Robin55 Posted March 4, 2008 Group: Members Followers: 1 Topic Count: 5 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 21 Content Per Day: 0.00 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 12/08/2007 Status: Offline Birthday: 08/10/1971 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I'm sure this topic has arisen elsewhere on the boards, but I couldn't find it, so here goes: How do you know when you're being called to be a minister? I'm signing up for lay speaking classes and some friends have doubts about me doing this. There are a lot of different reasons why I'm doing it and I feel that perhaps at the end of these classes I may have an answer about continuing with a theological education. Any guidance and feedback on this subject is very welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorningGlory Posted March 4, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 1,022 Topics Per Day: 0.16 Content Count: 39,193 Content Per Day: 6.08 Reputation: 9,977 Days Won: 78 Joined: 10/01/2006 Status: Offline Share Posted March 4, 2008 I'm sure this topic has arisen elsewhere on the boards, but I couldn't find it, so here goes: How do you know when you're being called to be a minister? I'm signing up for lay speaking classes and some friends have doubts about me doing this. There are a lot of different reasons why I'm doing it and I feel that perhaps at the end of these classes I may have an answer about continuing with a theological education. Any guidance and feedback on this subject is very welcome. You'll know, Robin. Don't listen to naysayers because only the Lord knows where He wants you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackie d Posted March 4, 2008 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 25 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 1,081 Content Per Day: 0.17 Reputation: 1 Days Won: 0 Joined: 08/29/2006 Status: Offline Birthday: 02/08/1967 Share Posted March 4, 2008 and even if you aren't called to it, the education sure isn't going to hurt...could be that the classes you are interested in will take you into an area of ministry you aren't anticipating but no matter, the Lord is in control and will use what you have been given...so march on!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nebula Posted March 4, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 10 Topic Count: 5,823 Topics Per Day: 0.75 Content Count: 45,870 Content Per Day: 5.93 Reputation: 1,897 Days Won: 83 Joined: 03/22/2003 Status: Offline Birthday: 11/19/1970 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Well, it would be nice if there was a simple formula for discerning God's will for your life! Sometimes, all you can do is ask the Lord for confirmation (like Gideon with his fleeces), compare your reasons for doing this with the reasons others are opposed, discern if you have an inner peace about it or not, . . . things like that. But sometimes, getting your feet wet can help you determine if it fits you or not. One thing to consider, though, is what you plan on doing with the degree. There are ways to minister without being a "minister" by title. If you want to be a full time pastor vs. if you want to be a missionary, for example. What I mean is that I went to a Christian college, and I knew a few who majored in missions or theology or Bible or the like. Once they got out of college, it was very hard to find a way to pay the loans off. Not all found some form of immediate "minister" job. But, I had one friend who majored in a profession while being involved with missionaries over the summer. I don't know if he ever got a formal ministry degree or not, but he is now a full-time minister, but was able to utilize his major for mission work. Just some things to consider. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard_yaash Posted March 4, 2008 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 4 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 940 Content Per Day: 0.16 Reputation: 1 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/10/2008 Status: Offline Share Posted March 4, 2008 and even if you aren't called to it, the education sure isn't going to hurt...could be that the classes you are interested in will take you into an area of ministry you aren't anticipating but no matter, the Lord is in control and will use what you have been given...so march on!!! Good answer Jackie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damo1 Posted March 4, 2008 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 29 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 1,822 Content Per Day: 0.29 Reputation: 19 Days Won: 0 Joined: 05/23/2007 Status: Offline Birthday: 11/16/1967 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I'm sure this topic has arisen elsewhere on the boards, but I couldn't find it, so here goes: How do you know when you're being called to be a minister? I'm signing up for lay speaking classes and some friends have doubts about me doing this. There are a lot of different reasons why I'm doing it and I feel that perhaps at the end of these classes I may have an answer about continuing with a theological education. Any guidance and feedback on this subject is very welcome. damo1 to Robin you will know if this calling is for you as the