, conflict comes out in the church. It is within the DNA of the church. However, conflict should never influence the preaching. Pastor must preach a sermon that is for everyone not for one. He must stand behind a bias-free-pulpit. When the pastor preaches out of anger, it makes the conflict even worst.
Whenever there is conflict, pastoral ministry is at stake. Pastoral Ministry plays a significant role in resolving the conflict. The pastor must secure that confidentiality is exercised. It is a challenge for pastoral team to create an environment of trust where sensitive issues could safely be discussed. Because gossiping is contagious, resolving conflict must be done in private manner. Team-based pastoral ministry also plays a significant role when the pastor is the subject of the conflict.
Conflict is also on the surface of the conference table. While liberty to express personal opinion is encouraged, differences in stand at one issue sometimes cause personality clashes. Pastoral Ministry must promote freedom of expression among the leaders without destroying the relationship. Leadership team must acknowledge and respect everyone’s opinion. The conflict between leaders must not destroy the leadership agenda.
Pastoral Ministry must seek to smooth out the relationship between the leaders (including the pastor), the relationship between the leaders and the members, and the relationship between the members. Church unity is the goal of pastoral ministry. Unity among the believers pleases the Lord and reflects his glory.
CONCLUSION
Pastoral Ministry reflects the unconditional love of God and never fails to pursue God’s people until they are completely transformed. It also manifests the works of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the pastor and his team.
Pastoral Ministry creates a communal accountability of leaders to protect the church and her testimony. It seeks to develop leaders as ministry partners of the pastor who can do what he does. It makes the pastoral care available to the church.
Pastoral Ministry prepares God’s people to become Christ’s disciples. As a result, it becomes easy for them to go out to evangelize, go away for missions, or get in service.
Pastoral Ministry preservers church unity. It works out reconciliation between conflicting parties. Pastoral team endeavors to establish an environment of trust. Pastors are called to accomplish God’s purpose for the church and to execute it through Pastoral Ministry. Pastoral ministry must not deviate from its redemptive mandate.
As of the moment, I could not sense the strong grip of pastoring a church- only a portion of it, the youth ministry. So my definition of pastoral ministry maybe confined within the boundaries of youth ministry. But my role as pastor transcends beyond a defined scope of ministry. A sound philosophy of pastoral ministry will guide the pastor in carrying out his pastoral role. On the other hand, lack of guiding principles in pastoral ministry leads to a tragic mess. Philosophy of pastoral ministry serves as roadmap to the pastor in his journey with the church.
WORKS CITED
[1] Cladis, George. "Building On A Receptive Cultural Environment." In Leading the Team-Based Church, by George Cladis, 17-29. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass, 1999.
[2] Steinbron, Melvin J. Can The Pastor Do It Alone? Ventura, California: Regal Books, 1987.
God answers prayer... really?
We pray, and pray, and continue to pray, until God answers. Certainly, He does answer prayer. Question: Did God really answer your prayer? The question is not whether God answers your prayer, but whether God answers your prayer. The emphasis is not on the capacity of God to answer our prayer, but on our capacity to pray for God to answer it. What is our participation in the act of asking a petition? Do we really have to sound convincing?
Let us validate whether the supposed answer was really our prayer. What if it’s the result of someone else’s prayer for us? Or what if God just want to give it to you and me? Can we really say that God heard it that way? While prayer can be a form of conversation, it also teaches us to be in the right position (attitude) before God. In the event that we get a positive response, it should remind us of the goodness of our Lord, not our greatness in prayer. In the final analysis, our character can testify to our prayer life.
Let us validate whether the supposed answer was really our prayer. What if it’s the result of someone else’s prayer for us? Or what if God just want to give it to you and me? Can we really say that God heard it that way? While prayer can be a form of conversation, it also teaches us to be in the right position (attitude) before God. In the event that we get a positive response, it should remind us of the goodness of our Lord, not our greatness in prayer. In the final analysis, our character can testify to our prayer life.
Pursuing the Dream of Organic Christianity
Organic DNA of New Testament Church
It is not a simple dream. But it’s a dream that is worth reimagining- organic church. The communal life of the New Testament churches expressed the organic DNA of the church of Jesus Christ. Members of the believing community freely discharged their priestly duty that would build up the body. There was no sole authority other than headship and lordship of Jesus Christ, the kind of structure that defines the church founded during the apostolic tradition.
According to Viola, today’s church terminologies such as clergy, laity, denominations, and senior pastor, which elevate the person from others, are foreign to the first century Christians and seemingly strange in the Scriptures. There was a greater emphasis on the priesthood of every believer, and the apparent plurality of oversight by seasoned Christians (elders) protected the headship of Jesus Christ over the church. There was no board to decide on behalf of the church or a sole person to persuade the entire congregation. The passive role of superintending by the elders facilitated the church to achieving a consensus agreement on certain matters.
More importantly, the Holy Spirit gave life to the New Testament churches, not events or programs. The communal life of the New Testament Christians was practiced at homes; the place where every believer could be themselves, and be subject to the entire body (mutual subjection), not to the human higher authority. Authentic fellowship took place in the house of Christians, a reflection of the authentic community of Persons in the Godhead.
Towards Organic Expression
Frank Viola presents a radical approach to restoring the organic nature of the church- to disassemble the institutional church and start anew. Simple renovation may give us a new appearance on the outside but it won’t restore the original nature of the church. Contrary to the analogy of destroying an old building (which starts at the bottom by weakening the foundation) radical restoration of the church’s organic expression moves top down, without necessarily destroying the bottom (which is the church). This entails removing all human forms of authority and hierarchical/positional leadership.
The quest as seminary student has put me to a realm of questions- to formulate, validate, ask, or answer questions. And the difficult part is to get an answer in the form of question. Considering the fact that I belong to a denominational church, I find this book quite offensive. But then I had to ask myself why I am offended. Isn’t offensive to hear a blunt reproach? I must admit that my knowledge of church history is partial, and that my understanding of the Scripture is imperfect. However, I submit to idea that the church of Jesus Christ must express its organic DNA. As living organism, she can only live and find ways to grow in her own natural surroundings. And if the only resort is to abolish denominations, then the church is facing another painful formation. But I don’t know if that’s still necessary. I am not as radical as the way the author thinks, perhaps part of my immaturity, but that remains part of my journey as student, believer, and minister of Jesus Christ. It is my prayer to attain such understanding in my lifetime.
Facebook: Beyond Communication Tool
Facebook is a valuable tool for communication both on personal and organizational setup. Many companies including media organizations are now engaging in Facebook to promote their products, services and events. Prominent personalities and celebrities make a way closer to their fans using Facebook’s Fan Page. We, the researchers, also enjoy the privilege of using Facebook as our medium for conversation and exchanging ideas.
Facebook also becomes a valid communication tool for community groups. Despite of some restrictions that committees, clubs, small organizations, or associations experience such as limited resources, time consuming telephone communications, meetings poorly attended; Facebook made it possible for them to communicate effectively. It allows group events, meetings, and fund-raising initiatives, including group information becomes universally accessible to the members.[1]
On July 22, 2010, Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook announced in just six years of making a connection [2] , its subscribers have reached to 500 million.[3] The figure shows that Facebook is a viable tool beyond communication. Zuckerberg and his team are hoping to improve the lives of people in significant ways. “So it's rewarding to see that as Facebook has grown, people around the world are using the service to share information about events big and small and to stay connected to everyone they care about.”[4]
The table below is derived from the recent study conducted by Harvard Business School (HBS) and it is found out that mostly men follow a man (65%) and a man is followed by mostly men (58%) in Twitter.
Table 1. Twitter follower statistics from HBS
Such phenomenon is used to establish a comparison between the natures of two prominent social networking sites: Facebook and Twitter; which one is a communication tool and which is an identity platform? Men mostly followed other men in Twitter while men mostly followed women in Facebook. The reason for this reveals the nature of Facebook and Twitter as social networking sites. Twitter is a conversation platform or a broadcast platform; thus it is largely public, though not all conversation must be in public. On the other hand, Facebook is an identity platform and it is largely private. There is a strong level of identity disclosure and social reinforcements- e.g. like “tagging friends or being tagged by friends in photos” support a real Facebook identity.[5]
Because of this, youth ministers must see the effectiveness of incorporating Facebook platform to effectively minister to the young people who have Facebook presence and virtual thriving becomes part of their existence. It could be challenging but it is equally rewarding.
______________
[1] http://ezinearticles.com/?Facebook-As-a-Communication-Tool-For-Community-Organizations&id=2382270. Date Accessed, August 7, 2010
[2] http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=287542162130&ref=mf. Date Accessed: August 16, 2010
[3] http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=409753352130. Date Accessed, August 7, 2010.
[4] Ibid.
[5] http://www.insidefacebook.com/2009/06/08/will-facebook-and-twitter-become-communication-tools-or-identity-platforms/ Date Accessed, August 7, 2010
Facebook also becomes a valid communication tool for community groups. Despite of some restrictions that committees, clubs, small organizations, or associations experience such as limited resources, time consuming telephone communications, meetings poorly attended; Facebook made it possible for them to communicate effectively. It allows group events, meetings, and fund-raising initiatives, including group information becomes universally accessible to the members.[1]
On July 22, 2010, Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook announced in just six years of making a connection [2] , its subscribers have reached to 500 million.[3] The figure shows that Facebook is a viable tool beyond communication. Zuckerberg and his team are hoping to improve the lives of people in significant ways. “So it's rewarding to see that as Facebook has grown, people around the world are using the service to share information about events big and small and to stay connected to everyone they care about.”[4]
The table below is derived from the recent study conducted by Harvard Business School (HBS) and it is found out that mostly men follow a man (65%) and a man is followed by mostly men (58%) in Twitter.
Table 1. Twitter follower statistics from HBS
Such phenomenon is used to establish a comparison between the natures of two prominent social networking sites: Facebook and Twitter; which one is a communication tool and which is an identity platform? Men mostly followed other men in Twitter while men mostly followed women in Facebook. The reason for this reveals the nature of Facebook and Twitter as social networking sites. Twitter is a conversation platform or a broadcast platform; thus it is largely public, though not all conversation must be in public. On the other hand, Facebook is an identity platform and it is largely private. There is a strong level of identity disclosure and social reinforcements- e.g. like “tagging friends or being tagged by friends in photos” support a real Facebook identity.[5]
Because of this, youth ministers must see the effectiveness of incorporating Facebook platform to effectively minister to the young people who have Facebook presence and virtual thriving becomes part of their existence. It could be challenging but it is equally rewarding.
______________
[1] http://ezinearticles.com/?Facebook-As-a-Communication-Tool-For-Community-Organizations&id=2382270. Date Accessed, August 7, 2010
[2] http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=287542162130&ref=mf. Date Accessed: August 16, 2010
[3] http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=409753352130. Date Accessed, August 7, 2010.
[4] Ibid.
[5] http://www.insidefacebook.com/2009/06/08/will-facebook-and-twitter-become-communication-tools-or-identity-platforms/ Date Accessed, August 7, 2010
How does God communicate to us?
God speaks literally, not just metaphorically. That means the Scripture is not only inspired by God, it is a Word of God that requires illocutionary actions. This understanding calls us to pay attention to his words and to identify which one is said as writer’s perspective and which is the distinct speech of God spoken by way of the writer. God wants to communicate with us intimately. To say that God speaks literally does not mean to take Scripture literally. He wants to be understood, that’s why not only he reveals himself, but also he can speak to us- to make his intentions known. Our interpretation of the Scripture must also be guided by this perspective.
