THE FACE
When it comes to ministry, I have mostly been a project-oriented person. I love to get involved in short-term ministry projects that have a beginning and a foreseeable end. These have given me the combined sensation of accomplishment along with a feeling of doing “good”.
Recently God has convicted me that there is more involved in “project ministry” than just the project. He has shown me that the project has a face to make an impact.
A few Saturdays ago I participated in one of our churches monthly community ministry projects. We go into a government subsidized apartment complex in our community, serve lunch to the residents and pass out bags of groceries. It is an opportunity to meet our neighbors and introduce them to Jesus by demonstrating His love in a practical way.
I really enjoy this ministry, and I’m not sure why I enjoy it so much. It’s an ongoing project that really has no foreseeable end. But for some reason it really “charges my batteries”.
My modus operandi in ministry has been to focus on the project and its details not really thinking too much about the people being helped. That way I can “do good” without getting too involved. My unspoken mantra: “Don’t make eye contact.” Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I don’t care about the people I’m ministering to. I do or I wouldn’t be doing what I do. It’s just that a fear of doing or saying the wrong thing or perhaps becoming “sucked in” to a ministry black hole has paralyzed me from going deeper into a ministry relationship.
Now God has impressed upon me that this type of ministry simply isn’t enough for me. I sense a desire in Him to make me grow beyond the surface level of project ministry into a deeper level of relationship ministry using projects. The conviction comes from the truth that God cares more about people than projects.
It was that day at our church’s apartment visit that I was shown a living picture of this truth. On this particular Saturday there were about 30 of us from the church there to help. We set up tables, chairs, and food and begin assembling food baskets of hot dogs, chips and cookies. Things move so quickly during our time there that it can look like chaos in motion if you don’t have a handle on what’s going on.
In the middle of all this and the mingling of residents with church volunteers, a small boy of about two or three wandered into our group of workers crying. He obviously belonged to one of the residents and had somehow become separated from his family. Doug, one of the ministry volunteers knelt down to the level of this boy’s face and scooped him up in his arms and began to comfort him. He told him that his mother wasn’t far away and that lunch would be ready soon. In the mean time a cookie to pacify his fears couldn’t hurt. Not long after Doug settled the boy his mother came along found him and thanked Doug for finding him.
In addition to being a good example of paying attention to the needs of others, this was a good demonstration of what Jesus does for us in our time of need. When we are wandering around, crying out to Him, God scoops us up in His arms, comforts our fears and reminds us that He provides for our needs.
What a great picture. A very small, quick gesture of love in the middle of a lot of hustle and bustle. If I hadn’t been paying attention I would have surely missed it. By God’s grace I didn’t. And what a lesson it was for me. It was this little “snapshot” that brought it all home to me.
It’s about the ministry – not a project. What’s the difference? A ministry is people-centered. It has a face, a personality and adapts to people’s needs. A project, while it may have a beginning and a foreseeable end and can bring a modicum of satisfaction, is faceless. It’s intent may be to minister, but it is an event put together by a process and, ironically, it often overlooks the face of the people it is seeking to serve.
That’s precisely why I chose projects. They are faceless. You never have to look into someone eyes to complete a project. You don’t have to get involved in their life and really; you don’t have to even care. By the grace of God, my heart is changing.
A ministry is something else. The very definition of ministry is to get involved in a life. To make a difference. To sacrifice our own agenda in order to impact a life. Maybe even change it for good.
So the question is . . . how much of a sacrifice is a man’s (or in an equal opportunity world – a woman’s) life worth? Jesus, of course, answered that when He went to the cross to die for the sins of mankind so that mankind could live – and live to the full (John 10:10). It was worth His life to Him. We are not asked to give near that much and the return on the sacrifice is downright heavenly!
And if we are to care more for people than projects, than we need to get beyond the mechanics of the project and see the face of the person. Ask ourselves, “How can I meet a need?” How can I practically demonstrate the love of Jesus to others I come in contact with? The first step is to look into their eyes and see the face of ministry.
