156. Ministry Month

Ministry Month is starting today. For those who don’t know what ministry month is, every year, we ask our adult registered members and senior youth (grade 9-12) to sign up for team ministries, during the first three weeks of November.

Because we believe in raising lay-leaders, we resist hiring more paid-staff to do increasing ministry tasks, except youth and children ministry, that requires specialized expertise. It means we rely mainly on the service of our members to not only sustain but expand our ministry to reach more people. Because most lay-members have a day job and family to take care of, I know that it can be a challenge for them to carve out time for church ministry.

But I would like to remind you that Church ministry is not just a series of tasks to complete. It is an opportunity to join in the mission of Church, which is to reach the unchurched and leading people to become fully devoted followers of Jesus. We believe following Jesus makes our lives significantly better and want more people to follow Jesus for that reason. When we build up a vibrant church through team ministries, we join in advancing that mission.

I’ve observed that those who don’t have a personal ministry struggle to grow in faith. I think it is because, without a sense of contributing to the mission of God that is greater than our life, we naturally opt for a passive version of the Christian life that produces spectator, not disciples.

I’ve also observed that those who found their personal ministry steadily grow in faith and even in satisfaction in church life, regardless of their prior church experience. That is why our team leaders have been working hard to expand their ministry and create more ministry opportunities for our members.

Our team leaders will be making a pitch to recruit their team members starting from this week. If you haven’t found your personal ministry yet, please consider signing up for one of the teams that grab your interest. Since you can choose a different team next year, I encourage you just to try out any team first if you are not sure. If you have been serving in team ministries already, consider taking this season to reflect on your past ministry, discover hidden gifts, or develop gifts you haven’t given much time to cultivate before.

I want to thank all the volunteers who have been faithfully serving. The Seed has grown not only numerically but also in excellence, thanks to your faithfulness and diligence.