In a previous blog, I asked what you thought ministry looked like. I am examining what I expect ministry to look like and what it actually looks like.
The first month of the World Race has looked a little different than I had pictured. The term “ministry” [to me] meant actively seeking out opportunities to tell people about Jesus. But this month hasn’t been that exactly…
Our mission is to join God where He’s already working. That’s a pretty broad statement, and can look very different depending on where you’re at in the world. Which means “ministry” can look like……
Leading Missions and Rec at Wilderness Camp, a VBS-type camp for children…
Preparing a property for future ministry uses including landscaping, shoveling rocks from one place to another, digging trenches, and laying grass and sod…
Partnering with Christian Surfers to reach people who hang out at the skate park and beach…
Leading Kid’s Club on Saturdays that ministers to a low-income neighborhood…
Partnering with Casa Fé (a place that builds a foundation for at-risk youth to learn useful life skills) by cleaning up, reorganizing, fixing computers, and hooking up a Wii for team-building games…
Reorganizing a library by labeling books, separating them by language & genre, and re-shelving them…
Moving a prenatal center out of a hardware store and into a new, larger, easier-access facility…
Painting a school (not pictured). Fun fact: public schools in Costa Rica don’t start until February because what would be our “winter break” is kind of like their summer break.
Teaching Sunday school at a local church (not pictured)…
…and other ways.
As you can see, doing ministry can look a lot different than what you or I might expect. It can be difficult to take in the lasting effects of our ministry now, since we’re joining God right where He’s already working. But just hearing and seeing how much the community here appreciates our help is reassuring that we’re right where God wants us.
