Education vs Experimentation

When it comes to ministry I have noticed that we tend to focus on education as opposed to experimentation. Our community tends to want to know just the right decision and information before starting into something. That is good and bad. The good part is that we feel prepared but the bad part is we tend to never know enough before we start, so the result is we never start at all. Even in our highest level professions, on the job training is critical and most times required. Take doctors for example, they have to go through the riggers of Med School which include the very difficult qualification process, but after Med School they have an even longer internship, and residency. It is the latter part of the process where doctors really become doctors. In Jesus ministry Jesus did the very same thing, but He treated the internship AS the educational process.

In Jesus’ community, there was a process of elimination; there was a qualification process for people to become disciples. That process started when a kid reached six years of age and entered school. This is known as Bet-Sefer (house of books, generally known as elementary education), it would last from about age 6 to age 12ish. If a kid was good enough they would be allowed to go to the next level which is known as Bet-Talmud (secondary education), this would last until the kid was about 14. Only the best of the best would be allowed to move to the next level. Let me give you a little insight here so you might understand what is going on and what the priorities are for this 1^st century Jewish community. First, to a Jew becoming a disciple was like becoming an NBA super star. It was the highest level of achievement in that community. To have your kid selected to go to the next level of education would be like your highschooler being selected to go to Harvard. It was a huge deal. To have your son selected to be a disciple was the equivalent to your kid becoming the President. This news would cause your entire street to come out and celebrate! Only the best of the best of the best would be selected to go further. Along the way the drop outs, the picked overs and the dismissed would be asked to go back to the family trade. Most would return to fishing, others maybe tax collecting, and even others it might be farming. The vast majority were not qualified to serve God in Jesus community.

When Jesus selects His disciples, He does not choose among the best of the best. He did not choose the qualified. In reality, He chooses a crazy variety of unqualified people. So what is the lesson? Jesus is more interested in your willingness to experiment than your qualifications. Jesus didn’t do any investigation on any of His disciples, no past employment check, no “have you ever been married” check, not even any education research. It is interesting that Jesus didn’t even ask the standard church questions that we have all been asked when we get involved with the church. We have almost no information about what the disciples were or were not before they met Jesus. That is an important fact when you consider that today in most church communities your will go through an exhaustive process of sifting long before you will even be considered to serve. Why did Jesus deal with His disciples this way? Because the truth is we are all disqualified to serve a holy God. So no matter what area of service you take on, you can know with complete assurance you are disqualified for it. Since all are completely disqualified to serve God, Jesus wasted no time attempting to further underscore that fact and simply begun calling the disqualified into the work He would qualify them for.

Once the disciples were chosen Jesus trained them. At Mercy’s Cross that is the same process we use. It isn’t that we don’t have standards or safety features. We do, for example if you are going to work with students or kids you will have a background check, to ensure we keep our kids safe. But we don’t focus on your past failure as an attempt to keep you from investing your life. We use the idea that you should jump in and then we’ll teach you how to swim. I know it sounds scary but I have learned through 15 years of ministry the greatest obstacle we have is getting started.

So here is the diving board:

Every third Sunday every month at 1:00 PM, starting April 19^th we are going to host Volunteer Orientation for every ministry (Group Life Leader is on a different date as is Worship Ministry note them at the bottom of the list). This will be a time to discover more about a ministry and find a way in. The meeting will last about an hour. This is the starting point for your experiment to discover where you fit.

Children’s Ministry: Hosted by our Children’s Children Center Director Angie Harness in 1st thru 5^th grade large group room.

Guest Services and Connection Team: Hosted by our Connection Director Stacey Harness in the worship center foyer.

Media Ministry: Hosted by our Media Pastor Troy Crow in the Sound Booth in back of worship center.

Student Ministry: Hosted by our Student Pastor Josh Valovich In the Student Building

Video Ministry: Hosted by our Video Director Carmen Mallard in the front of the worship center.

Celebrate Recovery Ministry: Hosted by our CR Pastor, Elbert Norman in the Celebrate Center.

Office Volunteer Ministry: Hosted by our administrative office manager Chrystal Butler in the office.

First Monday of every month, starting April 6th at 6:15 pm:

Group Life Leader: Hosted by our Group Life Pastor Al Graham in the Celebrate Center.

Fourth Sunday of every month, stating April 26nd at 1:00 pm:

Worship Ministry: Hosted by our Worship Pastor, Chuck Evatt on Stage in Worship Center.

iserveothers questions:

1. What has kept you out of ministry in the past?

2. What ministries are you currently involved in?

3. Which orientation are you going to attend first?

4. How much time each week are you going to dedicate to your ministry?

5. Why is it important to you to serve others?

Week one: God's Purpose

Rom 8:28-30
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. NIV

When Architects design a building the first question they ask is "What will it be used for?". When automakers design a car they ask "What is it's purpose?" Anytime something is to be created one of the most fundamental questions is "What is it's purpose?"

In Romans 8:28 God opens our eyes to the fact that He has a purpose for us. God created us and He has a purpose for us. So one of the first lessons we can learn is that we don't have to create our purpose but we have to discover it.

Romans also brings to our attention that long before we were created God had in mind what he wanted us to do with our lives, and who He wanted us to be like. His desire is for us to be like Jesus. Jesus spent His life serving others. Within this deep truth is a simple fact: God desires for us to serve others. With that settled we will journey to discover who we can best serve.

Let's start our journey with some questions. Please comment back with your answers. If you feel like your answer needs to be for me only you can email me your answer at Scott@mercyscross.com.

1. What do you like doing? What are your hobbies, and interests?
-Please give detailed answers.
2. Who do you like working with? Kids, adults, teens, elderly etc?
-Again give detailed answers.
3. Who have you served in the past that you felt like you did a good job?
4. What area of your life have others compliment you in?

Formed by God

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; Jeremiah 1:5 NIV

Before we ever felt the light of day or breathed the air of the atmosphere God knew us. He knew who we are and how we are. It wasn’t that he was an astute observer but He was the active agent in our creation. He is the maker of who we are and the planter of the seed of incredible potential in each of our lives. He fashioned us, for very specific reasons. God is the God of purpose and He has purposed to make us in such a way that we will matter to the world we live in.

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters.” Rom 8:28-30 NLT

Not only is God instrumental to our initial formation but He also is active in our lives and experiences using them as a master craftsmen uses a chisel. Forming, fashioning, and molding us into the unique image of His Son. God’s promise is that He will take both the good and the bad and use it to make us more like Jesus. God never wastes an experience.

We see this in Jesus personal ministry. He calls fishermen, men who knew what it was like to work for something in extreme conditions. They were familiar with trying hard and coming up empty, but not giving up. They would come in after a night of empty nets only to drop them down again with great expectation of getting the catch. Fishermen understand that the right circumstances, the right timing combined with persistence would result in a catch. In the same way God calls us and uses our past experiences. Our life up to this point has been God’s training program to what He is going to have us accomplish tomorrow.

Over the next four weeks we will journey together inventorying what God has planted in us, and what He has invested in our life to prepare us for the greatness He designed us for.