Shorter this week, but maybe just as challenging? The commitment to ministry (and next Sunday's focus on mission) is very much where the rubber starts to hit the road. There's something different about saying, "I've submitted myself to Jesus and aligned with a local church, and I'm reading my Bible everyday" versus saying, "I am serving and putting my faith into active tangible practice for the benefit of God's kingdom by..." And that's where we're at here; if we are actively pursuing the maturity commitment and growing in our faith, we will - by default - to moved to the ministry commitment.
Here are some questions and recommendations to help you continue to do "Church...On Purpose"...
Let's just get straight to the heart of the matter: Do you have a sense of what your spiritual gifting may be? Ultimately, there's no test that will give us a definitely, absolute answer, but have you ever taking a spiritual gifts inventory or had someone point out what they see in you? What gifts have seemed to emerge and come to the forefront? (If you're interested, contact Pastor Jason for his go-to resources.)
In addition to gifting, God also places different passions and interests on our hearts. Some people are passionate about poverty, or fostering, clean water, or...cleaning. These passions can also help us gain a better grasp on what God might be calling us to. What are you passionate about? What do you find your thoughts, dreams, and hopes constantly turning to? Let your imagination go wild for a moment...if you could get involved in anything or would see something happen, what is that?
Now combine questions 1 & 2...How might your gifts and passions be joined together in active ministry? Even if you have no idea if that ministry even exists, what could it look like?
What are the current, known needs, around Oak Hills Church or your community right now? If you are currently serving in some capacity, are you doing it because it aligns with your gifts and passions, or because you feel a certain obligation to fill a space?
Often with the ministry commitment, we are being invited to say "No" to one thing, in order to say "Yes" to something else. What do you sense God may be asking you to say "No" to right now? What is getting in the way, or preventing you from saying "No"?
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