“Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; and confirm for us the work of our hands; yes, confirm the work of our hands” (Psalm 90:17).
Almost six years ago my husband informed the elders of our church that he was stepping down as lead pastor after sixteen years of fruitful ministry. He was leaving a vibrant, spiritually healthy congregation of people he loved, a godly, supportive, and experienced staff and pastoral team, a nicely equipped facility and campus, and a generous salary. We were at the stage of life when most people are starting to think about slowing down a bit and coasting toward retirement. I was ready to leave my part-time job and enjoy being a wife and grandmother, assuming that my husband would continue to bring in a comfortable income to support us both. I soon realized God had a sense of humor, and a different plan!
The morning after he preached his last sermon, we sat at the kitchen table and contemplated what might be next. My first thought was, “how are we going to pay the bills?” but as God began to unfold the desires of my husband’s heart, we soon realized He was taking us on a completely new journey. Within a few months those desires had taken root and given birth to a new ministry.
How does one go about launching a new ministry? While it’s never as simple as it sounds, and God’s plans for us are distinctive and unique, Scripture gives us many foundational principles to build on as we follow God on a new adventure. We can find these principles as we observe the actions taken by his faithful followers who were called into special places of service and ministry – people like Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Paul, and Jesus’ own disciples. Here are just five things to consider as you launch your new ministry.
“There is no way that Christians, in a private capacity, can do so much to promote the work of God and advance the kingdom of Christ as by prayer.” – Jonathan Edwards
Launching a new ministry begins with preparing our own hearts spiritually. We want to make sure we are following the Holy Spirit’s leading rather than our own ideas or impressions. New ministries are often born out of a need that God brings to our attention, a passion or gifting that He plants in our hearts, or a growing awareness that He is moving us to something different by a dissatisfaction or loss of passion for our current work (secular job or gospel-centered ministry). It’s typical of human nature to desire change simply for the sake of change, so we need to intentionally spend time praying and fasting for God’s leading before we proceed.
Nehemiah is a great example. While serving as the king’s cupbearer in Persia, he received word that the remnant in Jerusalem were in distress, since the walls and gates of the city were destroyed. His immediate response is found in Nehemiah 1:4 – “When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.”
His prayer is a model of humility and dependence on God, and by the end of it, he knew that God was going to use him to be part of the solution. His prayer moves from adoration, to confession, to interceding for God’s people, and ends with a request for God’s favor as he plans to act on the need.
Nehemiah didn’t stop praying once he had an idea of the direction God wanted him to take. Throughout the entire book, he continually seeks God’s wisdom, protection, and favor as he carries out the ministry of rebuilding the walls. It is important not only to begin our ministry in prayer, but to continue to pray consistently for God’s hand in accomplishing the ministry to which He has called us.
Proverbs 16:1-3, 9 – “The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the Lord weighs the motives. Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established. The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”
“[People] ought to be told honestly what it is they are taking up, if they profess a desire to come out from the world and serve Christ. They ought not to be pressed into the ranks of Christ’s army without being told what the warfare entails.” –J.C. Ryle
In Luke 14:25-33, Jesus describes the personal sacrifices one must make in order to follow Him as a true disciple. We must be willing to give up our relationships, plans, possessions, and even our very lives. He warns that we should not enter into this new life with false expectations or assumptions but count the cost. This is practical wisdom to consider for any new ministry. Are we willing to count the cost of accomplishing the mission God gives us?
By God’s sovereign plan, Esther went from life as a simple young Jewish woman to a queen, married to King Ahasuerus of Persia. At her uncle’s advice, she hid her nationality, until circumstances unfolded that required her to bravely reveal her heritage in order to save her people. She rose to the occasion, “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). The ministry God gave her required her to confront an enemy at the risk of her life. Incidentally, Esther and her people prayed and fasted for three days before she acted.
Paul is another example of someone who counted the cost of his God-given ministry and concluded that fulfilling what God has called him to do was worth everything. From the moment God saves him, He makes it clear that Paul will suffer great hardship as he takes the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15-16). Because he knows without a doubt that he is doing what God wants, Paul is able to endure. If God opens a door of ministry for us, we cannot enter into it lightly, but be fully willing to lay down everything to be obedient.
Acts 20:24 – “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.”