The Bible is a collection of books written by different authors of unique perspective and diverse personality. To interpret the part as the whole is to misinterpret the passage. One must also acknowledge that the infinite God conveys his message through the finitude of these biblical writers. To say that what one author has said represents the totality of the Scripture is to miss the point of other writers. It would be different to hear the voice of God by way of different writers than hearing it from one. Therefore, to interpret the passage in the light of the Scripture is to consider the perspective of all biblical writers—that requires reading the entire Bible!
Church history shows that the people in the past have gone a long and painful journey of understanding God. One’s lifetime isn’t enough to comprehend all about God. Because God is a community of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, no single person can fully understand God alone. We must interpret the Scripture in a communal living. Yet even God provides an aid for us to understand him better--- the person of the Holy Spirit. So apart from Him, it’s impossible to understand Him. We must depend on the Holy Spirit, not in our academic excellence, for a correct biblical interpretation.
Part of the dynamics of hearing God speak literally is to allow the Scripture correct our understanding of God. We come to the passage with our presupposition, but we must recognize the authority of the passage to replace our presuppositions. Faithful biblical interpretation requires interpreter’s humility. Only after this a dynamic transformation happens.
The Bible is a collection of books written by different authors of unique perspective and diverse personality. To interpret the part as the whole is to misinterpret the passage. One must also acknowledge that the infinite God conveys his message through the finitude of these biblical writers. To say that what one author has said represents the totality of the Scripture is to miss the point of other writers. It would be different to hear the voice of God by way of different writers than hearing it from one. Therefore, to interpret the passage in the light of the Scripture is to consider the perspective of all biblical writers—that requires reading the entire Bible!
Church history shows that the people in the past have gone a long and painful journey of understanding God. One’s lifetime isn’t enough to comprehend all about God. Because God is a community of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, no single person can fully understand God alone. We must interpret the Scripture in a communal living. Yet even God provides an aid for us to understand him better--- the person of the Holy Spirit. So apart from Him, it’s impossible to understand Him. We must depend on the Holy Spirit, not in our academic excellence, for a correct biblical interpretation.
Part of the dynamics of hearing God speak literally is to allow the Scripture correct our understanding of God. We come to the passage with our presupposition, but we must recognize the authority of the passage to replace our presuppositions. Faithful biblical interpretation requires interpreter’s humility. Only after this a dynamic transformation happens.
Pentecostal Pastors: Burnout?
A critique on "UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM OF BURNOUT IN MINISTRY AMONG PENTECOSTAL CLERGY: A FILIPINO PERSPECTIVE" by Lemuel T. Engcoy. Dissertation (D. Ed – Counseling), Asia Graduate School of Theology, March 2008
***
Engcoy’s previous “burnout” experience became the subject of his study that not only addresses his personal concern, but also the alarming situation of his fellow Pentecostal clergies. The study focuses on three mainline Pentecostal denominations namely: Philippine General Council of the Assemblies of God (PGCAG), Church of the Foursquare Gospel in the Philippines (CFGP), and Church of God World Mission Philippines (COGWMP) which according to his research, they represent the “classic” Pentecostal movement.
He claims to be the first to conduct a study on the subject matter “burnout” in Pentecostal clergy, or perhaps in the entire Evangelical community in the Philippines. He validated his claim by his in-depth approach on the subject. He wanted to find out if Filipino Pentecostal clergy do experiences burnout, because there were claims that burnout is “cultural, not transcendental” in nature which says only the West people experience such. And in case they do, to find out the indicators for Filipino Pentecostal clergy’s burnout and the extent of its effects. Also, he wanted to compare the level of burnout between the rural and urban clergies. Finally, he hoped to be of help to his fellow clergy through this study.
He targeted for 150 clergy respondents across the Philippines under these three mainstream denominations, but the number of actual participants reached 340. Though the reason was not explained in his paper, perhaps because he gathered data during the conventions, conferences and seminars of the target groups, thus he had no control on the number of respondents, unless of course he would use random sampling. On the other hand, it has added credibility to his research findings and the way he would interpret the results later.
He employed correlation as his research design and the following research instruments to gather information: Demographic Questionnaire, Hart’s Burnout Checklist, Figley’s Compassion Satisfaction and Fatigue Test, and Frazier’s Stress Level Test. He also asked approval from the authors of the above instruments to be used for his study. He also used Interview and Individual Counseling in collecting additional data.
Indeed, Filipino Pentecostal clergies experience burnout at various stages depending on their personality, civil status, ministerial experiences, and location of ministry. Simply put, no minister is invincible regardless of denomination and cultural affiliations. It confirms the notion, “the longer the ministry, the greater the burnout”, in other words, term of ministry is one indicator of burnout. In addition to this, family concerns, high ministry expectation, unresolved personal issues, leadership issues, lack of accountability support, financial matter, are also indicators of burnout in Filipino Pentecostal clergy.
It is interesting to know that Pentecostal “eschatology” drives clergy to be workaholics resulting to burnout, which is “unique” to Pentecostal, although for me, can be subject for further studies. For example, Pentecostal eschatology and other denominations’ eschatological reflections can be used to investigate their contributions on a clergy’s burnout condition. Notice that there is no way to validate this conclusion from this study, since the demographics show only Pentecostal clergy, which he also mentioned as its limitation.
The study shows also that there is no big difference as to the level of burnout between the rural and urban clergies, though he was biased at first to say his presupposition that the clergy in urban has higher level of burnout than in rural areas. As counselor, he can use the results of his own work as a starting point to help his fellow clergies who are already burned out and as preventive step to others who are burning out.
In his recommendations, he addresses the issue to the denominational leaders and pastors. It seems that the organizational structure and polity contribute to a clergy’s burnout. This can also be a vital subject for research.
***
Engcoy’s previous “burnout” experience became the subject of his study that not only addresses his personal concern, but also the alarming situation of his fellow Pentecostal clergies. The study focuses on three mainline Pentecostal denominations namely: Philippine General Council of the Assemblies of God (PGCAG), Church of the Foursquare Gospel in the Philippines (CFGP), and Church of God World Mission Philippines (COGWMP) which according to his research, they represent the “classic” Pentecostal movement.
He claims to be the first to conduct a study on the subject matter “burnout” in Pentecostal clergy, or perhaps in the entire Evangelical community in the Philippines. He validated his claim by his in-depth approach on the subject. He wanted to find out if Filipino Pentecostal clergy do experiences burnout, because there were claims that burnout is “cultural, not transcendental” in nature which says only the West people experience such. And in case they do, to find out the indicators for Filipino Pentecostal clergy’s burnout and the extent of its effects. Also, he wanted to compare the level of burnout between the rural and urban clergies. Finally, he hoped to be of help to his fellow clergy through this study.
He targeted for 150 clergy respondents across the Philippines under these three mainstream denominations, but the number of actual participants reached 340. Though the reason was not explained in his paper, perhaps because he gathered data during the conventions, conferences and seminars of the target groups, thus he had no control on the number of respondents, unless of course he would use random sampling. On the other hand, it has added credibility to his research findings and the way he would interpret the results later.
He employed correlation as his research design and the following research instruments to gather information: Demographic Questionnaire, Hart’s Burnout Checklist, Figley’s Compassion Satisfaction and Fatigue Test, and Frazier’s Stress Level Test. He also asked approval from the authors of the above instruments to be used for his study. He also used Interview and Individual Counseling in collecting additional data.
Indeed, Filipino Pentecostal clergies experience burnout at various stages depending on their personality, civil status, ministerial experiences, and location of ministry. Simply put, no minister is invincible regardless of denomination and cultural affiliations. It confirms the notion, “the longer the ministry, the greater the burnout”, in other words, term of ministry is one indicator of burnout. In addition to this, family concerns, high ministry expectation, unresolved personal issues, leadership issues, lack of accountability support, financial matter, are also indicators of burnout in Filipino Pentecostal clergy.
It is interesting to know that Pentecostal “eschatology” drives clergy to be workaholics resulting to burnout, which is “unique” to Pentecostal, although for me, can be subject for further studies. For example, Pentecostal eschatology and other denominations’ eschatological reflections can be used to investigate their contributions on a clergy’s burnout condition. Notice that there is no way to validate this conclusion from this study, since the demographics show only Pentecostal clergy, which he also mentioned as its limitation.
The study shows also that there is no big difference as to the level of burnout between the rural and urban clergies, though he was biased at first to say his presupposition that the clergy in urban has higher level of burnout than in rural areas. As counselor, he can use the results of his own work as a starting point to help his fellow clergies who are already burned out and as preventive step to others who are burning out.
In his recommendations, he addresses the issue to the denominational leaders and pastors. It seems that the organizational structure and polity contribute to a clergy’s burnout. This can also be a vital subject for research.
Preunderstandings of the Interpreter
The way we view the world is based on our prior experiences, trainings and thinking. Such is also a case how we understand reality where our beliefs and attitudes, also called preunderstandings, play a significant role. In the process of interpreting the text, the ultimate goal is to be totally objective, but in reality, no one is free from presuppositions. So the interpreters must give attention to what they bring in the interpretive process. “We need to know ourselves, as well as the object of our inquiry” (cf. 154). It is not the goal of hermeneutics to reject the interpreter’s horizon, but to shape and develop it after a meaningful interaction between the interpreter and the text. Preunderstanding is undeniably present in the task of biblical interpretation, so the interpreter must identify the role it plays in the interpretive process.
To some extent, coming to the text with preunderstanding prior to interpretation is indispensable, but it can be undesirable as it may distort the reader’s perception of reality resulting to inaccurate interpretation. In addition, we are not consciously aware of our preunderstandings or the role they play in the interpretive process. So the challenge is not only to identify them but also to correct them, or even throw them away should our preunderstandings found to be erroneous.
Furthermore, the Bible becomes the vantage point of interpretation. Thus, our conviction on the divine authority of the Bible defines our approach to biblical interpretation. Those who have come to accept the pluralistic view of the Bible are prone to subjectivism and relativism. This postmodernism approach puts the reader’s preunderstanding as the one conditioning the meaning of the text rather than understanding the author’s intended meaning in writing the text. The former denies the existence of absolute truths and gives greater significance to human freedom, including the approach to interpreting an ancient biblical text. As thoughtful Christians, “we must evaluate the evidence for the Christian claims in the light of all alternative truth claims” (cf. 163).
We, as Christian interpreters, believe the Bible is the Word of God. Only from this perspective can we assume the theological meaning of the text by employing our historical and critical methods. Being members of evangelical community gives boundaries for our Bible reading and our preunderstanding of the Bible as God’s revelation guides our interpretation. To be thoroughly biblical we must allow the Scripture scrutinize our view. The community of faith and the inspiration of the Spirit provide opportunity to be highly objective in our interpretation.
The text also interprets the interpreter, as preunderstanding changes with understanding. This scenario is called hermeneutical spiral. In hermeneutics, the preunderstanding is the starting point of the interpreter. But as the interpreter engages with the biblical text, the text begins to do something to the interpreter. His preunderstanding starts to change. As he further interacts with the text, his preunderstanding can be modified or he can have a totally different understanding. But that does not mean the meaning of the text has changed, rather the interpreter’s ability to understanding it correctly is enhanced.
Since we want to discover the meaning of the text at the time of its writing, we must validate our interpretation using some objective criteria. If we accept the authority of the Bible’s with the help of the Spirit, we must be willing to accept its correction. “The honest, reflective, humble interpreter remains open to change, even to a significant transformation of preunderstandings” (cf. 167).
