Is There Still a Reason You're Following Jesus?
Creating a personal, current, and practical philosophy of ministry.
Lately, I've had the saddest of conversations with a number of our friends around the world. They have all of a sudden found themselves questioning the way the local church has been operating. And more than that, they've been questioning their part in it all. Many are asking if they have given too much, been taken advantage of, or even worse. For some, there's a sense that they have been manipulated into serving their pastor's vision. They've finished on staff and are now wondering if any of it was good or "of God.” Were all the years of giving their all worth it?
Surely ministry is not meant to be this way? And while I realize there are a lot of questions people have about the last few decades of church life and the style of leadership that has been prevalent, I'm not going to address that now, that’s for another post. Instead, my purpose here is to help you and I.
I have a sense that some of the hurt and pain could have been avoided with a stronger sense of understanding and commitment to a personal philosophy of ministry.
What do I mean by philosophy?
I'm unsure what you think about when you hear "philosophy"?
Maybe Plato or Socrates springs to mind, or that university class where they bent your mind around Descartes. If you open a dictionary or a web search, you will find a bunch of definitions, but most boil down to this;
Philosophy is:
"a theory or attitude that acts as a guiding principle for behavior."
Put simply...
A philosophy is a foundational way of seeing the world that determines what we do.
It's about answering deep and probing questions about what we consider to be the most important things in life.
Each of us has these theories or attitudes, which are potentially different from everyone else’s. They're personal, even though we may have some things in common.
For example;
Even though you and I may have similar (if not the same) theological beliefs, your particular view of the world will be slightly or even radically different from mine. Mine will be different from the next person's. Your age, upbringing, gender, race, or education will mean that you see the world a little (or a lot) differently to me.
Under the surface, we all have these "theories" about how the world works - whether we've thought about them or not. And these attitudes change over time… often without us even being aware. They develop and adapt depending on the circumstances and situations we find ourselves in.
They inform how we go about living our lives. They dictate what we do, how we act, and how we interact with others. And they determine how we go about our personal ministry, too.
The craziest part is this, many of us have found ourselves on a staff, or as worship leaders, key volunteers, or worship and creative pastors, and we believe in the mission and vision of our local church but have never taken the time to work out why we personally, do what we do. We've never articulated our calling for ourselves or clarified our personal priorities, goals, and purpose in ministry.
If you're like me, you probably felt God's "call" once upon a time, but since then, you've been so focused on "serving leadership," "doing the work of the ministry," or outworking someone else's vision, that you've lost track of why you're even doing it.
What do I mean by “ministry”?
When I say ministry here, I'm not just referring to those who are full-time, paid staff members. I'm also talking about volunteers who give their time, attention, heart, and soul to serving the local church or the world.
Jesus told his disciples to "Go into all the world and make disciples," Paul tells us we are all given "the ministry of reconciliation." The Bible invites us into mission and co-laboring with Christ. Therefore, we all find ourselves in ministry of some kind.
So, ministry, in the context of Christianity, refers to the act of serving and carrying out the work of God. It involves dedicating oneself to the spiritual care, guidance, and support of others. Ministry can take various forms and is not limited to any specific role or position within the church.
The Worship and Creative teams tend to be some of those who give the most, regardless of whether they are paid staff. And the production teams are often the first to arrive at church and the last to leave.
We, as creatives, often do a lot of ministry.
I put it to you that perhaps some of the reasons we see creatives in the church giving all of themselves, serving, and stretching to "get it done" is because they love the Lord and want to serve him wholeheartedly but have never personally stopped to think about what it is that God is asking of them individually in order to get the balance right.
Most of us just want to honor God with our lives, and we've been asked to do something, so we do it. Then, over time, doing one thing leads to many other things (because there's always a need for more to be done). Then, because you do a good job, you're esteemed and encouraged to do more, and so you do.
The heart of the person asking isn't necessarily evil. Neither is serving and giving your all. But if it leads to questioning your part in the Kingdom of God, neglecting your family and friends, your own well being, or never wanting to volunteer or work at a church again, something is out of whack!
One solution to this is to consider your worldview and philosophy regarding the "why?" of the ministry, serving, and giving of your time.
So let me ask you;
Is your clarity of calling still current, active, and informing everything?
When it comes to ministry and your role as a creative in the church (especially for those in leadership, pastoral or shepherding positions), I hope you can see why it's essential to take some time occasionally to check in with ourselves and the Lord. For your own sake AND for the sake of those in your care.
There's such a real need to stop, think, and pray, and then write down your philosophy of ministry. Doing this will help keep your thinking and beliefs current, ensuring you're living from a place of conviction, not just going through the motions.
And please don't think of this exercise as theoretical or academic. When done with a genuine heart to offer your life in service to the Lord again, it's one of the most practical and valuable things you can do.
Creating a personal philosophy of ministry will help you discover why you do what you do. It will remind you why you started this journey in the first place. Then, when times of difficulty or questioning come, you can check in and re-read your objective perspective.
It will guide you when future opportunities to serve arise, and this process can also help you clarify what to stop doing.
As you work through the exercise, you'll undoubtedly uncover theories, attitudes, or even beliefs that are unhelpful or misaligned with being a servant of the Gospel of Jesus. And when you notice these flaws in your thinking, use them as an opportunity to adjust, learn, and grow.
It's time to define your philosophy of ministry!
This exercise will help you find the alignment between your personal worldview and the tasks you do. I pray it will become valuable in your life, a tool for longevity and good stewardship of the gifts and talents God has entrusted you with.
How do you do it?
At the bottom of this post, you will find 20 questions to answer. Here's my suggestion of what to do;