1. Your world will be turned upside down:
When I first started as a missionary, I went to a quadrennial training, the
theme was Living the United Methodist Way: Turning Worlds Upside Down. I never
fully understood what it meant to have your world turned upside down until
having a child. Talk about having everything you know be shaken up. You are
living in a transformed world. Your life now is about your child and taking
care of him. Your child is exploring a whole new world and he is taking you on
the ride. There are things that are unknown, scary, and fun and you are there
to guide him. He also has his needs that you need to take care of. His
priorities are your priorities.
I imagine this is the same for new
Christians or for people joining the church. When new people join the church,
the church is transformed and turned upside down. The newbies come with their
needs and priorities, they come to explore. Will you be there to guide them, to
take care of their needs? Are you ready for your world to be turned upside
down?
2. What is on your radar?: When I became a
parent, when I had my son, Victor, I started noticing other parents. When I went
outside into the community, I started noticing other parents with strollers,
carriers, and diaper bags. My husband started noticing parents as well. One
late night when he went to Meijer, he saw a young couple with their baby,
buying diapers. He told me that the young couple looked tired and was probably
at the store because the baby wouldn’t sleep. Before, I didn’t notice the
parents, nor the families. Now, that I am a parent, it is on my radar and I
notice them everywhere.
What is on your radar? When it comes to
ministry at your church? Who are you serving? Who are you not serving?
Sometimes we have to make adjustments to expand our radar and see what we were
not seeing before, maybe we are not seeing the college people that live around
the church, the people that take the bus around the corner of the church, nor
the immigrants in our community. Maybe they are not on our radar, but what if
they were?
3. Ask for help: In both the parenting
class and the birth class that my husband and I took before having our baby,
the instructor told us, ask for help, or if someone offers help, accept it.
After having, Victor, we needed help, and gladly accepted it. My mother and
sister would help with washing dishes and making meals. My father came over to
play with and hold Victor. We asked for help and gladly accepted it when
someone offered. Corny as it sounds, it really does take a village to raise a
child.
Do you ask for help in your ministry? At
your church? Do you let others lend a hand? Sometimes people want to serve and
are looking for ways to help! Ask them for help! It takes a team to do
ministry.
4. Trust other people: This goes along
with asking people for help. As a new mother, I learned that I have to trust
other people to be able to care for my son. I have to learn that others can
take care of him too.
Again, in ministry, we have to trust that
others can do the ministry too! We have to let go of control sometimes and let
others take over.
5. Things take time: I have learned that
as a parent some things take time, like putting a baby to bed. Sometimes it
takes going back two, three, four times before Victor finally falls asleep.
Sometimes, it just takes one time.
It takes time to develop ministries. When
it comes to ministry, you have to try something sometimes again and again
before it works, every time making adjustments. You have to be patience and
persistent. You can’t give up even though sometimes you feel like giving up. People
are relying on you not to.
6. Find the humor in things: Being a
parent is stressful and you have to find the humor in things because that is
the only way you will make it through the day sometimes. My husband is good at
finding the humor in things and making jokes. Sometimes you just have to laugh.
Ministry can also be stressful. Things
don’t always go as you plan. Do you find the humor in things? Do you laugh in your ministry?
7. Have fun: Parenting can also be fun! It
can be fun to play and enjoy life with your little one. Our family has had lots
of fun. We have gone to the zoo and the museum.
Developing ministry can be fun. It doesn’t
have to be serious all the time. Do you have fun in your ministry? Do you help
others enjoy life?
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