When it comes to ministry, I have mostly been a project-oriented person. I love to get involved in short-term ministry projects that have a beginning and a foreseeable end. These have given me the combined sensation of accomplishment along with a feeling of doing “good”.
Recently God has convicted me that there is more involved in “project ministry” than just the project. He has shown me that the project has a face to make an impact.
A few Saturdays ago I participated in one of our churches monthly community ministry projects. We go into a government subsidized apartment complex in our community, serve lunch to the residents and pass out bags of groceries. It is an opportunity to meet our neighbors and introduce them to Jesus by demonstrating His love in a practical way.
I really enjoy this ministry, and I’m not sure why I enjoy it so much. It’s an ongoing project that really has no foreseeable end. But for some reason it really “charges my batteries”.
My modus operandi in ministry has been to focus on the project and its details not really thinking too much about the people being helped. That way I can “do good” without getting too involved. My unspoken mantra: “Don’t make eye contact.” Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I don’t care about the people I’m ministering to. I do or I wouldn’t be doing what I do. It’s just that a fear of doing or saying the wrong thing or perhaps becoming “sucked in” to a ministry black hole has paralyzed me from going deeper into a ministry relationship.
Now God has impressed upon me that this type of ministry simply isn’t enough for me. I sense a desire in Him to make me grow beyond the surface level of project ministry into a deeper level of relationship ministry using projects. The conviction comes from the truth that God cares more about people than projects.
It was that day at our church’s apartment visit that I was shown a living picture of this truth. On this particular Saturday there were about 30 of us from the church there to help. We set up tables, chairs, and food and begin assembling food baskets of hot dogs, chips and cookies. Things move so quickly during our time there that it can look like chaos in motion if you don’t have a handle on what’s going on.
In the middle of all this and the mingling of residents with church volunteers, a small boy of about two or three wandered into our group of workers crying. He obviously belonged to one of the residents and had somehow become separated from his family. Doug, one of the ministry volunteers knelt down to the level of this boy’s face and scooped him up in his arms and began to comfort him. He told him that his mother wasn’t far away and that lunch would be ready soon. In the mean time a cookie to pacify his fears couldn’t hurt. Not long after Doug settled the boy his mother came along found him and thanked Doug for finding him.
In addition to being a good example of paying attention to the needs of others, this was a good demonstration of what Jesus does for us in our time of need. When we are wandering around, crying out to Him, God scoops us up in His arms, comforts our fears and reminds us that He provides for our needs.
What a great picture. A very small, quick gesture of love in the middle of a lot of hustle and bustle. If I hadn’t been paying attention I would have surely missed it. By God’s grace I didn’t. And what a lesson it was for me. It was this little “snapshot” that brought it all home to me.
It’s about the ministry – not a project. What’s the difference? A ministry is people-centered. It has a face, a personality and adapts to people’s needs. A project, while it may have a beginning and a foreseeable end and can bring a modicum of satisfaction, is faceless. It’s intent may be to minister, but it is an event put together by a process and, ironically, it often overlooks the face of the people it is seeking to serve.
That’s precisely why I chose projects. They are faceless. You never have to look into someone eyes to complete a project. You don’t have to get involved in their life and really; you don’t have to even care. By the grace of God, my heart is changing.
A ministry is something else. The very definition of ministry is to get involved in a life. To make a difference. To sacrifice our own agenda in order to impact a life. Maybe even change it for good.
So the question is . . . how much of a sacrifice is a man’s (or in an equal opportunity world – a woman’s) life worth? Jesus, of course, answered that when He went to the cross to die for the sins of mankind so that mankind could live – and live to the full (John 10:10). It was worth His life to Him. We are not asked to give near that much and the return on the sacrifice is downright heavenly!
And if we are to care more for people than projects, than we need to get beyond the mechanics of the project and see the face of the person. Ask ourselves, “How can I meet a need?” How can I practically demonstrate the love of Jesus to others I come in contact with? The first step is to look into their eyes and see the face of ministry.