In Acts 6:1-6, a need for a new ministry came to the attention of the apostles. The Hellenistic Jews complained that their widows were being overlooked in the distribution of food. While they could have divided up the duties and tried to accomplish everything themselves, the apostles realized they needed other believers to step up and serve in this place of ministry. As spiritual leaders, they instructed the disciples to choose seven godly men and commissioned them for this new work. The seven men were brought before the apostles, who prayed over them and laid hands on them.
In the same way, the elders at Jerusalem fasted and prayed over Paul and Barnabas, and laid hands on them before they were “sent out by the Holy Spirit” (Acts 13:1-4).
Practically, in order to be sent, one needs a sending entity. This could be your local church, or an established ministry with a similar focus as your new ministry. It could also mean establishing a board of directors to provide wisdom and guidance, financial, emotional and spiritual support, and accountability. Most importantly, build a team of prayer warriors to undergird you and continually remind you that you are sent.
The decision to launch a ministry in the name of Jesus should be approached with humility, fear, and trepidation. As Christ-followers, we know that believers aren’t perfect people, and we are still susceptible to moral failures and foolish decisions. Therefore, when we present ourselves to a watching world as ministers of Jesus Christ, we must commit to a life of holiness, integrity, and accountability. The last thing we want is to bring shame to Jesus.
Because we speak and act in Jesus’ name, everything we do in ministry should be above-board, honest, and without deception. Our lives should be an open book. While a worker is worthy of being paid (1 Timothy 5:18) and it is acceptable that a person makes a living from proclaiming the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:14), no matter what kind of ministry we do, we should live exemplary, humbly, and generously. For the sake of Jesus’ reputation, those in any kind of Christian ministry ought to commit to being honest, hard-working, godly men and women of integrity (Colossians 4:17; 2 Timothy 4:5).
2 Corinthians 4:1 – “Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.”
2 Corinthians 6:3-4a – “Giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God.”
When God puts a ministry on our hearts and begins to open doors to make it a reality, we are filled with excitement. It’s a rude awakening when we realize that not everyone feels the same way as we do! If our focus is the kingdom of God and the gospel, we are sure to meet with spiritual and worldly opposition, and sadly, we may even meet with opposition from brothers and sisters in Christ. People have different ideas of what is valuable, and your passion doesn’t necessarily translate into everyone else’s. Expect resistance, but don’t let it discourage you or hinder you.
Both Ezra and Nehemiah are good examples to study as we consider the fact that there will be opposition to any new ministry. They faced political roadblocks, spiritual warfare, and physical enemies who tried to stop the work they were doing. In all cases, they prayed diligently, did what was necessary to answer their critics, and depended on God to accomplish the work He had given them. A common phrase in both stories was that “the good hand of God was upon them.” When God is on your side, no opposition can stand.
Proverbs 16:20 – “He who gives attention to the word will find good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.”
Over the last few years, my husband and I have watched these five principles work in a personal way. We pray diligently for God’s leading on a daily basis. We counted the cost of letting go of a regular income, trusting God to provide through donations as we established a non-profit organization. We also let go of the familiar in exchange for new relationships, new schedules, and new responsibilities. We were originally sent out by our local church but have since established a board of directors, a prayer team, and a growing list of supporters. We are conscious of being good stewards of the financial resources entrusted to us, and desire to work diligently and effectively in all aspects of ministry. We have enjoyed a lot of wonderful support and encouragement and have found our greatest opposition is spiritual in nature. We understand clearly that a commitment to sharing the gospel is a commitment to engaging in spiritual warfare.
Are you preparing to launch a new ministry? I will leave you with this quote as inspiration for the hard task ahead of you.
My calling is sure. My challenge is big. My vision is clear. My desire is strong. My influence is eternal. My impact is critical. My values are solid. My faith is tough. My mission is urgent. My purpose is unmistakable. My direction is forward. My heart is genuine. My strength is supernatural. My reward is promised. And my God is real. I refuse to be dismayed, disengaged, disgruntled, discouraged, or distracted. Neither will I look back, stand back, fall back, go back, or sit back. I do not need applause, flattery, adulation, prestige, stature, or veneration. I have no time for business as usual, mediocre standards, small thinking, normal expectations, average results, ordinary ideas, petty disputes, or low vision. I will not give up, give in, bail out, lie down, turn over, quit, or surrender. I am a minister. That is what I do. – Unknown Author
He is a cross pendant.
He is engraved with a unique Number.
He will mail it out from Jerusalem.
He will be sent to your Side.
Emmanuel
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