Source: Introduction to Biblical Interpretation by Klein, Blomberg, and Hubbard. 2nd Edition.
Exegesis and Spirituality: Completing the Circle
The essay started as experience of the author in doing exegetical task. In his attempts for exegesis of the Word, he usually ended up crying, praising and worshiping before God. It is common for exegete to interpret the text for others, without first considering his devotional life prior to interpretation. Fee realized that exegesis and spirituality are not separate disciplines, and the interface between them reflects how the interpretation looks. Good interpretation of the text is the product of exegete’s personal devotion first, followed by the skills to accomplish exegetical tasks properly.
It is the Word of God written by people inspired by the Holy Spirit that one is trying to interpret; therefore only Spiritual people can have a good interpretation. The role of the Holy Spirit to interpreter’s life cannot be ignored. While the goal of true exegesis leads others to respond in worship and obedience, the exegete’s true Spirituality accomplishes the goal. In the Apostle Paul’s writings, the ultimate intention is Spirituality- a life by the Spirit. He did not want to be misunderstood so it is expected that the person must be dependent on the power of the Holy Spirit to arrive at a good interpretation. Thus, the author’s intent can only be interpreted by the Spirit-filled person- one who is devoted in prayer and worship of God. Furthermore, in doing exegetical task, an exegete must be very careful to consider the form of writing he’s interpreting. It is for this reason that the author has been intentional to use such genre to communicate his message.
To complete the circle, Exegesis and Spirituality cannot be treated as separate disciplines. Neither one of the two can be ignored over the other. Again, the goal of exegesis is spirituality, but good interpretation is achieved by the person whose life is never separated from the Spirit. Finally, the interface between exegesis and spirituality is undeniably centered to the interpretation of the text, a good interpretation that’s calls for true action and submission.
Source: Listening to the Spirit in the Text by Gordon D. Fee
Rule of My Life
My Philosophy of Life
It’s a common axiom “to live your life to the fullest”; nevertheless a significant imprint is fashioned into my head. I was beginning to ponder of what it is to live to the fullest. The quest to uncover the answer includes a comprehensive research from the reliable source- God. He, as the Creator, is the only One who can provide a concrete response to this ultimate life’s question.
God designed everything out of nothing to become something. He has conceived about my existence. I am created by Him and for Him. I can only live my life to the fullest if I serve the ultimate purpose of my life- to glorify God. Rick Warren says “living for God’s glory is the greatest achievement we can accomplish with our lives”. That may also mean my greatest reward is to see God being pleased with my life.
Intending to give him honor and to share with his cause, allows me to organize every facet of my life according to his perspective. It includes struggling to comprehend his divine will though, it remains my quest! I will be part of God’s pursuit in reaching out the fallen humanity for his own glory.
My Values and Priorities
Using a magnifying glass while looking at the same object, I could use a different kind of lens to find a different observation. When I have come to appreciate about God’s reason for creating me, it has redefined everything. It took a paradigm shift before I have accepted this revolutionary perspective. So the things that I value most serve the ultimate purpose of my life.
Lifestyle Worship
Since God’s ultimate desire of me is to glorify him, worship becomes the way of my life. Worship brings pleasure to God. It is my response to his character. I worship God for who he is not for what he has done. I know God smiles when he sees me doing things that please him. Like any parent who enjoys the moment while gazing upon his or her baby, so does God. He loves staring at me every second of each day in every way. Aware of this, I cultivate a lifestyle of worship. I want to glorify God in everything that I do; in the way that I think or talk; in all areas or circumstances of life; wherever I am.
Value Relationship
Relationship is eternal. Love is what describes the character of God. It serves as the driving force that keeps any relationship last forever. God is never tired of restoring the broken relationship between Him and human beings. He showed his unconditional love for people by sending his begotten son to the world. Jesus regarded “loving God and loving people” as the greatest commandments; and it is all that matters. The Church is built upon relationship with Christ and between his people. It is a community of love; the family of God. I can only relate to God as I develop intimacy with him. And my relationship with people is only as good as my relationship with God. Therefore the deeper I know God the farther I can go beyond myself.
Character Transformation and Spiritual Disciplines
Every life form is designed to grow and multiply. In spiritual life, character transformation marks our spiritual maturity as Christ followers. The height of our growth is opposite to the depth of our attitude. In other words, as we grow into a person of Christ-like character, we learn to become humble like Christ. I have valued every condition as a means of developing my character. I look up to Jesus whenever I struggle in this spiritual quest. In addition, Spiritual disciplines are essentials to my pilgrimage. I believe integrity reflects the authentic relationship with Christ. For this reason, I discipline my body to live a holy life and to be worthy of my calling.
Faith and Personality
God has fashioned us to be individually unique yet wonderfully complex. He gave us different set of traits so that we can express our own personality. It is all for his good pleasure. As we try to relate to an invisible God, our faith is essential. But because we have different makeup we express our faith differently. I think of creative ways to express my faith with God because I believe faith expressed in creative way boosts excellent personality. God deserves our best and I want to be excellent believer of Christ.
Stewardship and Redemption
Stewardship is our prime mandate from God. He entrusted humans to rule over the rests of his creation. However, we have failed to manage it in godly ways when sin entered the world. Then redemption becomes God’s grandest plan for the fallen humanity. God equipped every believer with spiritual gifts and talents, and blessed with all forms of heavenly blessings to redeem the people and the world. Therefore I am a steward and I have a mission.
Eternal Significance
Ministry or mission creates an everlasting impact when it is done without selfish conceit. Even death could not hinder a person, who has died to self and lived in Christ, to change the world by his or her life and service. The kind of service rendered to the people has eternal value. God is honored through it; and that would be eternal. I am pouring out my life to the young people and to develop a youth ministry that will impact not only the youth in our generation but also the generations to come.
My Life’s Vision and Goals
I have envisioned myself to be a man who has touched lives and honored God in his lifetime. Fueled by my passion for the young people, I endeavor to make a small impact upon their lives by sharing my life to them and living a life pleasing to the Lord. It is my hope that they see me as a person who fears God and someone they can emulate in their walk with Christ. I will strive to let them feel loved by me in one way or another.
I love my ministry to the youth and I enjoy watching each of them grow in Christ. When I made a commitment to serve in Youth Ministry, a dynamic transformation happened inside of me as I witnessed some powerful changes in my youngsters. They taught me many things which I could not learn apart from Youth Ministry. I have learned to embrace challenges and conflicts in a way that they push me further to serve them better.
I continually develop some ministry skills in trying to understand this post-modern generation. I always keep in mind that I speak their language or that they can relate to me. Unleashing my creativity is not always easy, sometimes it is painful, but it is paid off well to see at least one young people impacted by such risky attempt. Innovation becomes part of our Youth Ministry and it allows us to think creatively and work out the ideas to make the ministry more vibrant and relevant to the young people.
Several occasions have moved me deeply after knowing at least few of them have decided to follow Christ in their lives. It is always our desire that they thrive in the ministry and help them grow spiritually to be prepared for the challenges of the future. When they experience a genuine love from their leaders, they are drawn to Christ more closely. I am fulfilled to see a glimpse of their gradual transformation as they develop a relationship with Christ.
However, it is also logical to think that not every young people might experience a powerful transformation in my time, so I trust in the power of God to change the person. What motivates me to keep on doing my part is the joy of serving the Lord and honoring him through my sacrifices. I am laying the foundation for the coming generation: a community where they can thrive and a ministry that cares for every young people to become a genuine follower of Christ.
Being at young adult stage, I want to guide the youth and influence my fellow young adults in this spiritual quest. But to draw the spiritual map and build the road signs puts me ahead of the journey in passing through every landmark of spiritual growth. I am dreaming to be a youth minister for life and yearning to master this craft. I want to put everything in paper, substantially written, all the things I learned that will impact the youth ministers and young believers next to my generation. More than that, I am willing to obey God wherever he’s guiding me to go and whatever he’s leading me to do in every milestone of my life.
My Growth Development Plan
Essential to this pilgrimage of becoming the person that God wants me to be, is the discipline for personal and spiritual growth. I have endeavored to develop the character of Christ and achieve a complete transformation. I have set a plan that defines my path toward spiritual maturity.
Seminary Education
Not only does theological seminary prepared seminarians for ministry at but also shapes them to become spiritually mature ministers. In fact I am both personally and spiritually nurtured each time I am inside the classroom. I find it beneficial to interact with the community of ministers, who, like me have desired to be biblically equipped with our theological formulation.
Ministry Involvement
Involvement in ministry comes with a package of excitement and disappointment. Nevertheless, both are beneficial for spiritual development of the minister. I have gone through painful journey while leading the youth and dealing with leaders that shaped me to become mature at some sort. With a right ministry perspective, every painful process points to a joyful outcome.
Skills Development and Continuous Learning
Ministry focus is important to learn the dynamic of a particular ministry. Such attention can rightly develop the necessary skills for the ministry. I would give time to master the youth ministry but I also will never stop learning as change always happens and challenge keeps its existence. Attending ministry relevant specialized training and studying the trend for ministry opportunities are integrated to this plan.
Leisure and Travel
Besides the fact that I love to travel, I intentionally include this as part of my growth plan. Going to different destinations has revitalized my spirit. It replenishes my soul and keeps the passion alive in my heart. I want to connect with God through his wonderful creations and human’s powerful imagination.
Accountability Partner
I am not always strong when I’m alone. My experiences taught me that I need someone to help me succeed in this journey. Some significant people have ministered to me when I was about to give up in ministry. There are also those who have challenged me to be a better follower of Christ.
Spiritual Disciplines
People who were renowned to be “faith giants” have one thing in common: spiritual disciplines. I am beginning to develop my own spiritual disciplines become a habit. I kept on praying, studying scriptures, and having a quiet time with God to make my relationship with God intimate and personal. I am committed to cultivate my integrity and live a life away from sin.
I understand that I will always struggle to become faithful to this growth plan, but one thing I know, I will never give up my faith in God. I put my trust in his grace that one day he will completely transform me to become like his son and will bring a completely redemption to all my struggles.
I know the Holy Spirit is cooperating with me so that I would desire and do only the things that would please God. Even if I have failed to glorify him, I am praying that my desire to glorify God glorifies him.
King David, a man after God’s heart really knew the heart of God.
“Surely your goodness and unfailing love
will pursue me all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.”
I know that God will never give up on me because his love extends his patience. It is also my commitment to never stop loving him with all I am. I will always conform to his will and live in the presence of the LORD, even if it requires suffering or death. It is my rule of life.
It’s a common axiom “to live your life to the fullest”; nevertheless a significant imprint is fashioned into my head. I was beginning to ponder of what it is to live to the fullest. The quest to uncover the answer includes a comprehensive research from the reliable source- God. He, as the Creator, is the only One who can provide a concrete response to this ultimate life’s question.
God designed everything out of nothing to become something. He has conceived about my existence. I am created by Him and for Him. I can only live my life to the fullest if I serve the ultimate purpose of my life- to glorify God. Rick Warren says “living for God’s glory is the greatest achievement we can accomplish with our lives”. That may also mean my greatest reward is to see God being pleased with my life.
Intending to give him honor and to share with his cause, allows me to organize every facet of my life according to his perspective. It includes struggling to comprehend his divine will though, it remains my quest! I will be part of God’s pursuit in reaching out the fallen humanity for his own glory.
