In his book The Gifts of the Spirit, Derek Prince states that in ministry gifts, the believer himself (or herself) is Christ’s gift to His church. He is referring to the five ministry gifts Paul lists in Ephesians 4:11-13: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Worship leader, missionary, and prayer minister could be added to the list along with others. I believe that behind these highly visible ministry gifts are many hidden-figure gifts such as senders, servants, intercessors, and administrators. This is where my ministry gift lies. Yes, I am a prayer minister. At Servants, however, the Lord has been growing me as an intercessor. Intercessors stand in the gap for others in prayer. This can even mean sharing in their pain as a burden-bearer. Sometimes the pain and suffering around me is overwhelming. At other times the Holy Spirit is so present that praying is a great joy. Sometimes the prayers simply flow and at other times I feel like I am beating my head against the proverbial brick wall.

 

Several people have told me that I have a child-like faith. Being an intercessor has given me glimpses of what Jesus did for us on the cross. The cross was the ultimate act of intercession as described in Isaiah 53:4-5. I know what it feels like to enter one person’s suffering for a brief period of time. Jesus carried all of it as He hung on the tree at Golgotha. This is part of my deep faith.

 

I also have a wonderful relationship with my heavenly Father. I have experienced His healing touch and truth, which has made Scripture so real to me. I crawl into Abba’s lap when I am struggling and am brutally honest with Him. I have fallen asleep in the arms of the Holy Spirit. I have learned to listen to Him and often get words of knowledge, wisdom, and even prophecy for myself and those I intercede for.

 

As an intercessor, I have developed a deep compassion for people. Of course, there are areas of prejudice in me that the Lord is still working on, but He has brought me so far from where I started. I have even experienced deep compassion for people I don’t know.

 

Would it surprise you to know that I’ve struggled with feeling like a failure as a Christian because I am a failure as an evangelist? I might not be able to share the Gospel in words, but I witness in my actions as best I can and I pray. There would be no souls to save if there weren’t people praying for them. Think of the long list of credits that come after the actors’ names in the movie credits. They won’t win Oscars or get stars on a street in Hollywood, but the movie wouldn’t happen without them. Embracing a hidden-figure ministry is hard, but so worth it. After all, where would Christianity be if the women, the hidden figures of Jesus’ ministry, hadn’t gone to the tomb on Easter morning?

 

 

Elena Rhodes

 

 

 

 

David La Cagnina sent a link to the music team the week preceding the second Sunday of Epiphany that, in a really humorous way, emphasized this statement that God equips the called. That Sunday Fr. James preached on God’s call to Samuel and then challenged our church body to really discover what areas of ministry we are called to. During this season of Lent, as we prepare to start a new chapter in the life of SOC, what ministry/ministries are we called to?

 

At this time music ministry is the area that I am most called to even though I am not a particularly talented vocalist/musician. I have been called to music ministry at different times and situations over the years as an adult believer. My call to the music team at SOC was different. In the past I was asked to participate by a leader of the team. This time I felt called to go to the leader and ask if I was needed. It took me a while to respond. If I recall, I prayed about it for about a year. Was this really a calling or just my wanting to sing? (I do love to sing.) I didn’t want to impose or make anyone uncomfortable. I didn’t want to be given a yes answer just because I asked.

 

One of the questions we are to answer in this devotional is what are the spiritual results of this ministry commitment? Well for me asking David if I could be part of the music team definitely took me out of my personal comfort zone. God equips the called. I definitely spend more time in God’s word as a result of my participation. Increased prayer time has been a natural outcome of my preparation for both rehearsal times and Sunday worship.

 

Another question we are to answer is what was the impact of my participation in ministry on my family with regards to their spiritual growth. The answer to that question has been more difficult to answer. I decided I needed to have conversation with my children and my husband to get that answer. The common theme in their answers were that overall the impact of my participation in ministry has had a positive influence on them spiritually. My children desired to and did participate in various church ministries because of that influence. My middle child especially has developed a heart for service. The other common theme was that, at times, I was out of balance or “biting off more than I could chew.” Those conversations prompted me to really consider my decision-making with regards to ministry participation when I was raising my children, being a helpmate for my husband and working outside of the home. Did I, at times, neglect the priority of ministry to my husband and children to do “work” at the church? The difficult answer to that question is yes I did. Why did that happen? I neglected to spend adequate time in prayer and discernment when deciding to become involved in a particular ministry. Including my husband and children in the process should have happened more often than it did. Now that I am older and more mature, prayer, discernment and discussion with Pete is a given, but I wish that spiritually maturity could have occurred sooner than it did. Finding that balance between our ministry to family and church is tricky but I believe that God is faithful and will guide us when we ask. The point is that we have to ask!

