WEST CHARLOTTE COG
In conclusion, I view the ministry as a means of sharing the good news of Jesus to a lost and dying world. The ministry must then cultivate the zeal of this newfound love, peace, joy and happiness into years of commitment. At the same time, we must rock the cradle of our babies with prayer, intermingle lessons of life into the games we play with our adolescents and be a friend to our teenagers by relating to them the benefits of staying with the Lord.
Calvin Grier, Sr. West Charlotte Church of God December 1, 1995
OUR VISION
In an effort to try to explain my perspective of ministry, I was drawn to the third verse of Hebrews chapter twelve which reminds us that we must "consider Him"... To this end, I have, on several occasions, read the four gospels to try and get a feel for the purpose and passion by which Jesus ministered. The Bible frequently states that He was "moved with compassion". To me, this indicated that Jesus led an active ministry, constantly touching the lives of the people around him. To this end, my ministerial perception is that I must be active in my efforts to touch somebody in word or deed.
My initial ministerial goal is to share the message of redemption with those lost in sin, and watch their lives be totally changed by the power of God. I enjoy seeing the Lord transform a person's life - the old habits dropping off, one at a time; desire for church and the Word increasing, "running partners" left behind, etc. This progression can also be seen in other areas, such as their health, finances and relationships.
It is hard to compare as to which is most important to me, but I feel that the call to share the gospel to the world may be overshadowed by my desire to see saints maintain their way with the Lord. I am overjoyed to receive from or minister to saints that have been saved for a number of years. Jesus' statement "that none be lost" reminds me that the ministry must motivate its members to maintain the zeal they received during their conversion throughout their lifetime.
Ministry must be about soul winning. Ministry must be about encouraging the saints, as for as I am concerned, the most important aspect of ministry is to relate our faith and devotion to God to the upcoming generation. I feel that it would be unfair and unforgivable for us to go gloriously along, leaving our children wandering around without hope. For the ones of us that are middle-aged or seniors, we are, for the most part, coming to the end of our stint on earth. Our children, if the Lord tarries, can have upwards of 80 - 100 years to live. It is unthinkable that they could possibly have to live a life of fear, addictions, spiritual ignorance and hopelessness. Our ministry must reach out to the upcoming generation and "mold them" into salvation.