My Values and Priorities
Using a magnifying glass while looking at the same object, I could use a different kind of lens to find a different observation. When I have come to appreciate about God’s reason for creating me, it has redefined everything. It took a paradigm shift before I have accepted this revolutionary perspective. So the things that I value most serve the ultimate purpose of my life.
Lifestyle Worship
Since God’s ultimate desire of me is to glorify him, worship becomes the way of my life. Worship brings pleasure to God. It is my response to his character. I worship God for who he is not for what he has done. I know God smiles when he sees me doing things that please him. Like any parent who enjoys the moment while gazing upon his or her baby, so does God. He loves staring at me every second of each day in every way. Aware of this, I cultivate a lifestyle of worship. I want to glorify God in everything that I do; in the way that I think or talk; in all areas or circumstances of life; wherever I am.
Value Relationship
Relationship is eternal. Love is what describes the character of God. It serves as the driving force that keeps any relationship last forever. God is never tired of restoring the broken relationship between Him and human beings. He showed his unconditional love for people by sending his begotten son to the world. Jesus regarded “loving God and loving people” as the greatest commandments; and it is all that matters. The Church is built upon relationship with Christ and between his people. It is a community of love; the family of God. I can only relate to God as I develop intimacy with him. And my relationship with people is only as good as my relationship with God. Therefore the deeper I know God the farther I can go beyond myself.
Character Transformation and Spiritual Disciplines
Every life form is designed to grow and multiply. In spiritual life, character transformation marks our spiritual maturity as Christ followers. The height of our growth is opposite to the depth of our attitude. In other words, as we grow into a person of Christ-like character, we learn to become humble like Christ. I have valued every condition as a means of developing my character. I look up to Jesus whenever I struggle in this spiritual quest. In addition, Spiritual disciplines are essentials to my pilgrimage. I believe integrity reflects the authentic relationship with Christ. For this reason, I discipline my body to live a holy life and to be worthy of my calling.
Faith and Personality
God has fashioned us to be individually unique yet wonderfully complex. He gave us different set of traits so that we can express our own personality. It is all for his good pleasure. As we try to relate to an invisible God, our faith is essential. But because we have different makeup we express our faith differently. I think of creative ways to express my faith with God because I believe faith expressed in creative way boosts excellent personality. God deserves our best and I want to be excellent believer of Christ.
Stewardship and Redemption
Stewardship is our prime mandate from God. He entrusted humans to rule over the rests of his creation. However, we have failed to manage it in godly ways when sin entered the world. Then redemption becomes God’s grandest plan for the fallen humanity. God equipped every believer with spiritual gifts and talents, and blessed with all forms of heavenly blessings to redeem the people and the world. Therefore I am a steward and I have a mission.
Eternal Significance
Ministry or mission creates an everlasting impact when it is done without selfish conceit. Even death could not hinder a person, who has died to self and lived in Christ, to change the world by his or her life and service. The kind of service rendered to the people has eternal value. God is honored through it; and that would be eternal. I am pouring out my life to the young people and to develop a youth ministry that will impact not only the youth in our generation but also the generations to come.
My Life’s Vision and Goals
I have envisioned myself to be a man who has touched lives and honored God in his lifetime. Fueled by my passion for the young people, I endeavor to make a small impact upon their lives by sharing my life to them and living a life pleasing to the Lord. It is my hope that they see me as a person who fears God and someone they can emulate in their walk with Christ. I will strive to let them feel loved by me in one way or another.
I love my ministry to the youth and I enjoy watching each of them grow in Christ. When I made a commitment to serve in Youth Ministry, a dynamic transformation happened inside of me as I witnessed some powerful changes in my youngsters. They taught me many things which I could not learn apart from Youth Ministry. I have learned to embrace challenges and conflicts in a way that they push me further to serve them better.
I continually develop some ministry skills in trying to understand this post-modern generation. I always keep in mind that I speak their language or that they can relate to me. Unleashing my creativity is not always easy, sometimes it is painful, but it is paid off well to see at least one young people impacted by such risky attempt. Innovation becomes part of our Youth Ministry and it allows us to think creatively and work out the ideas to make the ministry more vibrant and relevant to the young people.
Several occasions have moved me deeply after knowing at least few of them have decided to follow Christ in their lives. It is always our desire that they thrive in the ministry and help them grow spiritually to be prepared for the challenges of the future. When they experience a genuine love from their leaders, they are drawn to Christ more closely. I am fulfilled to see a glimpse of their gradual transformation as they develop a relationship with Christ.
However, it is also logical to think that not every young people might experience a powerful transformation in my time, so I trust in the power of God to change the person. What motivates me to keep on doing my part is the joy of serving the Lord and honoring him through my sacrifices. I am laying the foundation for the coming generation: a community where they can thrive and a ministry that cares for every young people to become a genuine follower of Christ.
Being at young adult stage, I want to guide the youth and influence my fellow young adults in this spiritual quest. But to draw the spiritual map and build the road signs puts me ahead of the journey in passing through every landmark of spiritual growth. I am dreaming to be a youth minister for life and yearning to master this craft. I want to put everything in paper, substantially written, all the things I learned that will impact the youth ministers and young believers next to my generation. More than that, I am willing to obey God wherever he’s guiding me to go and whatever he’s leading me to do in every milestone of my life.
My Growth Development Plan
Essential to this pilgrimage of becoming the person that God wants me to be, is the discipline for personal and spiritual growth. I have endeavored to develop the character of Christ and achieve a complete transformation. I have set a plan that defines my path toward spiritual maturity.
Seminary Education
Not only does theological seminary prepared seminarians for ministry at but also shapes them to become spiritually mature ministers. In fact I am both personally and spiritually nurtured each time I am inside the classroom. I find it beneficial to interact with the community of ministers, who, like me have desired to be biblically equipped with our theological formulation.
Ministry Involvement
Involvement in ministry comes with a package of excitement and disappointment. Nevertheless, both are beneficial for spiritual development of the minister. I have gone through painful journey while leading the youth and dealing with leaders that shaped me to become mature at some sort. With a right ministry perspective, every painful process points to a joyful outcome.
Skills Development and Continuous Learning
Ministry focus is important to learn the dynamic of a particular ministry. Such attention can rightly develop the necessary skills for the ministry. I would give time to master the youth ministry but I also will never stop learning as change always happens and challenge keeps its existence. Attending ministry relevant specialized training and studying the trend for ministry opportunities are integrated to this plan.
Leisure and Travel
Besides the fact that I love to travel, I intentionally include this as part of my growth plan. Going to different destinations has revitalized my spirit. It replenishes my soul and keeps the passion alive in my heart. I want to connect with God through his wonderful creations and human’s powerful imagination.
Accountability Partner
I am not always strong when I’m alone. My experiences taught me that I need someone to help me succeed in this journey. Some significant people have ministered to me when I was about to give up in ministry. There are also those who have challenged me to be a better follower of Christ.
Spiritual Disciplines
People who were renowned to be “faith giants” have one thing in common: spiritual disciplines. I am beginning to develop my own spiritual disciplines become a habit. I kept on praying, studying scriptures, and having a quiet time with God to make my relationship with God intimate and personal. I am committed to cultivate my integrity and live a life away from sin.
I understand that I will always struggle to become faithful to this growth plan, but one thing I know, I will never give up my faith in God. I put my trust in his grace that one day he will completely transform me to become like his son and will bring a completely redemption to all my struggles.
I know the Holy Spirit is cooperating with me so that I would desire and do only the things that would please God. Even if I have failed to glorify him, I am praying that my desire to glorify God glorifies him.
King David, a man after God’s heart really knew the heart of God.
“Surely your goodness and unfailing love
will pursue me all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.”
I know that God will never give up on me because his love extends his patience. It is also my commitment to never stop loving him with all I am. I will always conform to his will and live in the presence of the LORD, even if it requires suffering or death. It is my rule of life.
They Call Me Pastor (How to love the ones you lead)
I was thrilled to read this book besides how it is titled, but on the ground to discover the promises of my pastoral calling and to confirm my struggles in ministry as youth pastor. I am awestruck to find out its profound introduction “love your people to greatness”. Without question or reservation, I am eager to learn how to love them more!
God’s commandments are summed up by Jesus in his Greatest Commandments. It is all about love- loving God and loving people. This highest directive is given to pastors as Christ’s agents of love in the church and to the world. Unfortunately, those who have failed to genuinely act upon their holy mandate have brought staggering image which caused some to wander in their faith, unbelievers who have doubted the Church mission, and stained the minister’s high reputation.
This book offers celebration and anticipation to this God-ordained office. It guides every pastor to enjoy the title “pastor” and to love his congregation the way Jesus loves the Church. H.B. grew to love the title and joyfully respond to it to this day. “It made me feel special when they called me pastor” (cf. 11). Pastors must love those they serve in greatness, that’s the message of this book!
The Shepherd who loves and leaves a legacy
A pastor cannot be promoted from the pastorate even if he is called to do another kind of ministry. Perhaps it is apparently the highest office inside the Christ-established holy organization. But the love between the pastor and the parishioners is worth cherishing. Pastor must communicate his genuine love for his congregation in different and remarkable ways. He can leave a permanent mark that they could treasure forever.
The word ‘pastor’ has beautiful sense and it represents a unique relationship. But it is more than a fulfilling job; it is a way of life (cf. 21). There will be instances when a pastor cannot do anything to ease the pain of his people, but his “holy” presence is enough to show how much he loves and cares for them. He may feel restless because of his limitation, yet the people he has joined with in their suffering will remember how much they were valued by their pastor.
Every pastor is willing to die just to make a significant impact in the lives of his people. Often times he would introduce change to the congregation. While change is necessary for growth, he must only insinuate change far beyond the sake of change. Change can be scary.
A strong opposition can be an alarming signal on their distrust or lack of confidence to the pastor. He must be determined to clear the clouds and win their trust. They are willing to change if they trust their pastor. Great opportunities lies for the church in furthering the gospel when trust between the pastor and people has been established. A less effort is necessary to motivate the church to make a great impact beyond their comfort zone to the place of the unknown.
The Counselor who cares and confronts
People are the reason for church’s being. Every aspect of church ministry is designed for the people we serve. Without them the church won’t exist. The pastor must understand that he ministers to them in the name of love. He must accept their flaws and challenge them to become genuine followers of Christ. Steadfastly, a pastor will discover also the treasure in the broken vessels of his people. If he shows how much he cares regardless of the failures or troubles his member got involved in, the Spirit of God can transform the person and become one of his lasting ministry rewards.
What seemed to be a deadwood is not really dead. Members who have gone for a long time, or those who have wandered in faith, for whatever reason, can also be a good target for ministry. His love for people extends as he endeavors to reach them out and the church attempts to reconcile with them. It could be the best time to apply forgiveness though; it necessarily lived out all the time. While forgiveness is more easily preached than lived, it stands at the center of the Christian faith. He can be humbled by his great love for people. “Sometimes the pastor needs to stand before the congregation and say, I am sorry” (cf. 85,86).
A pastor may have in mind that conflict always comes from his people. So with all the necessary efforts he tries to become a peacemaker. He may not be aware all the time, but to be candid about it, sometimes the pastor inflicts conflict between him and his congregants. In the name Christ, he must commit himself to offer a truce and be a peacemaker regardless how difficult it is.
Counseling is one of the privileges that the pastor can give his congregation. But with the pressing needs in different areas of pastoral ministry, he could make it to one while neglecting the others. It would be wise to refer some counseling sessions to Christian counselors, specialists of a kind in various needs of humankind.