 

Looking forward I continue to seek God’s guidance with regards to ministry participation both within our church community and outside of it. God has an opportunity to “grow us up” when we participate in ministry both in and out of our church community. If you haven’t participated in a spiritual gifts survey consider doing so. It can open your eyes to new possibilities that you might not have considered before. As we go through the season of Lent I pray that each of us will seek God’s plan for our participation in ministry to His service. Amen!

 

 

Libby King

 

 

 

 

 

I sing with the worship team at church at least once a month and on the worship team for my school’s chapel. At the beginning of the school year, I struggled with singing in front of my peers because I feared I would be judged by my classmates. Since then I have thought about it and have decided that it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. It’s more about who I’m serving and who I’m ministering to through the music. It’s not a performance; the time is meant for worship. It doesn’t matter if you’re a talented singer or if you sing off-key, God finds it praise to Him either way.

 

I don’t always have the right attitude about serving on the worship team. There are times that I’d rather sleep in or socialize with my friends. Sometimes I’d much rather sing the songs I want, when I want; but that’s not how ministry works. Through my parents, I have learned that God calls us to minister alongside Him and that it’s not about us, but His glory. Sometimes I don’t want to hear the same-old truthful words that tell me I’d be doing it for the Lord. But reality is, you must put in work as a servant. It’s not always going to be easy, but it’s worth it. As the Bible says, the body cannot work without each part. I’ve come to learn that the Church cannot work without each ministry and each person who serves in that ministry.

 

After singing at the Advent services, I came to realize that God rewards your commitment, even though you might not notice it in the moment. He has rewarded me by changing my attitude and reminding me to serve every chance that I have. Serving on the church worship team gives me a unique opportunity to serve with my dad doing something we both love. Even if I may not enjoy the work I need to put into it, I’m doing it for God. How can I sit when I can be praising Him with the voice He’s given me and for all that He’s done for me?

 

I would encourage those thinking about starting or joining a ministry that even though there may be a lot of work to be done or you may be tempted to do something else, God will bless you and others through the ministry you’ve been called to.

 

 

Bella La Cagnina

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the past few years I have been looking for a ministry that fits in with my schedule of being a full time mom to two small children. I often told myself that my family was my ministry, but as I poured more of myself into parenting, I became more and more inwardly focused, which quickly became unhealthy. One of the things I knew I was lacking was an active ministry. Last year I was given the opportunity to lead a small group of college girls in a Bible study and jumped at it. I didn’t jump because I was excited about giving up time with my kids (I LOVE hanging with my kiddos), but because I knew the benefits of being in ministry far outweighed the sacrifices. See for me, ministry isn’t selfless.

 

As a young Christian in college I became a Young Life leader (Young Life is a non-denominational outreach ministry to high school and middle school students.) Through this ministry I gained a tight-knit community. As leaders we leaned on each other to do our ministry. I also had the joy of watching high schoolers decide to follow Jesus, which words cannot express the awesomeness of this experience. Being challenged by high schoolers with questions forced me to be in the Word and growing in my faith. To put it simply, sharing my faith grew my faith.

 

Now as a Bible study leader for college girls, many of whom are Young Life leaders, I am gaining the same experiences. I and my family have gained community, we love being around these amazing ladies who are following after Jesus while in college. I love that my boys have so many truly loving and giving souls around them regularly. I am challenged in my own faith and am held accountable to be in scripture and prayer, because how could I ask others to do what I am not doing? Hearing about each girl’s struggles and joys keeps me from falling into the “me, me, me,” inward-focus and helps me to remember to focus on others, which is a healthier place to be.

 

Please consider joining a ministry; meet God in His work so you can take part and go along for the ride. Because where God is working you will find challenges, but you will also find community, growth, encouragement and a deeper faith.

