What kind of ministry are you called to?

Ninety percent of people who come to us have set in their minds to be pastors.  The reality though is very different.  Becuase many of these people do not know how to match their desires and God given gifts to the various ministry positions.

So here I would like to list the various ministry positions and what they do:

Remember all positions are equal before God. (Book of Colossians)

Elder:  A person in a position of authority over the local church.  These people usually serve as teachers, deacons, and pastors in addition to their own position as elder.  Althoughsome elders have no other positions.  Elders direct the church by approriating monies, discipline, hiring, firing, and other important decisions.  Elders are biblically mandated to visit the sick, and comfort the lonely via prayer and physical encouragement.  They also lay on hands, anoint with oil and ordain Christian workers.

Pastor: A person responsible for the day to day nurturing and encouragement of the church.  The pastor spends most of his time calling people, visiting people, promoting the church, studying the bible, and prayer.  Many churches also require the pastor to preach, teach the word, and perform maintenance around the church and parsonage.  Most pastors are considered elders in their own churches.  They live quiet lives and usually go unthanked and unnoticed by the majority of their communities.  Unlike evangelists or multimillion dollar preachers pastors generally live on low incomes, devoted to loving people who many times don't wish to be loved by a pastor or anyone else.  Their time is filled trips to funeral homes, wedding halls, and hospitals.  It is very different than the position of evangelist.

Preacher / evangelist:  Similiar to a pastor except does not really deal with the nurturing of the church or involve himself in the politics, rather the preacher focuses on the ministry of preaching.  Many times the preacher or evangelist will not even have their own churches, instead they travel from church to church delivering God's word.  Pastors many times are limited in their expression by the politics of their home church and will obtain the services of a preacher to come in address politically sensitive problems.  This way the pastor can address a sensitive issue, without splitting the church our sparking a battle.  Evangelists are among the most famous of Christian workers.  Or infamous.  Especially the televangelist or radio-evangelist who address millions everyday.

Teacher: Be it in a college setting or preschool Sunday school.  Teachers are essential to the churches health and growth.  The preacher plants- but it is the teacher who waters and nurtures the new Christian to mature and bear fruit.  In my opinion most people who wish to be pastors really are desiring to be teachers.

Missionary: A worker in any number of profession who work with unsaved or struggling Christians outside of the traditional church.  MIssionaries usually focus on one of the following functions:

Physical relief- feeding the poor, healing the sick, and providing shelter and clothing.

Educational- teaching people about Christ, job training, food production, disease prevention, etc.

Spiritual-  church planting, bible handout, bible teaching, evangelism, baptism etc.

Worker: A person who works to support the other ministries.  They may cut grass, paint, do taxes, write books, print bulletins, bake cookies, buy toys, organize fellowships etc.  These people are as essential to the church as bones are to the body.