So, in case you are wondering about my ministry philosophy,
In case you know of someone who is looking to add staff,
In case you have an open position needing filled,
In case you are looking for a retreat speaker,
Or in case you are simply totally board and have nothing better to do with your time ;)
Here the the Ministry Philosophy of Pastor Christy L. Pittman........
*Drum roll, please* (Where is the daughter's boyfriend when you need him?)
My ministry philosophy is not easily defined and while I believe every sliver of my philosophy is founded in scriptures it may not necessarily be welcomed by traditionalists in the church. While I am quite fine with those critics, I trust that God has created me for a body of believers who will accept and embrace my unique approach to ministry.
First and foremost, coming to Christ later in life has given me a heart to reach out to the lost and unbelieving. I think that this must be done in the most practical of ways. We must first be willing to meet the needs of the lost before we can expect to be given the right to speak to their spiritual condition. With the exception of one instance in the Gospels, Jesus addresses the physical needs of those he came in contact with before healing their souls. (Matt 9.1-6) We should take our example of evangelism from our Lord, by meeting the practical needs of those we minister to, i.e., food, shelter, clothing, before we offer them the free gift of salvation. (Matt 25.35-36) It was by this kind of practical love that Christ reached me when I was a homeless single mother, and it was through His gifts given by His children I understood His love for me.
Along those same lines, we have been created in the image of God for community. God has always existed in community (John1.1-4) and while this culture teaches something quite different as far as in the importance of independence, the church is to be in this world but not of it. Therefore, I believe that we are to be the essence of community within the communities’ we serve. Jesus said we will be known by our love. (John 13.35) We must love one another & love those outside of our doors so that we will be seen as a light in the world we live in. That is not always an easy task but it is not impossible.
Secondly, as we walk this path of life, we are never alone. There is always someone who has gone on before us and there is always someone behind us following. It is the responsibility of each believer to link together with those in front of and behind them in order to navigate this journey we are on, this is the essence of discipleship. (Titus 2.1-9) It is our responsibility to seek out those in front of us to help guide us through unknown territories, just as it is our responsibility to seek out those who we can help through the areas we have already trod. Just as God sent Moses back into Egypt to lead Israel out of Egypt, He too will send us back to shadows of our past to help others find the light we have. (Exodus 14.19) Our lives are a constant journey, and one in which we should be linked together with past and present to ensure an easier passage. (Hebrew 12.1)
Furthermore, this leads straight into the idea of leadership training, and while that idea may scare some it is necessary for continued Kingdom growth. Regardless of where we are or what our role is in the body of Christ, we must be intentional about the training of further generations of leaders. We are but merely dust and to assume that we are indispensable in the role, ministry or occupation that God has given us is very dangerous. Therefore, it is our responsibility to ensure that we are identifying, training, and equipping those who are gifted and passionate to serve the Lord, regardless of where that may happen. (Acts 6.1-7)
Gifting is the next area of ministry that I simply must discuss. This is an area in which I feel the church shrinks from because of the mystical air surrounding the Holy Spirit. First of all, the scripture tells us that upon accepting Christ, each believer is gifted by the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12) Jesus Himself tells us that if we are not diligent in using the gifts he has given us they will be taken from us. (Matt 25.14-30) Therefore, it is our responsibility to assist believers in identifying their gifts and then utilizing them appropriately, at any age. The “SHAPE” we find ourselves carved in is an excellent barometer not only for ministry but for learning as well. By the process of identifying giftedness, we are able to eliminate ineffective leading and replace it with passionate, sold out, energetic servants for the Kingdom. (1 Corinthians 12.15-17) However, that is not to say that we shirk responsibility due to lack of specific giftedness. Servant leadership is a non-negotiable. (John 13.1-17) Jesus was the ultimate servant leader and we as his body of believers simply must not accept anything less than leading through service ourselves.
I believe that Jesus took the timeless message of salvation and delivered it to an unbelieving generation in a new & fresh way. (Matthew 5.17-20) As the church I believe that we are entering a new era of ministry. This culture is taking humanity to place we have never been before, if the church intends to remain relevant to this changing culture then we must be willing to do church in a way it may never have been done before. This can be done without changing the gospel, but what we do need to change is our delivery if we are to reach a new and fluid generation. We have the unchangeable Christ living within us; He is the one thing that this world needs most desperately. I think we should make the introduction!
So, That is it. That is why I embrace being covered in the dust of my Rabbi, and while I don't always get it right, I am staying as close as I possibly can.
Romans 10.15 "Beautiful are the feet of those who bring the Good News!"
In HIS dust~
Christy
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