 

 

Mary McCready

 

 

 

 

Prayer and dependence on God are essential in life although often difficult to maintain! My children are now grown, and the house is much quieter, but I still remind myself to sit quietly, saying, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” As followers of Jesus, we have to seek environments where we hear God’s voice.

 

It strikes me that God did not speak to Samuel after he completed his theological training or achieved some other milestone. He spoke before Samuel was even able to recognize God’s voice! God wants closeness with each of us to give guidance. If we take time to pause and listen, we are often surprised! Trusting in God prepares our hearts for the tasks He calls us to do (Proverbs 3:5-6).

 

My husband Bob and I became involved with “DeafWorld”—a term coined to identify the cultural/linguistic experience of deaf and hard of hearing people—in the mid-1980s. Our close friends, who are deaf, taught us sign language and were very patient with us. Together we ministered to deaf and hard of hearing teens. We remain grateful for these friendships and influences on our journey.

 

Trusting God, we decided to build our family through adoption of older children, including adopting our youngest daughter, who is deaf. As she entered her teen years, we saw a spiritual battle within her. She felt like God was a “hearing God” and could not relate. Though being active in church and youth group with interpreters, she perceived faith as only for hearing people. As a mother, I was crushed to think one of my children did not think God could communicate in her heart language – American Sign Language (ASL). This is not fair; everyone should have the right to make sense of the Gospel, in any language or context. We researched and realized that the Christian faith in DeafWorld had become almost extinct. As we struggled to help meet her spiritual needs, we sensed God’s leading to establish a national outreach for deaf and hard of hearing teenagers.

 

Deaf Teen Quest was established in 2000. Over the years I have volunteered in various roles with this ministry while working full time as an Occupational Therapist in the local school system… and being the mother of five children. Whew! It was chaotic and certainly some ‘spinning plates’ crashed along the way, but God—who is always faithful—carried us through. We serve an amazing God who has spread this ministry across the country as part of Youth for Christ USA.

 

So now, during this part of my journey, I pause to hear God’s voice again. Over the past year, God put it on my heart to develop widespread prayer for this ministry. I am currently coordinating and establishing prayer groups for Deaf Teen Quest in every state. Praying for the leaders and teens we know, and for those to come, listening to God, being open, gratefully following, and responding, to join in with whatever He is doing.

 

“Lord, help me learn your ways.

Show me how you want me to live.

Guide me and teach me your truths.

You are my God, my Savior.

You are the one I have been waiting for.”

Psalms 25:4-5

 

 

Kathy Ayres

 

 

 

 

Since 2009 I have been guiding the Prayer Ministry at Servants of Christ. The Prayer Ministry grew out of a felt-need for the Body of Christ to be praying for one another’s specific needs. Deborah Bateman had suggested that a basket be available in the back of the church in which written prayer requests could be placed. Those who felt called to pray could lift up those needs to the Lord God. Soon it was apparent that some effort was needed to organize and maintain the fledgling ministry, along with a need for confidentiality. The Monday Women’s Fellowship had long been praying for one another, sharing and, eventually, sending out those prayer requests via email. Having realized the central place of prayer in Jesus’ ministry, I was developing a deeper interest in prayer and (at the request of our rector) I agreed to administer the prayer requests of our parish family. I drew together a group willing to commit to prayer and started emailing our “Prayer Chain” the prayer needs as they were received.

 

God’s timing was perfect! In 2009, Arty Hart, pastor at the Vineyard, conducted a Five-Step Healing Seminar, and, then in early 2011, the Vineyard offered the Christian Healing Ministries “Levels of Healing Prayer Class,” led by Bobbie Zeman and Carmen Lander. I, along with others from Servants, signed up for Level I followed by Levels II, III and IV, completing all four levels in 2012. By then the Prayer Ministry at Servants had grown to include, in addition to the Prayer Chain, Sunday Prayer Teams, “Operation Rolling Thunder” (an ecumenical nationwide prayer movement now known at Servants as United Day of Prayer), and Soaking Prayer, which is offered once-a-month.

