Who is the Savior in Your Ministry?

About a year into my role as special needs ministry director at my church, I had one of those weeks… The week full of emails, calls, texts, smoke-signals, and in-person conversations that were all saying the same thing:

HELP.

And when my supervisor asked me his usual “how’s it been going?” the feeling of helplessness was suddenly overwhelming.

The belief that each of the needs I heard about was my responsibility to meet was paralyzing. When asked why I felt like I had to meet every need I replied, “because that’s what Jesus would do!” And, gently, my supervisor corrected me. “You know the story in John 5 about the man who was healed at the pool of Bethesda?” I did. “The passage says there was a multitude waiting to be healed… And yet Jesus only healed one.” I’d never thought about it that way before.

If Jesus can focus on the “one,” I certainly have permission to do the same.

Jesus knew exactly the who, when, what, and how of his work. And as I’ve pondered what this means for me as a ministry leader, I’ve come up with three questions that help me stay on the right track.

1. Am I spending time alone with the Father?

Though he was fully God, the Father is the ‘wellspring’ of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus often spent time in prayer and solitude. In Mark 1:29-39, coming off a long day and night of healing people, Jesus slips away while it’s still dark in the morning to pray. When he returns, Peter asks, “Where have you been? Everyone’s looking for you!” Sound familiar?

When running on empty, that question can be overwhelming. But Jesus, having just spent time with the Father, could confidently say “we’re going to the next town so I can minister there.” Ministry is a pouring out, and without being filled by time with our Father, we will quickly begin pouring out of ourselves. This leads to fruitless ministry, burnout, and discouragement.

2. Am I empowering others to be the hands, feet, and mouthpiece of Christ?

In the times when I feel like it ‘all depends on me,’ I’m essentially believing that I can be every part of the body of Christ. And for a season, I might be able to fake it. There are probably plenty of people out there who could walk on their hands for a short distance, or write scribbly sentences with their feet. But at some point, we discover that without every part of the body playing its own role, we will soon burn out.

“Expressing care is not about having all the answers, but being able to help find those answers is a huge expression of God’s love.”

So how are you utilizing the resources in your community? How are you empowering others for ministry? Enlisting help from others will not only will you shed burdens you don’t need to carry, but you will give others the opportunity to use their gifts and abilities in a way that excites them.

Having the names, phone numbers, and locations of resources in our communities is an invaluable asset! You might not have personal experience with special-education services, insurance, or public transportation, but there are people in your community who do. Perhaps you are equipped to help counsel a young mother grieving her husband walking out after their child receives a life-altering diagnosis, but you are likely not equipped to help her figure out the ins-and-outs of her insurance plan. Expressing care is not about having all the answers, but being able to help find those answers is a huge expression of God’s love.

3. Do I have a clear, essential vision and purpose for my ministry?

If you haven’t articulated the purpose or vision of your ministry, you’ll find yourself saying “yes” to just about everything. The reality is this: there are hundreds of good things you can do through your ministry. But the “good” can quickly become the enemy of the “best.” A few clearly defined goals helps me know when to say “yes.” For the disability ministry that I lead, we’ve articulated 2 main things we want to do: we want to facilitate the (1) discipleship and the (2) belonging of individuals with developmental disabilities at our church.

It’s OK to not have all the answers. It’s OK that you have limits.

By continually seeking God as the source of our ministry, we empower our congregations to do the work of ministry become more effective in the mission God has given all his followers: to “go make disciples of all nations.”

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Written By—Vinnie Adams

Vinnie Adams is the Reflectors Special Needs Ministry Director and Campus Worship Leader at Faith Church in Dyer, Indiana. he and his wife, Kate, currently live in Crown Point, Indiana with their sons, Jakob (7) and Josiah (4).