The Leader who trust through triumph and tragedies
It is said that the greatest lesson we could learn can be taught by our triumphal tragedy. Perhaps it’s the remarkable event that makes everything so clearly vivid in our memory. More than that, it’s our faith in God that gives us a victorious walk throughout the valleys of life and ministry. Not everything can be explained by a pastor, but God expects a pastor to be with the victims to help them find light again during their darkest situations. It is his mandate to assure them of the love of God and help them find a new way back to their faith in Him.
In ministry, obstacles are what mostly frustrate some pastors and impede the church for its growth. But pastor, as agent of transformation must turn obstacles into opportunities to further the cause of Christ. A prayer of desperation causes his eyes to be widely open in order to see new opportunities for ministry.
In today’s moral filth easily thrown to anyone, by whom the pastor is no exception, the character matters a lot. A pastor must be proactive in protecting his marriage while actively carrying out his pastoral ministry. However, he must develop a deeper sensitive stance in voicing out against sin without necessarily condemning the sinners. Jesus hated sin but he showed his love and compassion for the sinners.
Sadly, there are also leaders who become hungry for power. They want to be in control. This kind of attitude can cloud the clear direction of the church towards growth. Any pastor can avoid this tendency by realizing the Spirit of God is the one in control. In times of turmoil, the pastor can show how much he trusts God in his calmness and sobriety. God is always at work and His will always prevail.
The Minister who loves at home
There are ministers who have thought already how they’re going to leave a legacy in ministry. Unfortunately, their family became a sacrificial lamb in this pursuit. But it shouldn’t be anymore. We can learn from history, that healthy ministry begins at home. A pastor must communicate and show love to his family before bringing it out to the congregation. No amount of success can compensate for failed marriage or dysfunctional family. The pastor’s family must be assured that they are the most important people in his life. His marriage, family and ministry will leave a significant imprint that can be passed on to the next generation.
In partnership with the Father
I believe a vibrant church has a lot of dreams and they never stop dreaming. If the pastor believes God can do everything in accordance with his will and purpose, then he must not to stop from dreaming. He can only make a significant change after he has dreamed and prayed about it. Dreams give us hope and the possibility of new outcomes. It reminds us to continually depend on God.
Sometimes we bring to God the general things and leave the specific details in our hands. A pastor may think of something, work for it, then later he would discover it is not what God wants. But that’s okay. The important thing is that he discovered God wants to be involved not only in general but also in specific details of the plan.
Observing the Sabbath is important for every minister because it makes us in tune with the Father. It is the best opportunity for pastor to reflect, seek the will of the Father, and purify his thoughts, just being alone with God.
Growing the church the God way points the pastor to complete reverence and total dependence to the leading of the Spirit. In addition, Christ attracts. Christ-likeness becomes a magnet for unbelievers. They thrived in churches that depict the image of Christ in their lives. Had it be the case in every church across the world, the advancement of the gospel could be fulfilled soon. It is a challenge for pastor to disciple his people and to remain faithful to the work of Spirit.
Pastor’s integrity is also validated by his personal holiness. Ministers who had fallen from grace have separated their personal life from their ministry. Many have suffered the consequence greater than the cause. The desire for holiness must be the pastor’s ultimate goal because he serves the God who cannot tolerate sin. Irvin Busenitz says “The focal point of any ministry is godliness. Ministry is, and always must be, an overflow of a godly life.”
Personal Reflection
Despite the authors target the married senior pastor, I know I have gathered some significant principles that I could apply to my ministry as youth pastor. I need not be married yet to love my young people in greatness. Though I am still hesitant to be called as youth pastor, it makes me feel good to be identified as a person who serves God and his people and to be called as God’s agent of love. It dawns me that I doing a noble task of reconciling the youth generation to the loving arms of the Father. And in doing so, I must learn to love them the way the Father loves them. I have to understand the heart and the mind of God as I pour out my life to them.
Being a novice youth pastor, I always find myself struggling in many areas of my life. One of which is in the pursuit for holiness. There’s a part in my mind that harbors fear every time I have committed sin. But in the same space I also find a broken spirit eager to surrender and ask for His forgiveness and cleansing once again. I know I am still far from being perfect and I am only as good as my relationship with God.
In my early years as youth minister, I was quick to apply changes in our youth ministry based on new ideas I have borrowed from others. I was tough to face significant oppositions that I would end up frustrated and devastated. I would like to think that because of this struggle, I could not sense any tangible results in youth ministry.
As I continue to study the Scripture, I realized there are lessons that I had to learn the hard way. God has shown his unconditional love and abounding grace despite of my failures and shortcomings. The painful experiences I had gone through made me a better minister. I am encouraged to follow Christ in my life and ministry and to cultivate a genuine love for my young people.
This formative season in seminary has also shaped my perspective in ministry. I am learning to understand the perspective of God in doing ministry. Every academic requirement draws me closer to the Father in order to seek for knowledge and wisdom. It excites me to apply the principles I’ve learned from the class and colleagues to my own youth ministry in a slowly-but-surely way.
Reaching for the Invisible God: What can we expect to find?
About the Author
Philip Yancey serves as editor-at-large for Christianity Today magazine. He has written nine Gold Medallion Award-winning books, including Where Is God When It Hurts, Disappointment with God, and The Gift of Pain. His books The Jesus I Never Knew and What’s So Amazing About Grace? won Book of the Year awards. He is also the author of the current best-seller The Bible Jesus Read.
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Evaluation and Recommendation
Yancey’s courage to explore his own doubts and struggles in believing the existence of an invisible God gave birth to a book that validates every rational being’s unique, both plain and profound, experience of God who never shows up his face. He allows us to question him right on his face without even saying or doing anything against us. The book encourages us to express our faith in God using our own personality.
Besides the Bible, it is a manuscript that will help us connect to a God that hides his face and seem, by his silence, does not care to listen. But that’s only as far as we, finite human being, can comprehend. The song with a line that says “love moves in mysterious way” can be attributed to God as he works in mysterious and meticulous ways!
I am afraid that I could never measure up to the high standards of a Holy God because a flawed person like me gets stumble to sin from time to time. I would even not dare to ask tough questions or even just a simple question of faith because it is an act of irreverence to his supremacy over me.
Fortunately, this book gives me hope and encouragement to explore my spirituality and to cultivate my relationship with God deeply. While aware of his presence, I will develop a discipline that will remind me to think about God as much I can. It has also prepared me in advance if I would be experiencing a season of dryness or pruning, I could still enjoy his “ministry of absence”. It has moved my faith to the next level!
This book is worth recommending!
The Dynamics of Spiritual Formation
About the Author
Mel Lawrenz is the senior associate pastor at Elmbrook Church in suburban Milwaukee and also serves as the director of the Elmbrook Christian Study Center. He has degrees from Carroll College, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and Marquette University (Ph.D). Among Dr. Lawrenz’s books are Why Do I Feel Like Hiding? and Life after Grief: How to Survive Loss and Trauma.
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Evaluation and Recommendation
Dr. Lawrenz lays the foundations of spiritual formation by revisiting the history of Christianity and connecting it to the modern world. His book recapitulates the ministries of evangelical churches today and revitalizes them to become spirituality formative for every believer and the church. The center of the field of ministry is the realm of the soul- the common ground of human beings. We can sense that Bible reading, prayer, worship, fellowship, preaching, and service are common elements in every local church across the world. Our concern for the souls of human being is universal but our approach to them is contextual. This perspective in ministry crosses beyond age, gender, nationality, culture, language, time, and context.
He provides also practical insights for universally common elements like promoting a formative prayer in the church (cf. 79), practical steps to planning formative worship (cf. 94, 95). For the culturally variable elements like Bible reading, fellowship, worship, and service, a theological framework is presented. However, the latter have already stood the test of time (cf. 13). The final goal is metamorphosis- a complete transformation. I agree with him that metamorphosis is both a present and an eschatological reality (cf. 139). Most of the time I was disappointed with a little progress (or no progress at all) in young people’s spirituality, which I realize that it is me who needs to be transformed! Just like how God is being patient with me, so shall I be with them. No amount of human efforts can spiritually transform human. It is the powerful work of God in the lives of individual that will transform them.
This book not just gave me insights but it really shaped me. After reading the chapter “Formative Prayer” I couldn’t help but reflect on my prayer life. I have even published my reflective prayer on my blog . I intend to apply the principles I got from this book to my ministry. It’s definitely worth recommending to other people as well.
Where is your faith?
A Reflection from the passage Luke 8:22-25
22One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out. 23As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
24The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!"
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25"Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples.
In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."
Can faith be missing? Or, could it just be dead, like what James 2:17 says? But actually, everyone has faith. We believe those people who are important to us. They have a special place in our heart.
In fact, even the most evil person can put his trust to someone and could be trusted by some. Our faith is the most important thing to God. He looks at the core of our being, if, like our loved ones, He has a special place in your life.
The Atheist chose not to believe God. They deny the existence of a Supreme Being. They deny the evidences that point to the Mighty Creator.
Those who have no knowledge about God are Ignorant, because how could they possibly believe the things they do not know. So someone must reveal to them the knowledge about God (Romans 10:14). Sometimes it’s God who makes the self-revelation (Romans 10:20).
The other one refers to Christians, those who believe in God through his son Jesus Christ. Those who put their faith in him are called children of God (John 1:12).
However, we see from the passage that Jesus questioned the faith of his disciples. Despite Jesus was with them, they were shaken by the strong wind. They were afraid. So fear is the opposite of faith. That’s what the disciples have felt at the middle of stormy waters.
Where is your faith? What does this question imply? The Bible says,
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Heb. 11:1)
In other words, faith means believing in God we do not see, feel or touch! Faith in God gives us peace in the middle of the storm or problem.
There is nothing to fear, beside God, when we have entrusted our lives to him. Faith means putting your complete trust to the object of your faith.
So when Jesus said to his disciples “Where is your faith?”, I would say he was actually asking “Who is the object of your faith?”. To simplify it further, he probably would say, “Who do you trust most?”.
And then he would continue to say, I thought you trust me, how come you are afraid of the storm. I thought you knew me already. You were my witnesses to the miracles I did.
You were there when I healed the sick, raised the dead, driven out demons, gave sight to the blind, and when I fed thousands of hungry people. I can command the nature. I am your Lord!
See, it is not about our faith. Instead, it is about to whom we have faith. We put our trust, hope, energy, and our life to the object of our faith. So we must be sure that those we trust are trustworthy.
Jesus has proven himself worthy of our faith, though he doesn’t have to, so that you and I will believe that he is son of God, he is God, and through him we can be saved. It takes only your faith that what he has done on the cross, he did it for you. Just accept it, just believe that he died for your sins, and he paid it once and all.
I can draw out some realizations from the passage that speaks about our faith.
Some of us may have not yet put their faith in Jesus. At one point in your life you will have to make decision. Who else can save you besides Jesus? He forgives everyone whose heart is ready to receive him as Lord. You can trust him all your worries and fears.
And also, some of us may have placed their faith in Jesus, but have not completely trusted him. What holds you back? Does following him fear you? Or, are you afraid to give up something for him?
Whatever your “relationship status” with God, simple or complicated, you have to realize that Jesus can calm the storm in your life.
You have to put your faith in him or bring it back to life if it has been lost or dead. Faith is both believing and trusting.
22One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out. 23As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
24The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!"
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25"Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples.
In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."
Can faith be missing? Or, could it just be dead, like what James 2:17 says? But actually, everyone has faith. We believe those people who are important to us. They have a special place in our heart.