lord will place this on your heart this happend with me but i did not expect it to happen this soon my partner is a pastor in the phillippines and while i was with her in her country for three weeks god began to deal with me to the point were he broke me when i was 18 this was confirmed to me but i just put it to the back burner and hear i am know 40 yrs old tying of loose ends as the phillippines is my home know not australia let me tell you i did not want to walk in to a role as a pastor as i have seen what my other friends are going threw and i have seen what my own partner has to deal with its not easy being a pastor as people seem to think it is their is so much responsability and you have to be patient and you give a lot of your time up my partner only gets one day to her self she starts the day at 8am and does not come home until 11pm sometimes midnight her members depend on her her pastrol team depends on her as she is the head pastor and they have 5 churches planted with in were bacolod is lacastaliana is just a new church that has just been planted and she is raising up a new pastor as lacastaliana is 2hrs away from bacolod eva is being trained and my partner makes sure she is getting payed as this is going to lighten the load and free us as my partner has just planted 4 more new bible studie groups with in lacastaliana you do a lot of home visets threw the week and you help other pastors with in the phillippines with the crusades they are doing as our main church has a good worship band very talented so we are being asked all the time to help we work in unity and we use our gifts to advance the kingdom the people are hungry for gods word and god realy moves with in the poorest communities she only gets to see her family on her day of which is monday and when she was talking to me about this i said i need to give this over to god but god put it so strongly on my spirit that this is the role he wants me to walk in at times i can loose it and i know the lord has been working on me i am not perfect and my partner was able to also see the real me while i was their as this is new for both of us but god put us together so i told her my fears as i use to work in the security industry and i have been saying to my self what if i loose it lord what if i smack a member around as i am also set in my own ways and i am very head strong we had a few arguments as she said she wanted me to lead so i did but when we did argue we pulled back and sorted it out very fast i did a stupid thing instead of staying at the bible study group and staying for dinner i walked out just as the bible study was to start we had an argument as she wanted me to get public transport to the members house who invited us for dinner after as i fel threw our sunday schools floor board we have the room blocked off and the kids meet out side until we raise what we need to fix the room up so my leg was sore but i wanted to save the money and walk to the members house the others came and got us before we could sort it out so we were walking and kept apart she was looking at me and i was looking at her when we got to the members house they got us to sit together i stood next to the door and then as they were to start i just walked out and walked back to the church eva came and unlocked the church and i just went up stairs as i was going to sit out side until they came home as we sleep in the church my partner got back and we sorted it out and forgave each other i felt the goat as i had to say sory to the two members in the service on sunday morning i realy looked the goat but nothing was said i told her while i was their in her country the lord was dealing with me and she said good as we al have been praying for you and i have been praying everyday for you asking god to speak to you as she also wanted a husband that was able to lead her with in the second week i was thier she told her members in lacastaliana in her own language that i have accepted what she talked to me about and that when my citazen ship is aproved for me to live in the phillippines they wil raise me from with in and send me off to bible collage as i told the members on the first week that they meet me that my role is simply her husband and to make sure her needs are being provided for as they all thought i was going to walk into this role i said just becasue she is head pastor does not give me that pass but when the people were laughing and one of her members whispherd in my ears you know what she is saying i said no so he told me she told us weather he likes it or not he is going to walk in that role so i was welcomed into the family and they prayed for me also in her main church in our prayer meeting on friday night again they prayed for me and on saturday morning before they took me to the air port the whole pastrol team and her brother who is the youth pastor with my wife to be standing next to me holding my hands prayed over me prayed for my prottection back to australia and god cofirmed their and then on the 24 of jan 2008 this is the role he wants me to walk in and this is were he wants me to serve him i felt this peace come over me and since i have been back in australia i have not been the same the people in my church have seen this my best friend has seen this my faith also has risen to