Practical Ministries

Recognizing the call of God

The course gives valuable markers for discerning an authentic call:

• The initiative comes from God; we do not choose ourselves
• A concern, an unbearable compassion for souls, haunts you and weighs on you
• The call persists and grows over time

With rare honesty, the course also recognizes areas of uncertainty: the feeling of the "wrong time" and the conflict of interest with attractive alternatives. Indecision is part of the path; commitment is what resolves it.

Committing and qualifying yourself

Responding to the call requires strength to resist adversity, ongoing preparation and study, and a life of prayer and fasting. The course lists the qualifications for ministry: being a great worker with business sense, loving and understanding people, being devoted and firm in character.

It also recalls the order of priorities: God and His Word, family, ministry, work, in that order.

The practical areas of ministry

The most concrete part of the course covers administration: managing affairs and people. It deals with organization, because "if your home is a mess, so are you," planning and goals, and finances. Your attitude toward your own finances determines your attitude toward the church's finances. Learn to make a budget!

The course ends with attitudes: identifying and correcting anger, arrogance, and other attitudes that disqualify a servant.

What you will discover in this course

• How to recognize an authentic call from God
• The practical and spiritual qualifications for ministry
• Administration, planning, and finances in ministry
• Attitudes to cultivate and attitudes to crucify

"Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you." — 2 Timothy 1:6

Who is this course for?

For those who sense a call and want to test it, for those already serving who want to professionalize their management without losing the anointing, and for every Christian. The principles of organization, priorities, and attitudes taught here serve every disciple of Jesus, in family as well as work. Every child of God is called to serve somewhere.