In fact, even the most evil person can put his trust to someone and could be trusted by some. Our faith is the most important thing to God. He looks at the core of our being, if, like our loved ones, He has a special place in your life.
The Atheist chose not to believe God. They deny the existence of a Supreme Being. They deny the evidences that point to the Mighty Creator.
Those who have no knowledge about God are Ignorant, because how could they possibly believe the things they do not know. So someone must reveal to them the knowledge about God (Romans 10:14). Sometimes it’s God who makes the self-revelation (Romans 10:20).
The other one refers to Christians, those who believe in God through his son Jesus Christ. Those who put their faith in him are called children of God (John 1:12).
However, we see from the passage that Jesus questioned the faith of his disciples. Despite Jesus was with them, they were shaken by the strong wind. They were afraid. So fear is the opposite of faith. That’s what the disciples have felt at the middle of stormy waters.
Where is your faith? What does this question imply? The Bible says,
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Heb. 11:1)
In other words, faith means believing in God we do not see, feel or touch! Faith in God gives us peace in the middle of the storm or problem.
There is nothing to fear, beside God, when we have entrusted our lives to him. Faith means putting your complete trust to the object of your faith.
So when Jesus said to his disciples “Where is your faith?”, I would say he was actually asking “Who is the object of your faith?”. To simplify it further, he probably would say, “Who do you trust most?”.
And then he would continue to say, I thought you trust me, how come you are afraid of the storm. I thought you knew me already. You were my witnesses to the miracles I did.
You were there when I healed the sick, raised the dead, driven out demons, gave sight to the blind, and when I fed thousands of hungry people. I can command the nature. I am your Lord!
See, it is not about our faith. Instead, it is about to whom we have faith. We put our trust, hope, energy, and our life to the object of our faith. So we must be sure that those we trust are trustworthy.
Jesus has proven himself worthy of our faith, though he doesn’t have to, so that you and I will believe that he is son of God, he is God, and through him we can be saved. It takes only your faith that what he has done on the cross, he did it for you. Just accept it, just believe that he died for your sins, and he paid it once and all.
I can draw out some realizations from the passage that speaks about our faith.
Some of us may have not yet put their faith in Jesus. At one point in your life you will have to make decision. Who else can save you besides Jesus? He forgives everyone whose heart is ready to receive him as Lord. You can trust him all your worries and fears.
And also, some of us may have placed their faith in Jesus, but have not completely trusted him. What holds you back? Does following him fear you? Or, are you afraid to give up something for him?
Whatever your “relationship status” with God, simple or complicated, you have to realize that Jesus can calm the storm in your life.
You have to put your faith in him or bring it back to life if it has been lost or dead. Faith is both believing and trusting.
My Theology of Ministry
Understanding theology of ministry comes with great importance before having a good practice of ministry. Sounds like prejudicial, but I have come to realize that my struggles in the practice of ministry are caused by our poor understanding (or should I say the lacking) of theology of ministry.
On the other hand, churches that have significant growth in numbers impress small churches to examine their practice of ministry. I wouldn’t think they were just “fortunate” to attract more people within their vicinity. But I would suppose they have understood the how’s in their practice of ministry by answering the why’s of their theology of ministry.
Apparently, the small churches that struggle in ministry are mostly those who have a little understanding of the reason why they are doing what they are doing.
Ministry starts with God and ends with God
The Garden was a perfect habitat that any human being would want to live at. God provided for Adam and Eve everything that they might need in the Garden of Eden. He enjoys caring for them and for being a father to them. In return he requires their faithfulness and their obedience by taking the responsibility as managers over the rest of creation.
Consequently, when they disobeyed God, sin had caused them unworthy to live there anymore. God had to evict them and taught the great lesson that the entire human race had to learn. Despite of what they have done, God showed his love for them when He made garments and clothed them (Gen. 3:21).
But God never stop reaching for the mankind. The promise He swore to Abraham proves his undying love for fallen humanity and it shows his determination to reconcile them back to his loving embrace. The nation Israel was formed as the fulfillment of his promise. God made them his holy nation; and they were shaped according to his will and grace. They were also subject to his precepts, provision, protection, and even punishment.
Unfortunately, the Israelites have failed to live in accordance with the Law of Moses and they would be chastised for adultery and idolatry. Because of their failure as nation to model his redemptive plan of salvation, God sent his beloved son Jesus Christ to redeem the human race. Jesus is the perfect model of a holy and righteous man ever lived and the perfect sacrifice once for all (Heb. 10:1, 14). Salvation is made possible for those who will believe in his name “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men (Tit. 2:11)”.
Ministry brings glory to God
Jesus’ ministry turned the Jewish world upside down. He had two profound messages that shook their world: love God and love the people (Mk. 29:30-31). Jesus’ ultimate goal is to glorify his Father who sent him. He never failed to model the greatest commandments in his entire ministry life, even until his death on the cross.
Through his ministries of preaching, teaching, exorcism, healing the sick, discipleship and feeding the hungry; he acted out all of these out of his love for people. He also taught everything to His disciples and commanded them to do the same. History shows that the disciples’ faith and ministry had caused them a fatal death.
Therefore, our ministry must glorify no one but God; neither the minister himself nor the organization itself!
Ministry is motivated by love, governed by selflessness, and carried through obedience
The ideal ministry focuses on specific need of people. But this need-based ministry requires special people and complete resources and can also be far beyond the reality of life. We live in this fallen world and the fact of life tells us to do ministry in a practical way.
Ministry must be motivated by our love for people, governed by our selflessness and carried through obedience to the will of God.
This motivation of loving people will release us from being judgmental but will push us further to demonstrate the grace of God. We will become more effective in ministry as we draw closer to the hearts of people we are ministering to. We need to think less of ourselves but more of others. People must be our priority.
Any ministry that is self-centered prevents God from manifesting his power. On the other hand, as we obey the will of God, it keeps us discern and respond to the pressing needs of people right on time.
Ministry encompasses the ultimate purposes of the church
Rick Warren lists down the five ultimate purposes of the church: Fellowship, Discipleship, Worship, Ministry, and Evangelism and Mission. But I believe the Christian ministry must include fellowship, discipleship, worship and evangelism. Every minister must seek out to fulfill these purposes in his or her ministry whether the people are believers or unbelievers of Christ.
Ministry is dynamic, not static
Ministry may come to its tragic fall if the ministers had stopped learning. The fact that we are dealing with living human beings makes it difficult to keep up to their constantly changing environment and life situations.
The passing of time is also a great factor for ministry. Methods that could be effective a decade ago may no longer be applicable to the present condition of our people. It requires humility to accept this sad truth.
Another truth is that some people are afraid of change. But I think our right attitude for change is what makes the church vibrantly alive. If we keep on developing new strategy we can leave a lasting impact to the lives of people. We must accept reality that the church is not static, constant or a classic organization but it is a dynamic, changing, and contemporary living organism.
A dynamic ministry is governed by resilient ministers who can positively adapt to changing situations and emerging circumstances of mankind and the society.
Ministry induces transformation
Every Christian minister must know that he or she represents Christ to the people and the ministry must radiate the Lord’s glory. This kind of ministry induces transformation first for the minister, next to the people.
Christian ministry is the church strategy of drawing people to God. In fact our genuine love for them attracts them to Christ. It is important for the minister to be sensitive and supportive to the movement of the Spirit. People do not flourish in ministry that is managed by a manipulative leader.
Every minister must be aware of the Spirit of God that is at work with him or her. It must be our objective that the ministry leaves a room for people to experience the power of God in a dramatic way. Apart from this encounter, we could be easily discouraged for not seeing the tangible transformed lives of people.
On the other hand, churches that have significant growth in numbers impress small churches to examine their practice of ministry. I wouldn’t think they were just “fortunate” to attract more people within their vicinity. But I would suppose they have understood the how’s in their practice of ministry by answering the why’s of their theology of ministry.
Apparently, the small churches that struggle in ministry are mostly those who have a little understanding of the reason why they are doing what they are doing.
Ministry starts with God and ends with God
The Garden was a perfect habitat that any human being would want to live at. God provided for Adam and Eve everything that they might need in the Garden of Eden. He enjoys caring for them and for being a father to them. In return he requires their faithfulness and their obedience by taking the responsibility as managers over the rest of creation.
Consequently, when they disobeyed God, sin had caused them unworthy to live there anymore. God had to evict them and taught the great lesson that the entire human race had to learn. Despite of what they have done, God showed his love for them when He made garments and clothed them (Gen. 3:21).
But God never stop reaching for the mankind. The promise He swore to Abraham proves his undying love for fallen humanity and it shows his determination to reconcile them back to his loving embrace. The nation Israel was formed as the fulfillment of his promise. God made them his holy nation; and they were shaped according to his will and grace. They were also subject to his precepts, provision, protection, and even punishment.
Unfortunately, the Israelites have failed to live in accordance with the Law of Moses and they would be chastised for adultery and idolatry. Because of their failure as nation to model his redemptive plan of salvation, God sent his beloved son Jesus Christ to redeem the human race. Jesus is the perfect model of a holy and righteous man ever lived and the perfect sacrifice once for all (Heb. 10:1, 14). Salvation is made possible for those who will believe in his name “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men (Tit. 2:11)”.
Ministry brings glory to God
Jesus’ ministry turned the Jewish world upside down. He had two profound messages that shook their world: love God and love the people (Mk. 29:30-31). Jesus’ ultimate goal is to glorify his Father who sent him. He never failed to model the greatest commandments in his entire ministry life, even until his death on the cross.
Through his ministries of preaching, teaching, exorcism, healing the sick, discipleship and feeding the hungry; he acted out all of these out of his love for people. He also taught everything to His disciples and commanded them to do the same. History shows that the disciples’ faith and ministry had caused them a fatal death.
Therefore, our ministry must glorify no one but God; neither the minister himself nor the organization itself!
Ministry is motivated by love, governed by selflessness, and carried through obedience
The ideal ministry focuses on specific need of people. But this need-based ministry requires special people and complete resources and can also be far beyond the reality of life. We live in this fallen world and the fact of life tells us to do ministry in a practical way.
Ministry must be motivated by our love for people, governed by our selflessness and carried through obedience to the will of God.
This motivation of loving people will release us from being judgmental but will push us further to demonstrate the grace of God. We will become more effective in ministry as we draw closer to the hearts of people we are ministering to. We need to think less of ourselves but more of others. People must be our priority.
Any ministry that is self-centered prevents God from manifesting his power. On the other hand, as we obey the will of God, it keeps us discern and respond to the pressing needs of people right on time.
Ministry encompasses the ultimate purposes of the church
Rick Warren lists down the five ultimate purposes of the church: Fellowship, Discipleship, Worship, Ministry, and Evangelism and Mission. But I believe the Christian ministry must include fellowship, discipleship, worship and evangelism. Every minister must seek out to fulfill these purposes in his or her ministry whether the people are believers or unbelievers of Christ.
Ministry is dynamic, not static
Ministry may come to its tragic fall if the ministers had stopped learning. The fact that we are dealing with living human beings makes it difficult to keep up to their constantly changing environment and life situations.
The passing of time is also a great factor for ministry. Methods that could be effective a decade ago may no longer be applicable to the present condition of our people. It requires humility to accept this sad truth.
Another truth is that some people are afraid of change. But I think our right attitude for change is what makes the church vibrantly alive. If we keep on developing new strategy we can leave a lasting impact to the lives of people. We must accept reality that the church is not static, constant or a classic organization but it is a dynamic, changing, and contemporary living organism.
