YOUR Ministry

In 2 Timothy 4:5, Paul challenges Timothy, “As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”  In his book The Measure of Our Success, Shawn Lovejoy writes of this passage:

After studying this passage of Scripture in six different translations and in the original language, do you know what I discovered? I could not find one translation that reads, “fulfill Rick Warren’s ministry,” or “fulfill Mark Driscoll’s ministry,” or “fulfill T.D. Jake’s ministry.” I didn’t even find “fulfill the ministry of X Community Church.” Can you believe that? The apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, actually said, “Fulfill your ministry.”

Love that.  I’m so tired of pastors who try to sound like another pastor, and of churches who carbon copy their vision from another church.  God made you, and your church, you-niquely you – and He gave you a unique vision to fulfill.

This is why I love the vision clarity message of Will Mancini, and why I’m so proud to work with Auxano, helping churches to discover what makes them unique.  If you need help with that, let me know!