Think and pray about starting a new ministry. It is entirely possible that none of the existing ministries in
your local church really fit your gifts. This is especially true in a small
congregation or one that has done the same things for many years with no new
initiatives. In fact, God may have brought you into His body and into this
particular local fellowship because He wants to “do a new thing.” (Isaiah 43:19)
Do not let anyone discourage you with some variation of “we’ve never done it
that way before,” or “we tried that a few years ago and it did not work.” A key
weakness of almost all Christian congregations is the way in which they get
into a rut and avoid change. God brings new people into these churches—people
with new and different gifts—precisely because He wants to shake things up.
If you think that God is possibly calling you to
start a new ministry, sit down privately with your pastor and have a serious
conversation with him or her. Talk honestly and openly about the difficulty of
change that most congregations face. Explore the needs that you feel called to
meet. Agree to think about it and pray about it for a period of time and then have
another serious conversation. The guidance of your pastor is important; listen
to him carefully. But, do not back down too soon if he is one who seeks to
avoid the conflict that comes with change.
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