A dynamic ministry is governed by resilient ministers who can positively adapt to changing situations and emerging circumstances of mankind and the society.
Ministry induces transformation
Every Christian minister must know that he or she represents Christ to the people and the ministry must radiate the Lord’s glory. This kind of ministry induces transformation first for the minister, next to the people.
Christian ministry is the church strategy of drawing people to God. In fact our genuine love for them attracts them to Christ. It is important for the minister to be sensitive and supportive to the movement of the Spirit. People do not flourish in ministry that is managed by a manipulative leader.
Every minister must be aware of the Spirit of God that is at work with him or her. It must be our objective that the ministry leaves a room for people to experience the power of God in a dramatic way. Apart from this encounter, we could be easily discouraged for not seeing the tangible transformed lives of people.
Finishing Well
One of my dreams is to experience traveling as much as I can and to reach significant places that I’ve never been before. I enjoy watching the nature’s beauty and views that I can spot on from where I’m at along the journey. I’m always reminded how intelligent and creative its Creator must be. Along the way we can encounter obstacles like delay, or detour, but the thrill of getting into our destination keeps the spirit alive and going. It’s worth everything and the journey gives a sense of fulfillment.
Our life is also a journey and we are but pilgrims. But unlike the adventure of traveling from place to place, we must understand that this pilgrimage is heading to eternal destiny. In fact, how we live our life on earth is our way of preparing for eternity. Death is just a demarcation, not a final destination. There is no better option but to live a life in light of eternity; to leave a legacy with eternal significance.
Paul depended himself against those who tried to discredit him in a manner that reflects his unwavering perspective towards his life and ministry.
"Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." (1 Corinthians 9:26, 27)
He knows exactly his purpose, philosophy, mission, and goals. He is truly a servant of Christ!
Understanding this perspective leads me to a purposeful living and a life that has meaning. Though life is not simple and ministry is not easy, I know God is at work within me and through me. He is transforming me into the likeness of his son Jesus Christ while he is also partnering with me in ministry.
As a pilgrim who takes up his own cross daily, I am determined not to give up along the way. Neither will I be afraid of death nor will I be stopped by obstacles. I have drawn a reason to live and a motivation to serve. I will continue to live a life in God’s perspective and to serve him in godly ways. I will finish this race- and to finish it well!
Our life is also a journey and we are but pilgrims. But unlike the adventure of traveling from place to place, we must understand that this pilgrimage is heading to eternal destiny. In fact, how we live our life on earth is our way of preparing for eternity. Death is just a demarcation, not a final destination. There is no better option but to live a life in light of eternity; to leave a legacy with eternal significance.
Paul depended himself against those who tried to discredit him in a manner that reflects his unwavering perspective towards his life and ministry.
"Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." (1 Corinthians 9:26, 27)
He knows exactly his purpose, philosophy, mission, and goals. He is truly a servant of Christ!
Understanding this perspective leads me to a purposeful living and a life that has meaning. Though life is not simple and ministry is not easy, I know God is at work within me and through me. He is transforming me into the likeness of his son Jesus Christ while he is also partnering with me in ministry.
As a pilgrim who takes up his own cross daily, I am determined not to give up along the way. Neither will I be afraid of death nor will I be stopped by obstacles. I have drawn a reason to live and a motivation to serve. I will continue to live a life in God’s perspective and to serve him in godly ways. I will finish this race- and to finish it well!
Growing old in a mature religion
It didn’t happen to me having a Christian grandfather in both sides of my parents. Had they been Christ’s followers, I could have figured out a pattern in living life and doing ministry. It would have been a great privilege to examine their walk in Christ and ministry perspective that they have developed over time.
There’s a lot of wisdom from older people; enough to learn from their successes as much as necessary to warn us from their failures. We’ve seen great ministers who lived their lives worthy of their calling as well as those who have fallen from the grace of God. It is my prayer that as I grow older, my relationship with God goes deeper. I will separate myself from the world to be holy and righteous for the sake of his cause.
History reveals that the Church of Christ had gone through a painful journey towards maturity. Church dogmas and piety became the way of life of our ancient brethren. We’ve unearthed the fossils of their struggles and the remnants of their successes. Pious people died on orthodoxy while heretics suffered a fatal death for their defiance. The 21st century Christians would say, each has a valid point. To some extent, they have revolutionized our theology and approach in ministry. Christianity is a maturing religion and Christians are maturing in Christ.
I couldn’t help but think how the next generations will interpret our spirituality. In the meantime, I will borrow the psalmist’s prayer:
"Show me, O LORD, my life’s end
and gather the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting is my life." (Psalm 39:4)
Only God knows when I will fail and when I will succeed. He knows my thoughts before I even think about it. I cannot for sure be certain of what’s going to happen to my life in the future. But one thing I know, I have only one life to live; and a legacy to leave. I will continually trust him and surrender to his lordship.
When I look back someday, I will see someone who has loved God and touched people’s lives and a servant who has suffered in the name of King and for the sake of his kingdom. More importantly, I want to be remembered as someone who has grown like Christ through the years and in all circumstances. I look forward to a day when God will finally say, “well done my good and faithful servant”. I am committed to grow up as I grow older everyday in every aspect of my life in any circumstances I had to live.
There’s a lot of wisdom from older people; enough to learn from their successes as much as necessary to warn us from their failures. We’ve seen great ministers who lived their lives worthy of their calling as well as those who have fallen from the grace of God. It is my prayer that as I grow older, my relationship with God goes deeper. I will separate myself from the world to be holy and righteous for the sake of his cause.
History reveals that the Church of Christ had gone through a painful journey towards maturity. Church dogmas and piety became the way of life of our ancient brethren. We’ve unearthed the fossils of their struggles and the remnants of their successes. Pious people died on orthodoxy while heretics suffered a fatal death for their defiance. The 21st century Christians would say, each has a valid point. To some extent, they have revolutionized our theology and approach in ministry. Christianity is a maturing religion and Christians are maturing in Christ.
I couldn’t help but think how the next generations will interpret our spirituality. In the meantime, I will borrow the psalmist’s prayer:
"Show me, O LORD, my life’s end
and gather the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting is my life." (Psalm 39:4)
Only God knows when I will fail and when I will succeed. He knows my thoughts before I even think about it. I cannot for sure be certain of what’s going to happen to my life in the future. But one thing I know, I have only one life to live; and a legacy to leave. I will continually trust him and surrender to his lordship.
When I look back someday, I will see someone who has loved God and touched people’s lives and a servant who has suffered in the name of King and for the sake of his kingdom. More importantly, I want to be remembered as someone who has grown like Christ through the years and in all circumstances. I look forward to a day when God will finally say, “well done my good and faithful servant”. I am committed to grow up as I grow older everyday in every aspect of my life in any circumstances I had to live.
The Maelstrom of the Midlife Crisis
Adolescence is one of the critical stages in teenage development. It is a transition period from childhood to maturity that greatly affects the behavior of the youth. Hormonal imbalance produces a certain odd feeling and those who have struggled tend to be disoriented. Though I was not aware then, I was becoming irritable when passing through this stage. I could also recall that some of my contemporaries, not to mention my two brothers, have gone astray during this period. Perhaps my Christian values have helped me surpass this confusing stage positively.
But there is another challenge along the way, and certainly I’m heading that direction- the midlife crisis. Instead of allowing fear cloud the passageway, I have enough time to prepare for this spiritual journey. It is a great privilege that at this early stage I have become aware about this distant hump because, as youth pastor in one way or another, it will affect how I drive my ministry.
At certain point, the company of spouse, ministry partner, accountability group, prayer partner, etc. could be indispensable, but the holy presence of the Father will sustain us through. I am confident that as I abide in Him he will abide in me. I take advantage of this formative season to strengthen my faith and develop intimate relationship with God.
It is also my hope that as I continue to struggle in becoming like Christ, the Spirit of God will comfort me and convict me to completely surrender before the Lordship of Christ. Jesus has triumphed death and was resurrected to life, and I know I will overcome that stage and will stand out in victory.
“The lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name will trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.”
(Psalm 9:9-10)
But there is another challenge along the way, and certainly I’m heading that direction- the midlife crisis. Instead of allowing fear cloud the passageway, I have enough time to prepare for this spiritual journey. It is a great privilege that at this early stage I have become aware about this distant hump because, as youth pastor in one way or another, it will affect how I drive my ministry.
At certain point, the company of spouse, ministry partner, accountability group, prayer partner, etc. could be indispensable, but the holy presence of the Father will sustain us through. I am confident that as I abide in Him he will abide in me. I take advantage of this formative season to strengthen my faith and develop intimate relationship with God.
It is also my hope that as I continue to struggle in becoming like Christ, the Spirit of God will comfort me and convict me to completely surrender before the Lordship of Christ. Jesus has triumphed death and was resurrected to life, and I know I will overcome that stage and will stand out in victory.
“The lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name will trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.”
(Psalm 9:9-10)
Stepping stone or stumbling block?
One thing I’ve learned from doing ministry was that problems, troubles, differences and crises are inevitable. I find some of these disturbances are beyond my control while some are direct results of my immature behavior. Regardless of the cause, they affect how I do ministry. I remember a year ago, I was desperate to pay my loan from the bank because it’s gaining a lot of interest. I couldn’t help but think what I must do to pay that debt which led me to almost quitting my ministry so I could find another job to earn much. But at the same time having doubt whether my decision would be the wisest decision I will ever make. Fortunately, that circumstance led me to study the Biblical principles on money and final management.
In some instances when my team was asking for budget in one of our youth programs, we ended up in frustration and felt forsaken. We just thought the leaders didn’t buy our idea, or at least they just didn’t want to help us. Sometimes it could go beyond arguments, which I would take it personally and I would harbor anger over that person. I was humbled upon realizing that I was just hurting my own self had I continue in this child-like attitude. I was not also modeling a good example to the young people or to my youth leadership team as well.
But even if these problems are kept on uprising, and every day I am exposed to them, I have learned to pursue serving God in spite of the conflict. Never again will my ministry suffer because of unresolved personal issues. On the hand, I am very thankful that I have experienced them in my early years of service because it makes a lot of sense if similar situation comes forth in the future. It’s encouraging to know and to draw lessons from personal experiences. They are all part of the formative years that I must experience as minister of God. “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Prov. 37:4). I have matured at some sort through the problems and crises, and it is my ultimate goal to be completely transformed into a Christ-like way of solving them.
I also believe that God can use every circumstance to establish his purpose for us. Paul says “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Ro. 8:28). The way I face these challenges now is very different from the past. In fact, I have always encouraged my team to see them as stepping stones rather stumbling blocks. Every time we experience them, we see them as opportunities for us to grow and serve God better. At the end of the day, it’s not what we experienced but what was have we become that makes it significant.
In some instances when my team was asking for budget in one of our youth programs, we ended up in frustration and felt forsaken. We just thought the leaders didn’t buy our idea, or at least they just didn’t want to help us. Sometimes it could go beyond arguments, which I would take it personally and I would harbor anger over that person. I was humbled upon realizing that I was just hurting my own self had I continue in this child-like attitude. I was not also modeling a good example to the young people or to my youth leadership team as well.
But even if these problems are kept on uprising, and every day I am exposed to them, I have learned to pursue serving God in spite of the conflict. Never again will my ministry suffer because of unresolved personal issues. On the hand, I am very thankful that I have experienced them in my early years of service because it makes a lot of sense if similar situation comes forth in the future. It’s encouraging to know and to draw lessons from personal experiences. They are all part of the formative years that I must experience as minister of God. “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Prov. 37:4). I have matured at some sort through the problems and crises, and it is my ultimate goal to be completely transformed into a Christ-like way of solving them.