 

In a ten-year search for truth earlier in my life I was led to Jesus as the Truth, that deep knowing that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. As Jesus made abundantly clear in His life on earth, we are to be about His work today – making disciples, learning to do all that Jesus said. I had to act on the trust that I had in the Lord. I knew Jesus prayed and taught His disciples to pray, so that became my work. Healing prayer ministry “is part of the Great Commission of Matthew 28 where Jesus tells his disciples to make new disciples and to ‘teach them to obey everything I have commanded you’ (verse 20).” (from “Come Holy Spirit” by David Pytches, p. 153)

 

Our Lord taught me, through His Word, healing prayer classes, and my experiences of praying with and for others, the power of prayer, which is, essentially, the power of His love at work. Knowing what others in our church are dealing with in their lives, in the lives of their families or loved ones, their struggles and deepest needs, heartaches and losses and then praying with them in their time of need knits us together as the Body of Christ. When we listen, love and pray, Jesus is present – healing and restoring. St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians that the Father of mercies and God of all comfort comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. His compassion for those who are suffering is made available, sometimes by having shared similar sorrows or sickness, or by walking through the difficulties together over time because we go together to the Throne of Grace, to the God for Whom nothing is impossible. It is God’s help and His power for He said, “I am the God who heals you.” (Exodus 15:26)

 

Notice that the cross is the letter “I” crossed out. Today, come, make your self available. Say “Yes” to serving our Lord and Savior at the next opportunity to your everlasting joy and to the praise and glory of His Name.

 

 

 

 

Mary Langeland

 

 

 

 

 

I came late to the party. During my high school years, I considered myself an agnostic; I neither accepted nor denied the existence of a God who was present and active. I did believe in God the creator simply because the alternative theories made no sense at all. My parents did not attend church, and I have no memory of them ever talking to me (or anyone else) about faith, religion or God. Then I met a girl…and she could not remember a time she did not believe.

 

After numerous offers to attend church with her, I finally agreed to go to a Christmas Eve service at San Jose Episcopal. I had what I, in retrospect, consider my prodigal son event. I was embarrassingly moved to tears during the service and left feeling as if I’d found something I never knew I had lost. My life in the faith has been a gradual but steady growth ever since that fateful evening. And, yes, that girl and I have been married almost 39 years now.  If you know me, you know I will gladly tell anybody who will listen that she is the best thing that ever happened to me.

 

There is a period of time between the day Jesus is accepted as Savior and the decision is made to commit wholeheartedly to serve Him. For me, there was a considerable lag time between those two events. I felt certain that once I made that bold step and declared my allegiance to Him and dedicated myself to advancing His Kingdom that I would be sent to some distant and dangerous land, and that scared me to death! What actually happened was that He had me pick up my guitar and then led me to a place where I could serve Him as a musician for the Kingdom. I am eternally grateful that my Jesus showed me how to use my passion as my ministry, and to this day, there are few things that excite me more than writing and playing a new song for Him.

 

For many years, I have a claimed Psalm 37:4 as my favorite verse. It simply says:

Delight yourself in the Lord,

     and he will give you the desires of your heart.

 

This piece of scripture speaks to me in ways that I cannot fully understand. There are many exhortations given by Christian leaders to follow, trust, serve, obey, etc., but delight takes on a whole different connotation. When I ask myself what delights me, my initial thoughts are music, basketball, and – first and foremost – my family. If I am truly to delight myself in the Lord, I must do so with the same enthusiasm as I do my other chosen activities.

 

When I say that I cannot fully understand this scripture, it is because the “desires of my heart” is not an obvious concept. I know what I want (that changes over the years – sometimes daily!), and I think I know what I need, but to truly know the desires of the heart (mine or anyone else’s) is above my pay grade. The notion that the Father would even consider giving me, one who is so unworthy, such an extravagant gift blows my mind!

 

I do, however, recognize the fact that I have been blessed – and very much so.  I would not trade this life that I have been privileged to share with my wife and children for all of Solomon’s riches.

 

The times I have spent leading worship, the times I have spent alone writing songs, playing guitar and pouring my heart out to the Father, the times I have spent running up and down a basketball court with friends, the times I have spent watching my beautiful daughters grow into amazing young women are all, in hindsight, absolutely desires of my heart – even though I wouldn’t have thought of them that way at the time they were taking place.

 

I would encourage you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, to live large, dream big, give God the glory He so richly deserves, live the life you have been called to live, and be willing to delight yourself in the Lord.

