PRACTICAL MINISTRY 2

"WE GIVE NO OFFENSE IN ANYTHING, that our ministry may not be blamed."
2 Corinthians 6:3 (NKJV)

• The raising of leaders who are to do the work with you.

• When God called and anointed you, the Grace on your life would attract different people, both the right and the wrong ones—the proteges and the parasites.
• Some who are attracted to you in your ministry or church are there to learn, and work with you in fulfilling the vision given to you by God. Whilst some are there to take what you have, suck you to dryness, and leave you empty.
• As a minister and a leader, you must be able to know and discern those who have come to serve and those who came to parasitize—live off on you.
• Some who are around you, in the work, are to take from you, and not to contribute to the fulfilment of the vision at all.
• Thus, you should be circumspect and be sensitive enough to know those who have come to serve and build the vision with you and those who have come to suck and parasitize—to live on you as a parasite.

• To raise leaders around you, you have to develop a plan for their growth.

• You would have to develop a training system. If you think that would be difficult for you, get someone who could assist in doing that.
• God has raised teachers for the body of Christ, engage the ministry of genuine teachers for the training of your people.
• After you might have trained the people, give those whom you have trained the opportunity to serve. In other words, give them works to do, in order to release the knowledge they have acquired—put what they have learned to practice.
• Give them a Job description, the descriptions of what you wanted them to do—the scope of each individual's assignment.

• Give them terms and conditions of service, what is expected of them to do.

• Let them know the duration of the works you have given them to do. That is, you let them know whether the work is on renewable term; when It would be ended and be given another opportunity to reapply for fresh appointment or whatever.
• Let all be written, be documented, and be taught to whoever is being trained to work with you. Do not leave this to assumption, It might be dangerous.
• Let them know the core vision of the ministry, what God has instructed you to do. If the vision is not made known and clear to them, some of them might come up with other strange visions that are contrary to what God has instructed you to do.
• Mostly, church crisis is always rooted in no vision or when the vsion of the founder or the pioneer is not clear or well understood by the followers.
• Let them know your convictions, what you believe in, and the dealings of God in your life: "IF YOU INSTRUCT THE BRETHREN IN THESE THINGS, YOU WILL BE A GOOD MINISTER OF JESUS CHRIST, NOURISHED IN THE WORDS OF FAITH AND OF THE GOOD DOCTRINE WHICH YOU HAVE CAREFULLY FOLLOWED" (1 Timothy 4:6 NKJV).
  READ: 2 Timothy 3:10-12,14
• It is when your vision or assignment is well understood by the people under your leadership that they can run with it (Habakkuk 2:2). A vision that is not well understood could be difficult to run with. And If at all they ran with it, It may be presented to the people wrongly.

• Do not double deal. Be a person of integrity. Be honest, sincere, transparent, genuine, and accountable.
In other words, or in a simple term, be honest and upright in character.

• Remember, you can only reproduce your kind. The people you lead would not be better than you in character, they would live after you (Matthew 10:24,25).
• Do not be in a hurry to ordain people into ministerial or leadership positions.
  Prove the heart of whoever to be considered for leadership position in your ministry: "BUT LET THESE ALSO FIRST BE TESTED; THEN LET THEM SERVE AS DEACONS, BEING FOUND BLAMELESS" (1 Timothy 3:10 NKJV).
• Do not consider the ableness of whoever you wanted to ordain or assign alone, but the faithfulness of such as a person as well. Such must be someone who is: "HOLDING FAST THE FAITHFUL WORD AS HE HAS BEEN TAUGHT, THAT HE MAY BE ABLE, BY SOUND DOCTRINE, BOTH TO EXHORT AND CONVICT THOSE WHO CONTRADICT" (Titus 1:9 NKJV).

• If you appointed someone into leadership position, based on their qualifications, or abilities, you may not be able to control them.

• You can train a faithful person to become an able person, but it would be difficult to make an able person to become a faithful person.
• Faithfulness first, before the ableness. Do not appoint anyone solely on the basis of physical appearance (1 Samuel 16:4-7), or physical qualities, especially If you had deficiency in that area.

• You will not fail in Jesus' name.

• If you are battling with any sickness or disease, I said you are healed now in Jesus' name.
• The hold of that sickness is destroyed in Jesus' mighty name.
  Peace.

STEPS TO SALVATION
• Take notice of this:
IF you are yet to take the step of salvation, that is, yet to be born-again, do it now, tomorrow might be too late (2 Corinthians 6:1,2; Hebrews 3:7,8,15).
a. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and confess your Sins (1 John 1:9); And ask Jesus Christ to come into your life (Revelation 3:20).
b. Confess that you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that you confess it with your mouth, Thus, you accept Him As your Lord and Saviour (Romans 10:9,10).
c. As you took the steps A and B your name is written in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:8).

• If you took the steps As highlighted above, congratulations, It means you are saved—born-again. Join a Word based 1 in your area and Town or city, and be part of whatever they are doing there. Peace!