How to step into your calling (a true story)
In the year 2000, while I was a young christian man, I used to attend a local church where I would also be attending the youth service.
As a young person, I did enjoy writing Bible meditations at home and until today, I still have those notebooks where I would write personal Bible meditations.
One day, the youth pastor announced that the church would organize a 4-day conference for the youth and that various youth groups from other churches would be invited. It was exciting news and all the youngsters in our church were excited about the news.
However, there was one problem: “though the church was willing to organize the event, a number of young volunteers were needed to realize the project.”
In order to get volunteers, the youth pastor had to present the various departments that would be utilized to organize the conference. There were various departments such as the ushering, the worship-choir department, the media team, design team, the transportation team, the finance team, the intercession team and the writing team.
During the announcement of those teams, the pastor requested volunteers and he also requested that the volunteers indicate where they would want to work. Most of the volunteers chose glamorous departments such as the worship team and the ushering team. I also volunteered but I chose the least popular team which was the writing team.
The writing team was in charge of transcribing the message preached by any speaker and it had to be done in real live time. You can imagine that the job description was boring to most people.
Including myself, we only had 4 volunteers in that team.One of the perks of the job consisted in the fact that we could also have access to recording tapes of the message and we could take them home in order to polish our transcription. It was hard but feasible and fun to me.
After the conference, our team turned into a permanent sub-department in the youth group since our conference task was well performed. The writing team was re-labelled the ‘Secretariat’ of the youth group and I was promoted as the deputy secretary of the youth group which was the third most important department of the youth ministry. Our role was to manage and develop reporting related to youth activities.
Later, I was approached by a group of people in the church who heard about my writing skills. The group wanted me to be a co-founder in the church’s first community newspaper. In the newspaper, I was an editor, I was teaching the word of God and I was just 19. Readers from all ages would read my teachings and when they would meet me face-to-face, they could not believe that I was the author behind those messages.
That was during the years 2000 and 2001. That was the season that
started my teaching and writing ministry… and the writing stayed with me since.
Today, I run a teaching ministry that uses ‘writing’ as a medium of communication among others. Just like the Apostle was making tents (ref. Acts 18:1-4), I also offer paid services as an editor and as a ghostwriter for various people. Not only am I teaching the word of God for free but I am also paid to offer writing services. And it all started by volunteering at Church.
Some people think that they need to hear angels and see great revelations in order to discover their God-given gifts. Of course, there have been times in my life where things started with an extraordinary revelation but when it comes to my writing, it was just a spiritual intuition or an inner voice that convinced me to start that way.
If God speaks to you and convinces you, go ahead and make it happen.
Why Am I sharing this message?
I shared this message because many people have been asking me ‘how they could step into their God-given purpose’.
One of the options would be to volunteer at their local church by offering services through the gifts that God gave you. God has called us to enter different places and if you are not sure on how to get started, then why not volunteer in your church with the gift that God gave you?
Whether God has called you into sports, business, arts, science, ministry,hospitality,etc…if you feel stuck about starting, then I suggest that you volunteer. And if there are no existing departments that can accommodate your gifts,then suggest to your pastor to create a new department. And if nobody wants your gift in your local church, then go out there and find a place where you can serve people. That way, you will see your gift come to life.
A gift comes to life through service. Even if you have a day job that does not fit your life calling, you can still serve with your gift after work or during your day off.
No matter what you are going through, On Judgment Day, do not plan to tell the Lord that you could not do anything with the gift that He gave you.
Go ahead!
TOP CHRISTIAN BLOGS FOR YOUNG ADULTS
As a young person, I did enjoy writing Bible meditations at home and until today, I still have those notebooks where I would write personal Bible meditations.
One day, the youth pastor announced that the church would organize a 4-day conference for the youth and that various youth groups from other churches would be invited. It was exciting news and all the youngsters in our church were excited about the news.
However, there was one problem: “though the church was willing to organize the event, a number of young volunteers were needed to realize the project.”
In order to get volunteers, the youth pastor had to present the various departments that would be utilized to organize the conference. There were various departments such as the ushering, the worship-choir department, the media team, design team, the transportation team, the finance team, the intercession team and the writing team.
During the announcement of those teams, the pastor requested volunteers and he also requested that the volunteers indicate where they would want to work. Most of the volunteers chose glamorous departments such as the worship team and the ushering team. I also volunteered but I chose the least popular team which was the writing team.
The writing team was in charge of transcribing the message preached by any speaker and it had to be done in real live time. You can imagine that the job description was boring to most people.
Including myself, we only had 4 volunteers in that team.One of the perks of the job consisted in the fact that we could also have access to recording tapes of the message and we could take them home in order to polish our transcription. It was hard but feasible and fun to me.
After the conference, our team turned into a permanent sub-department in the youth group since our conference task was well performed. The writing team was re-labelled the ‘Secretariat’ of the youth group and I was promoted as the deputy secretary of the youth group which was the third most important department of the youth ministry. Our role was to manage and develop reporting related to youth activities.
Later, I was approached by a group of people in the church who heard about my writing skills. The group wanted me to be a co-founder in the church’s first community newspaper. In the newspaper, I was an editor, I was teaching the word of God and I was just 19. Readers from all ages would read my teachings and when they would meet me face-to-face, they could not believe that I was the author behind those messages.
That was during the years 2000 and 2001. That was the season that
started my teaching and writing ministry… and the writing stayed with me since.
Today, I run a teaching ministry that uses ‘writing’ as a medium of communication among others. Just like the Apostle was making tents (ref. Acts 18:1-4), I also offer paid services as an editor and as a ghostwriter for various people. Not only am I teaching the word of God for free but I am also paid to offer writing services. And it all started by volunteering at Church.
Some people think that they need to hear angels and see great revelations in order to discover their God-given gifts. Of course, there have been times in my life where things started with an extraordinary revelation but when it comes to my writing, it was just a spiritual intuition or an inner voice that convinced me to start that way.
If God speaks to you and convinces you, go ahead and make it happen.
Why Am I sharing this message?
I shared this message because many people have been asking me ‘how they could step into their God-given purpose’.
One of the options would be to volunteer at their local church by offering services through the gifts that God gave you. God has called us to enter different places and if you are not sure on how to get started, then why not volunteer in your church with the gift that God gave you?
Whether God has called you into sports, business, arts, science, ministry,hospitality,etc…if you feel stuck about starting, then I suggest that you volunteer. And if there are no existing departments that can accommodate your gifts,then suggest to your pastor to create a new department. And if nobody wants your gift in your local church, then go out there and find a place where you can serve people. That way, you will see your gift come to life.
A gift comes to life through service. Even if you have a day job that does not fit your life calling, you can still serve with your gift after work or during your day off.
No matter what you are going through, On Judgment Day, do not plan to tell the Lord that you could not do anything with the gift that He gave you.
Go ahead!