 

 

Rick Guerry

 

 

 

 

 

As I ponder the prompt question for this devotional, “What is the formal ministry God has called you to in an ongoing way for this season of your life?” I have to go back to the beginning. When I was 35 years old, I experienced a weekend called “Cursillo.” This weekend changed my life. I went from feeling isolated, alone, and sinful to experiencing God’s love in a powerful way. I was left feeling loved, important, and more confident about doing God’s ministry.

 

Since Cursillo, I have received a Master’s Degree in Social Work. I had discerned a call of helping others from many encounters with people that I met in my life. Since becoming a social worker, I am able to put arms and feet to the verse of the Bible that states, “What you have done to the least of these, have you also done unto me.” (Matthew 25:40)

 

Jesus said in verse 36 of that chapter, “I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.” In my current position at the VA, I walk alongside homeless veterans to find housing for them. I am there to provide supportive, solution-focused, mental health, and substance abuse counseling. I am there to help them complete documentation for food stamps, housing applications, and local charities. The VA provides their medical care, including mental health and substance abuse care. I am in the center of all of these services. Often I am able to witness to and pray with the veterans. To see them set free and turn their life and cares over to God as they can understand Him is a powerful part of my calling.

 

My experience is this, I am not the smartest person and I know that. I call on a team of other experts to fill in the gaps of my inadequacies. God has provided everything I need to do the ministries I am a part of. If you are called by God, He will open the doors necessary to complete that ministry. When I was first in ministry, we needed a van; God provided a grant to purchase a van. In Cursillo, I learned that God uses “cracked pots.” I am not perfect, I am not the smartest person, but God can use me and He wants to use you too. What is your passion? Use it to bring others into a relationship with Jesus.

 

 

Jeannie Bey

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the time, Tishai was 14 years old, the oldest of four. Two years earlier, her mother died suddenly and the children were being raised by a grandmother, as there was no father in the picture. We met Tishai through a ministry that Kathy and I started called “Deaf Teen Quest” that brought teenagers together for “fun, friendship, fellowship, faith.”

 

On this particular day, Tishai ate dinner with us following a scheduled event. Our table is round and she sat alongside our other children and quietly observed as we sat down, put food on the table, prayed, and started eating. Kathy and I asked each of the kids about their day, how was school, what was coming up… basic table conversation (which unfortunately didn’t always happen this smoothly). At one point, Tishai sat up and said, almost to herself, “You wait for each other, you brought food, you prayed, you talk to each other… I’ve never experienced this before… and I like it!” Over the next year, Tishai made a personal faith commitment and her heart continues to burns with a desire to serve Jesus.

 

Tishai grew up in a loving family but since she is the only deaf person in her family, so like many others, her life was impacted by isolation. There is only one child born with hearing loss for every 1,000 hearing children. Only two of ten are born into language-rich, signing environments; 80% of the families of deaf children cannot sign. Deaf Teen Quest creates opportunities for caring, Christian adults to enter the world of deaf and hard of hearing teenagers, with the grace and truth of Jesus Christ.

 

“Because we loved you…” Personal ministry is entering the world of lost and hurting people because we care and God calls. We don’t need all the answers; we go with the “answer-giver,” the Holy Spirit. We are just called to go and keep open hearts.

 

“… it was a joy to us to give you not only the Gospel of God…” Personal ministry is simply being honest about what we’ve learned, experienced, or read about God in the scriptures or from other dependable sources. We don’t have permission to make it up; we pass it on, in a context that makes sense for each unique person or people group.

 

“…but our very hearts—so dear did you become to us.” Personal ministry is about removing barriers to the Gospel. Lack of trust is often one of the major obstacles. People are not projects, they are image-bearers of our God. Love them longer than they can hurt; pursue them farther than they can run. Do this because you love them.

 

Personal ministry is about opening our hearts to others. We all have insecurities, doubts, and fears when it comes to sharing our story with people who do not yet know Jesus. God’s story is woven into our story so it is natural to share this part as well. For me, it helps to remember that I do not have to convince or convict anyone of their sin. This is the role of the Holy Spirit. As followers of Jesus, we simply have to go, listen, love, and be honest. Our responsibility is to create space for the Holy Spirit to move. We trust God to do what only God can do. Sometimes, it’s as simple as inviting people to our dinner table.

 

 

Bob Ayres