I also believe that God can use every circumstance to establish his purpose for us. Paul says “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Ro. 8:28). The way I face these challenges now is very different from the past. In fact, I have always encouraged my team to see them as stepping stones rather stumbling blocks. Every time we experience them, we see them as opportunities for us to grow and serve God better. At the end of the day, it’s not what we experienced but what was have we become that makes it significant.
Marriage: A Context on Spiritual Formation and Maturity
I was born and raised by responsible parents. That’s how I say it not just because they are my parents; but they have done everything to provide for our needs. They have known and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ since we were kids. That’s why I could say we grew up in a Christian community. However, being just new Christians then, our parents have struggled in their relationship with each other. I could just recall one vivid memories of their quarrel that led to our mother’s attempt to leave our father. In fact, she attempted several times in the past which I could hardly recall as kid. Every time she would attempt to leave, my father would beg her to stay. She also realized that she could not afford to raise us in a dysfunctional family.
When our father boarded the ship as domestic seaman, our mother has continued in deepening her relationship with God. Unfortunately, our father went back to drinking liquor. It was this vice that they used to argue about before. Despite of that, our father labored enough to provide for our needs and to secure our future through education. Surprisingly, God has done something to our mother. She had learned to love our father the way he was. She had improved in controlling her temper each time she saw him drunk. Since then, I had never seen them fight that way they fought before. What I saw was my mother’s genuine love for our father. In effect, when our father died on December 2006, she was greatly affected and she mourned for him until she was hospitalized for depression.
God has used our church family who prayed for and encouraged her through exhortation. Now she has continued in serving God, reaching our neighbors and helping some of our relatives with dysfunctional family. My older brother married a matured Christian wife, blessed with lovely daughter and another baby to come. My younger brother is also actively serving the Lord in our home church and also one of the young adults that I disciple. Our family is busy serving and honoring God!
Every time my friends ask me when I am going to get married, I would always say, “when I reach 35”. But my point was, I am not ready yet, I am not prepared yet, and it is not my priority. I am not ready because I am still praying and searching for someone. I am not financially prepared at this time to marry her, even if I have her and we’re engaged today. And it is not priority because I am enjoying my life serving God while I’m single! In addition to this, I am seeing my relatives whose children are suffering from their poverty and unplanned marriage. I thought it is just a fear. Through the years of learning, re-learning, and affirmation, I have learned that it is the perspective of a renewed mind in Christ Jesus. And as youth pastor, it is my responsibility to model this perspective to my youth and young adults and to next generations.
When our father boarded the ship as domestic seaman, our mother has continued in deepening her relationship with God. Unfortunately, our father went back to drinking liquor. It was this vice that they used to argue about before. Despite of that, our father labored enough to provide for our needs and to secure our future through education. Surprisingly, God has done something to our mother. She had learned to love our father the way he was. She had improved in controlling her temper each time she saw him drunk. Since then, I had never seen them fight that way they fought before. What I saw was my mother’s genuine love for our father. In effect, when our father died on December 2006, she was greatly affected and she mourned for him until she was hospitalized for depression.
God has used our church family who prayed for and encouraged her through exhortation. Now she has continued in serving God, reaching our neighbors and helping some of our relatives with dysfunctional family. My older brother married a matured Christian wife, blessed with lovely daughter and another baby to come. My younger brother is also actively serving the Lord in our home church and also one of the young adults that I disciple. Our family is busy serving and honoring God!
Every time my friends ask me when I am going to get married, I would always say, “when I reach 35”. But my point was, I am not ready yet, I am not prepared yet, and it is not my priority. I am not ready because I am still praying and searching for someone. I am not financially prepared at this time to marry her, even if I have her and we’re engaged today. And it is not priority because I am enjoying my life serving God while I’m single! In addition to this, I am seeing my relatives whose children are suffering from their poverty and unplanned marriage. I thought it is just a fear. Through the years of learning, re-learning, and affirmation, I have learned that it is the perspective of a renewed mind in Christ Jesus. And as youth pastor, it is my responsibility to model this perspective to my youth and young adults and to next generations.
Transformation of Talk and Walk
As an electronics and communications engineer (ECE) I know that the best mode of a communication system is called bidirectional two-way communication (or full-duplex system). And one of the reasons we exist is because God made us to communicate. He gifted us with languages so that we can express our thoughts in any form, be it in verbal words or in non-verbal sign. Two-way communication is a vital element of any relationship. Relationship grows as communication goes deeper.
God enjoys his relationship with the Godhead and also with human beings. Even after they disobeyed God, we can see from his action how he valued his relationship with them in the Garden. “The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them” (Gen. 3:21). Yes the serpent has deceived them. But they could have not allowed their minds to receive thoughts impressed by him. Notice how the woman’s mind was shaped by deceptive thoughts which led to disobeying God. “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” (Gen. 3:6). Their actions followed their thoughts!
As I observe my life, I got into mess mostly for being impetuous. I would purchase something without thinking how would it affect my budget, which in the end I would regret about it. Being insensitive, I could easily hurt a person by words without thinking how should I have told them carefully. Yet I am thankful to my mother because she always evaluates my character and encourages me to improve at some sort.
Sometimes my fallen humanity tells me to become self-sufficient and self-reliant. I would deliberately neglect God especially when I knew I would go against him. Fortunately, I am humbled by my limited capacity and I would end up frustrated. How can I serve God by disobeying him? I realized how terrible I was whenever I was off the course or making a detour. I desperately need God. He has always been gracious and patient with me.
As I have been constantly evaluating my talk and walk which reflect my relationship with God, I am always encouraged that one day my thoughts will be completely transformed into Christ-likeness. And as I eagerly wait for that appointed time; I am reminded to continually communicate my thoughts to his will and his lordship.
God enjoys his relationship with the Godhead and also with human beings. Even after they disobeyed God, we can see from his action how he valued his relationship with them in the Garden. “The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them” (Gen. 3:21). Yes the serpent has deceived them. But they could have not allowed their minds to receive thoughts impressed by him. Notice how the woman’s mind was shaped by deceptive thoughts which led to disobeying God. “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” (Gen. 3:6). Their actions followed their thoughts!
As I observe my life, I got into mess mostly for being impetuous. I would purchase something without thinking how would it affect my budget, which in the end I would regret about it. Being insensitive, I could easily hurt a person by words without thinking how should I have told them carefully. Yet I am thankful to my mother because she always evaluates my character and encourages me to improve at some sort.
Sometimes my fallen humanity tells me to become self-sufficient and self-reliant. I would deliberately neglect God especially when I knew I would go against him. Fortunately, I am humbled by my limited capacity and I would end up frustrated. How can I serve God by disobeying him? I realized how terrible I was whenever I was off the course or making a detour. I desperately need God. He has always been gracious and patient with me.
As I have been constantly evaluating my talk and walk which reflect my relationship with God, I am always encouraged that one day my thoughts will be completely transformed into Christ-likeness. And as I eagerly wait for that appointed time; I am reminded to continually communicate my thoughts to his will and his lordship.
Transformation: Conquering your emotion
We smile, laugh, shout, cry, and hurt. These are just some physical manifestations of our varied emotions as human beings. Our rational mind can identify necessary emotion in every circumstance we are at. It becomes beneficial for us not to suppress our emotions but expressing them gives us a certain relief feeling. Contrary to the latter, it may cause emotional breakdown- which is an “out-of-the-mind” mental state. In the same manner that the mind can drive our emotion, the mind can be driven by emotion. The latter is a mental tendency referred to as emotional. This uncontrolled and unpredictable state of the mind can be dangerous both for the person himself and others surrounding him. While the mind processes information (stimulus) but emotion responds to situation (stimulus); we must allow our mind to form a good response for a given situation. Good decisions are often products of careful thinking while bad decisions are mostly the results of careless feeling. How we express our emotion reveals our mental condition.
Various fields of science have become fascinated in conducting study and research to understand emotion and how it affects a child’s development. “Emotional Intelligence” was not a common word to academic institutions until it appeared in the title of Wayne Leon Payne’s doctoral dissertation in 1985. Since then, plenty of books were published and many tests were conducted to determine the child’s emotional intelligence. As a result there are conflicting opinions as to how to define and measure emotional intelligence. But one thing I found common to these different definitions is emotional intelligence is a “mental” ability. In other words, it is the function of the mind. And the fact that it is an “ability”, it can be further modified and developed.
Problem, conflict, violation of rights and values often trigger our emotional nerves and they may affect how we handle the situation. Though Apostle Paul’s freely expressed a variety of emotions (Philippians 1:1-30) through his letters, but his knowledge of Jesus helped him deal every difficult circumstance wisely. Likewise, our experiences, education, and environment play a significant part in shaping our thoughts, but only through personal encounter with Jesus can we draw wisdom in dealing with our emotion. I would say emotional wisdom and wholeness must be the by-product of a renewed mind (Ro. 12: 2). We cannot avoid negative circumstances but we can avoid circumstances affecting us negatively.
In my few years of being involved in youth ministry I can be easily devastated by criticism of people against my leadership style. It would take a while before I can get over and re-compose myself to minister again. But I found out that as I time goes by, I have learned to handle my emotions. I am reminded that Paul had to suffer physically, emotionally, and spiritually in proclaiming the gospel. Even Jesus had to suffer the pain and humiliation of the cross up to death for my redemption. I saw my sufferings more bearable than theirs. Suffering is the mark of the true disciple of Christ; and finding joy amidst the pain comes only after understanding the divine will of God revealed in his words and through circumstances we experience. God must be the source of emotional wisdom.
Various fields of science have become fascinated in conducting study and research to understand emotion and how it affects a child’s development. “Emotional Intelligence” was not a common word to academic institutions until it appeared in the title of Wayne Leon Payne’s doctoral dissertation in 1985. Since then, plenty of books were published and many tests were conducted to determine the child’s emotional intelligence. As a result there are conflicting opinions as to how to define and measure emotional intelligence. But one thing I found common to these different definitions is emotional intelligence is a “mental” ability. In other words, it is the function of the mind. And the fact that it is an “ability”, it can be further modified and developed.
Problem, conflict, violation of rights and values often trigger our emotional nerves and they may affect how we handle the situation. Though Apostle Paul’s freely expressed a variety of emotions (Philippians 1:1-30) through his letters, but his knowledge of Jesus helped him deal every difficult circumstance wisely. Likewise, our experiences, education, and environment play a significant part in shaping our thoughts, but only through personal encounter with Jesus can we draw wisdom in dealing with our emotion. I would say emotional wisdom and wholeness must be the by-product of a renewed mind (Ro. 12: 2). We cannot avoid negative circumstances but we can avoid circumstances affecting us negatively.
In my few years of being involved in youth ministry I can be easily devastated by criticism of people against my leadership style. It would take a while before I can get over and re-compose myself to minister again. But I found out that as I time goes by, I have learned to handle my emotions. I am reminded that Paul had to suffer physically, emotionally, and spiritually in proclaiming the gospel. Even Jesus had to suffer the pain and humiliation of the cross up to death for my redemption. I saw my sufferings more bearable than theirs. Suffering is the mark of the true disciple of Christ; and finding joy amidst the pain comes only after understanding the divine will of God revealed in his words and through circumstances we experience. God must be the source of emotional wisdom.
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