Over the past 6 years as I’ve served side by side countless people in ministry, I’ve realized that most Christians are missing an essential idea about ministry and I was to. If we can break this myth about ministry and catch a more complete vision it will transform the presence of our churches in the community.

The Myth: Only specific people are called to serve in full-time ministry.

At this point you’re probably thinking… “Oh great, he’s gonna tell me I need to become a Pastor.” Don’t worry, that’s not what I am talking about.

Our mindset as Christians is to serve within the context of our congregation, to minister in the confines of our local churches programs. That by all means is ministry, but it is a very restricted view of it.

As members of the body of Christ we are called to minister everywhere, within every context, because within every context we are a part of the body of Christ. Within every context we are called to represent Christ.

That means we are called to ministry full-time, all the time. Every moment is an opportunity for ministry and we are called to take it.

Dr. Wayne Cordeiro, of New Hope Christian Fellowship in Honolulu wrote in his book Doing Church As a Team, “Every member is a minister; that’s what God says. In fact he calls us to be full-time ministers.”

We see evidence for this idea in the Bible in Luke 10, where Jesus says “the harvest is plenty, but the workers are few.” You are the workers, the ministers, called to “Go into all the world” (Mark 16:15).

Dr. Stephen D. Jone of Seattle First Baptist Church said “…ministry is the vocation of all Christians.”

You are called to be a full-time minister, a vocational minister. However, our ministry vocations may all appear to be very different. Some may be called to be electrical engineer ministers (like my Dad), or you could be called to be a sales minister, or a marketing minister, or a fast food minister, or a political minister, or a pastoral minister. Wherever the Lord has you working, you are there to do more than just provide for your family, you are there to provide for the physical and spiritual needs of your co-workers. You are called to be the radical witness in your workplace.

Now let me assure you, I know this is not easy. I worked at a publishing company for 2 years and was so fear struck about what might happen if I brought up the name of Jesus that no one really knew I was Christian until the last few weeks I worked there. I wasted 2 years of opportunities to witness to my co-workers and be a light in the darkness. Sometimes I was so fearful of their reaction, that when they asked what my plans were after community college, instead of saying I planned on studying the Bible, I would say things like either “I’m not 100% sure yet” or “I am going to study literature”.

I failed in my witness in my workplace and I realized this in the last couple of weeks and did end up being able to talk with one co-worker about why I would want to go to Bible College and then discussed Heaven with another guy who had questions about it.

Now I try to make it my goal to be a minister always… At the gas station, fast food, wal-mart, target…. EVERYWHERE.

That is what you and I are called to do, to be full-time vocational ministers. This week don’t leave your church and check ministry off your to-do list, let it be more than a to-do or time on the calendar… Let it be a part of your purpose!

About Brandon Maddux

Brandon Maddux has published 10 posts on this blog..

I am currently studying Biblical Studies at Life Pacific College, the intern to the Children's Pastor at my home church, The Sanctuary Church and working for Kidology.org. I pray that my life is lived in obedience to God's command to "Get Moving!" (Exodus 14:15).

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