Have you ever noticed that the ministry of Jesus and the Apostles after Him was messy? I mean it was literally like one Jerry Springer episode after another. Now if you know anything about me, you know that I love helping churches implement strategic steps that help vision become reality. My first foot forward is to lead a great team to diligently execute a great plan. But have you ever stopped to think that maybe doing ministry the way Jesus modeled it means that ministry may end up being a little messier than we might like? The book of Proverbs puts it this way in chapter 14, verse 4…
“Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.”
The Scripture is clear that one of the by products of an abundant harvest is a mess. Yes you can have a nice, clean, explainable ministry but it means you’ll miss out on an abundant harvest. Here are 4 indicators that you may be avoiding a messy ministry:
1. Infrequent Risk Taking
2. You have Church full of Nice Church People
3. Your Church Growth is more easily explained through strategic planning than it is a move of God
4. Messy People are looked at as an Interruption instead of an Opportunity
So which would you rather have, a nice, clean, explainable ministry or an abundant harvest? What would you add to the list?
Posted in Leadership, Spiritual Formation
