Dear Reverend/ Minister/ Pastor,
It is natural to feel 'lost' at the beginning of a new ministry - you have received the call, answered it, and then there may be a feeling of panic and 'what now?'
There are certain possibilities which may be of assistance to you in your new ministry
1) When starting a new ministry, it is helpful to sit down with pen and paper and make a concrete plan
2) Break down the plan to a time frame and the finances needed
3) Pray and discern the following; what type of ministry do you feel called to?
There are different possibilities, such as;
- A church in your neighbourhood
- Prison ministry
- Hospital ministry/ chaplaincy
- Community ministry
- Online Internet ministry
4) Once you have decided after guidance from the Holy Spirit of God what type of ministry you wish to prepare yourself for, you need to register your church with your local Revenue and enquire about tax free status for your church
5) Research and learn all the rules surrounding the governance of a church in your area, e.g. if you buy or build a small church, what rules do you need to abide by with regards to e.g. health and safety issues.
If you wish to conduct marriages, do you need a local marriage officer qualification in order to do so?
6) Gain accreditation by doing a training course in a seminary as a pastor/ priest/ minister. Gain community accreditation by qualifying as e.g. a local marriage counsellor or chaplain if this qualification is needed for practice in your community
7) Start saving up for, or fundraising for, e.g. a graduation robe as a vestment, a stole, a chalice, paten so you may be appropriately attired for your ministry. Make a list of what you will need for your particular ministry and then build the needs up over time
8) Explore the option of renting an area for church use if you judge this best for your ministry need
9) Work out what work you will continue to do in the meantime to provide your daily financial needs as you slowly build up your ministry.
I call this the 'Paul model of ministry' - Paul of Tarsus earned his daily living as a tentmaker, and ministered after his work hours. He was thus financially independent and able to fund his ministry needs from his earnings*
10) Plan out how much time you will allot weekly to your church ministry. Do you plan to minister full time? Part time? How will you ensure a healthy work/ life balance to spend sufficient time with your family/ loved ones to maintain happy and strong relationships?
Good Shepherd Church Seminary offers practical training for Christian pastors called to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Feel free to make use of our modules as part of your training at http://lumierecharity.tripod.com/gsc-training-modules.html.
Full training is offered through the Universal Life Church; contact can be made with Rev. Amy Long at http://www.ulcseminary.org/
Blessings
Rev. Catherine
*St Paul of Tarsus - with thanks to About.com. See the following link;
http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/christians/p/PaulTarsus.htm
*Photograph of beautiful sculpture of Jesus Christ taken by Rev. Catherine.
With thanks to the talented sculptor
 |
| Jesus Christ - Son of God |
It is natural to feel 'lost' at the beginning of a new ministry - you have received the call, answered it, and then there may be a feeling of panic and 'what now?'
There are certain possibilities which may be of assistance to you in your new ministry
1) When starting a new ministry, it is helpful to sit down with pen and paper and make a concrete plan
2) Break down the plan to a time frame and the finances needed
3) Pray and discern the following; what type of ministry do you feel called to?
There are different possibilities, such as;
- A church in your neighbourhood
- Prison ministry
- Hospital ministry/ chaplaincy
- Community ministry
- Online Internet ministry
4) Once you have decided after guidance from the Holy Spirit of God what type of ministry you wish to prepare yourself for, you need to register your church with your local Revenue and enquire about tax free status for your church
5) Research and learn all the rules surrounding the governance of a church in your area, e.g. if you buy or build a small church, what rules do you need to abide by with regards to e.g. health and safety issues.
If you wish to conduct marriages, do you need a local marriage officer qualification in order to do so?
6) Gain accreditation by doing a training course in a seminary as a pastor/ priest/ minister. Gain community accreditation by qualifying as e.g. a local marriage counsellor or chaplain if this qualification is needed for practice in your community
7) Start saving up for, or fundraising for, e.g. a graduation robe as a vestment, a stole, a chalice, paten so you may be appropriately attired for your ministry. Make a list of what you will need for your particular ministry and then build the needs up over time
8) Explore the option of renting an area for church use if you judge this best for your ministry need
9) Work out what work you will continue to do in the meantime to provide your daily financial needs as you slowly build up your ministry.
I call this the 'Paul model of ministry' - Paul of Tarsus earned his daily living as a tentmaker, and ministered after his work hours. He was thus financially independent and able to fund his ministry needs from his earnings*
10) Plan out how much time you will allot weekly to your church ministry. Do you plan to minister full time? Part time? How will you ensure a healthy work/ life balance to spend sufficient time with your family/ loved ones to maintain happy and strong relationships?
Good Shepherd Church Seminary offers practical training for Christian pastors called to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Feel free to make use of our modules as part of your training at http://lumierecharity.tripod.com/gsc-training-modules.html.
Full training is offered through the Universal Life Church; contact can be made with Rev. Amy Long at http://www.ulcseminary.org/
Blessings
Rev. Catherine
*St Paul of Tarsus - with thanks to About.com. See the following link;
http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/christians/p/PaulTarsus.htm
*Photograph of beautiful sculpture of Jesus Christ taken by Rev. Catherine.
With thanks to the talented sculptor
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