what i saw god do in the phillippines while i was their not once did the holy spirit let me down as i did not go threw bible colage like the rest of the pastrol team has i am off the streets i went on gut insticts even the sermons i prepared the holy spirit helped me as i preached for the whole three weeks while i was in the phillippines i even preached to the youth and in one jail i preached at a mens group i was taken to which was in a village that use to be a tip i did not preach in the crusade as my partner preached in the crusade but i prayed by my partner side and i saw god heal two men with back problems when i preached in the jail and shared my testimony i depended on the holy spirit as some could not speak in english but the holy spirit made sure the priosoners heard what i had to say as i prayed before i even preached as i got everyone to close their eyes and i welcomed the holy spirit and i asked the holy spirit to guide me even the gaurds clossed their eyes as i kept my eyes open and watched what reactions i was getting from the inmates as their were only two gaurds with no guns no gaurd dogs not even a tower with gaurds in the tower it was just me one of the male pastors and two members from our church my tattoos also were getting attention and the prisoners litened to everything i had to say after it was over i thanked the lord and i thanked the holy spirit as i preached and shared my testimony in australian but i said the sinners prayer with 4 inmates who gave their life to god and prayed over them the holy spirit hit these guys as soon as i placed my hands on them i thought one guy was going to hit the concreet floor real hard so robin you wil know and god wil reveal this to you just give this over to him i hope by what i have shared hear helps sorry if its long but i needed to share some personal strugles i was going threw and what you wil probably have to also deal with god bless from your brother in the lord damo1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishcowboy Posted March 4, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 127 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 3,248 Content Per Day: 0.88 Reputation: 13 Days Won: 0 Joined: 03/23/2014 Status: Offline Share Posted March 4, 2008 the more time you spend with the Lord, reading, praying and waiting, you will find it easier to find what the Lord wants you to do.... as far as signing up for lay speaking classes, go for it...... I have said it many times before..... YOU CAN NOT GO INTO BATTLE PRIOR TO GOING TO BOOTCAMP.... read, study, concentrate on the Lord...... the Bible tells us to study, to show ones self approved..... to be a minister, pastor, evangelist, teacher, missionary, or anyone else working in the ARMY of GOD, they need to study study study.... we need basic training when we enter the ARMY OF THE LORD.... Go for it... God has called a lot of people, most do not listen....... mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunterpoet Posted March 4, 2008 Group: Removed from Forums for Breaking Terms of Service Followers: 0 Topic Count: 128 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 2,704 Content Per Day: 0.44 Reputation: 25 Days Won: 1 Joined: 05/29/2007 Status: Offline Birthday: 10/08/1950 Share Posted March 4, 2008 You go right ahead and take those classes Robin. I have never fully understood why anybody would discourage a person from educating themselves. How small minded and selfish a person has to be to try and dissuade another from furthering themselves. As to wether you will know or not...you will...but only if you pursue it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneLight Posted March 4, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 22 Topic Count: 1,294 Topics Per Day: 0.21 Content Count: 31,762 Content Per Day: 5.21 Reputation: 9,763 Days Won: 115 Joined: 09/14/2007 Status: Offline Share Posted March 4, 2008 I also will encourage you to learn His word the best you can. All we can do is obey His leading and have faith that He will show us His way. As mentioned, this may be the first step of a very exciting and rewarding life and work in the Lord. Listen for His guidance through His Spirit. God Bless, Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trusting Jesus Posted March 4, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 66 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 2,050 Content Per Day: 0.34 Reputation: 22 Days Won: 0 Joined: 09/12/2007 Status: Offline Birthday: 09/09/1952 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Robin, we are all called into the ministry. Not necessarily preaching from a pulpit. Everyone needs to study and learn in order to serve our Lord and minister. Take the class. Study God's word. Learn all you can. Then, if God wants you for the full time ministry from a pulpit, you will be ready. Don't listen to those who try to discourage you. Do you really think anyone who knew Peter would have said "Yep, Peter will make a great minister". Or what about Paul? When Jesus went to His own town where he grew up, what did they say? "Isn't this Joseph's son?" Don't let people discourage you.....allow God to use you. <>< ><> Nathele Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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