Featured What makes a successful ministry?

We are not called to be successful. We are called to be FAITHFUL. Faithful to our calling. Faithful to the Word.

Success can only be measured by choosing what to quantify: attendance, giving, programs, buildings, prestige. They are earthly tools that may or may not accurately measure a ministry's faithfulness.

Ten people in a church service may seem like a failure in terms of success. Jesus place the future of the church in the hands of eleven.

 

Fanfare! Give that man an electronic cigar! :thumbs:

 

jeremiah had no converts, nation in rebellion, God judgement fell, yet he was a very 'successful" ministry as a prophet for God, and jesus Himself converted by 11 Apostles in his ministry, but his was most successful one in history!

Would define success as walking in the Will of God, and using your talents and gifting to max effect, wherever/whatever God has placed you into doing!

 

A successful ministry is defined by one thing the Lord's leadership.

 

That's funny. When I was working in that camp they thought I leaned toward Calvinism. :laugh:

Do you know what would make your ministry a failure? Not doing it. If you believe God has called you to street evangelism you are compelled to do so regardless of any measurable results. Say you decided you had to see 10 decisions a month to consider your ministry to be a success. Missing the number could be a source of discouragement. Exceeding it could be a source of pride. God didn't call you to be a successful street preacher. He called you to be faithful. The Word doesn't return void.

Back when I was serving in the UMC I had two small churches in adjoining villages. I was the only non-Catholic pastor in the area so I got called to do a lot of funerals - and I mean a LOT. I stopped counting a few years ago after I reached 300. Believe it or not every funeral message included talking about sin, repentance and the Cross. :wavey:

About 15 years ago I had a funeral for an elderly woman that I had never met but knew some of her grandchildren. Several months go by and this woman's daughter Joan shows up at church and sits right in the front row. She came several months, sitting in the same seat, but leaving before anyone could get a chance to talk to her. The one Sunday I remember most is the week I preached from Ephesians 2:8-9. We closed singing Amazing Grace. We sang the words "saved a wretch like me" and she started to weep. She stayed after and we talked for several hours.

I had Joan's funeral this past Wednesday evening. In 15 years she led her two daughters, two grandchildren and at least three folks from the volunteer fire company to the Lord. We might differ on the means of Grace but that doesn't make it any less Amazing.

Paul charged Timothy to, "preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction."
(2 Timothy 4:2 NAS77) Notice he didn't ask Timothy to report monthly baptisms or attendance figures.

 

What about Noah's ministry? Only his family was saved.

 

Faithful. God didn't ask him to save the world. Just critters and kin.

 

Your need to divide and catagagorize people into this camp or that camp, simply remarkable.

Were you asking the question out of sincere curiousoity or out of some strange need to have someone else affirm you? I suspect the latter.

 

Well I sincerely hope he is more than Weslyian!:smilewinkgrin:

 

I spent two sweltering summers and mucho pesos on that Wesleyan education. Hate to squander the investment. :laugh:

 

Come now, you aren't suggesting these, in most cases, fridge groups are the same as those who hold to Wesleyan theology?

Well, clearly you would be the expert on having it all together, right?

 

Um, okay, if you say so

 

Would you kindly help me to understand what exactly a "fridge group(s)" would be?

While I do have a "fridge" in my kitchen, I'm not entirely positive where I might find a "fridge group(s)," unless, of course, your are referring to a kitchen appliance show room.