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Five Words Of Counsel
By Lieut.-Colonel Mervyn Leach
1. BE SURE OF YOUR CALLING.
Yours is a very personal history. Yours is a story to be told.
You have been saved by grace and indwelt by His Spirit and you
have been called, chosen and set apart for special work. Your
life is a story that is still being written. There must have
been a certain time in a certain place when you and were
nudged or prodded by the Holy Spirit into giving ministry of
the gospel and Salvation Army officership serious
consideration. You found that you were compelled by love to
respond and answer the call. There really was nothing else
that you could do. This was, and is, God’s will for your life.
You’ve placed your all on the altar Yours is a most sacred
trust. Let your integrity shine through in all that you do.
Into your hands has been placed the care and keeping of a
precious flock of people and you are responsible for their
development and growth in the Christian way. You must strive,
as did the apostle Paul, to be many things to many people so
that you might win some. The paraphrase ,”The Message” reminds
you that you and those like you are harvest hands and that you
don’t need any equipment as you are being sent out. Peterson
says, “You are the equipment”.
2. PREACH FOR A VERDICT
Keep your preaching simple. Make the message clear and plain.
Communicate with such warmth and sincerity that the little old
lady in the back row will feel that she’s just been hugged. Be
yourself. Use stories and good illustrations from life. Use
even your own story. Be diligent in study and preparation.
Bathe your preparations in prayer. Go to God before you go to
your people. Let the message speak to your heart first before
you go to the pulpit to share it. Work with themes. Make your
meeting outlines support your theme. See that your theme flows
to a conclusion and challenge that supports a call to
commitment. If you fail to plan you will plan to fail.
Remember the old adage; “If you can’t strike oil in twenty
minutes, quit boring”.
Do not neglect the Mercy Seat. It is unique to the Salvation
Army. Make your invitation clear and plain. Never assume the
entire congregation, large or small, is without the need to
make a public confession of Salvation or Sanctification. Fight
for souls with conviction and perseverance.
3. PASTOR YOUR PEOPLE
This is an area sadly neglected in this present day and age.
Visit them in their homes. This is such a valuable opportunity
to meet your people on their own turf where they can let down
their guard and be open and frank as they begin to trust you
and your level of confidentiality.
As trust grows so does their willingness to open up many areas
of their lives, especially the hurts that may have lain
dormant for years.
Pastoral care of the flock helps you with preparing more
appropriate sermons as you try to meet them at their point of
need. With many of your people working, two to a household, it
is more difficult to accomplish visitation, but it can be done
by careful and prayerful scheduling, even during evening hours
or over lunch or a coffee.
Be consistent in dealing with matters of discipline by
carefully following the appropriate orders and regulations
making a level playing field and showing no partiality.
Constantly study to make yourself competent to counsel. Never
go beyond your level of competency. “Mow to the edges of your
own field”. Know when it is time to refer to the Christian
professionals.
4. BE AN ENCOURAGER
Dale Carnegie, in his book, “How to win friends and influence
people”, said “ Be hearty in your approbation and lavish with
your praise”. People respond, not to flattery, but to well
earned praise. Appropriate and sincere commendations go so
much farther than constructive criticism even though there are
times when the latter is called for.
Nurture, mentor, disciple, teach and encourage, knowing that
apathy in the pew can be contagious and negativity can spread
like a prairie wild fire.
Do not neglect the hardened hearts and the antagonists in your
ministry unit. A phrase, “Keep your friends close and your
enemies even closer” can apply. Many a soldier saint has been
won through dogged determination and persistence. The more
they oppose and the more they question and argue, the more
likely they are secretly searching for the truth.
5. STAY THE COURSE.
Jesus said, in Luke 9:62, “ No one who puts his hand to the
plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God”.
This text was given by a seasoned officer to a young candidate
who was about to embark on a life of sacrifice and service and
that officer, after many years, attests to the marked
impression that was made on his life and ministry.
It is so easy in ministry, whether serving a congregation of
administering in a socials services setting, through the
attacks of Satan, to become discouraged by circumstances,
disappointed in people who let you down and dismayed by a lack
of response. This will drive you to your knees more often than
you will ever remember. It was Robert Schuller, founding
pastor of the great Crystal Cathedral in Orange County,
California highlighted for me, “when the going gets tough the
tough get going”.
What a privilege is yours to minister to a group of God’s
children.
Never, never. never give up.
A song in our song book, written by Anna Waring, puts it all
in perspective;
Green pastures are before me
Which yet I have not seen;
Bright skies will soon be o’er me,
Where the dark clouds have been.
My hope I cannot measure,
My path to life is free;
My Savior has my treasure,
And he will walk with me.
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