Feeling the Call to Ministry?

Discovering how to process the call to professional ministry

One of the most challenging steps in ministry is the first one. It is not always easy to know how to respond to the nudging of God in the direction of full-time professional ministry. This is not a uniquely modern struggle. It is as old as Scripture.

God's call can bring initial questions and indecision as often as it stimulates elation and certainty. Moses wrestled with a sense of inadequacy. Jeremiah felt unworthy. Paul was blinded on the road to Damascus before he began to see God's plan for his life with clarity. In these and other instances, those whom God greatly used often underwent a period of self-examination and internal wrestling that preceded the confirmation of their calling.

The following information is designed to give you some suggested steps you might take if you are attempting to determine whether the Spirit of God is guiding you toward professional ministry. Check these steps out as you answer the question, "Is God really calling me?"

The top 10 steps to follow as you process a call to professional ministry

1. Spend adequate time evaluating what you are sensing.

There are many circumstances and people that move our hearts. We can see great athletes perform and be inspired to want to become just like them. We may hear a powerful sermon and feel a desire to emulate the person who has delivered it. But there is a difference between being moved by circumstances and personalities and being moved by the spirit of God.

Ask yourself such questions as:

What is motivating me to consider this possibility?
What is it that interests me about the ministry?
What do I think that ministry will be like?
Is my understanding of ministry realistic?

Take time to answer these questions before rushing ahead. If you fail to work through these issues to the point where you come to a defining awareness of the sovereign call of God upon your life—if you are merely moved by an intensely emotional event or wowed by a powerful personality—your sense of "call" can fade away and leave you asking yourself if you have made a monumental mistake.

2. Be Patient. Realize that clarity may take time.

The call to ministry is similar, in many ways, to the experience of salvation. There is a good reason that we often call salvation a "crisis" experience—it results in a radical change of life. The call to ministry is no less a crisis experience. It comes with a great deal of soul-searching, prayer, evaluation, and self-examination. Once it is embraced, it drastically alters our course on life's journey.

3. Seek the counsel of a pastor or other professional minister you admire and respect.

A natural, beneficial place to turn is to a trusted local pastor. Sit down, dialogue, ask questions, seek honest impressions about the ministry and your own suitability for it. Give them an opportunity to share the fears and doubts they may have struggled with as they faced their own decision to respond to God's call.

If you are married, consider getting together with an experienced pastor and spouse—perhaps a couple that has been ministering for 20 or 30 years. Ask them to open their hearts and share what it is like, including both the blessings and the burdens, to serve together and raise a family in a ministerial environment. In so doing, you will gain a better perspective on the joys you can experience and the true price you will have to pay.

4. Get involved in ministry now.

Have you taught Sunday school? Have you been involved in youth ministry? Have you been a worship leader? You will be better equipped to evaluate whether professional ministry is for you if you have been involved in local ministry in some way.

If you have not been engaged in this type of leadership, talk to your local pastor about the possibility of serving in some capacity. This experience can give you a better understanding of what it's like to be responsible, to be committed, to be faithful, to see projects and programs through to completion. In the process, you will begin to comprehend—to a fuller extent—what the ups, downs, peak experiences, and pitfalls of ministry are.

5. Seek affirmation of your calling from others.

God rarely calls individuals to ministry in complete secrecy. In general the body of Christ, the church, confirms that call in some way. You may not find the full body rising up and taking a vote at a business meeting urging you to consider some form of professional ministry. If your call is authentic, however, you are likely to hear a Sunday school teacher, a pastor, or a youth leader who will say, "I really believe that God has gifted you for ministry."

6. Involve your family in the discussion and decision.

Home life has a significant impact on ministry. Ministry has a powerful influence on home life. Prayerfully consider how a decision to enter the ministry would affect your family or future family. Among other questions, ask:

How does my family feel about this possibility? Are they supportive?
Do I see my family being an intricate part of my ministry?
Are there any negative effects this decision could have on my spouse or children?
Am I willing to uproot and move my family if needed?
What kind of financial impact will this decision have on our household? How does the family feel about this?
If I entered the ministry, what would I expect of my family? Are my expectations realistic?
What would my family expect of me if I were to enter the ministry?

In addition to immediate members, ask extended family. They often have a unique perspective and view of you that can be helpful in your considerations.

7. Consult books that can assist you as you pray and ponder.

Two types of books can prove helpful:

Books on the philosophy of ministry—There are a variety of volumes available. Consult your pastor, a local seminary or Bible college, or a local Christian bookstore for suggestions. These books can help you ask initial questions and evaluate your own expectations. They will give you a feel for the scope and dimension of the call. We would recommend that you check out First Steps to Ministry as an excellent starting point to addressing both philosophy and biography. Edited by Dave Markle, it includes writings from sixteen different Church of God pastors and other key leaders.
Biographies and autobiographies of respected professional ministers—As you read the lives of men and women of God, past and present, you can gain insight into how others have grappled with the call and the day-to-day delights and demands of ministry.

8. Face the tough questions.

In your time of soul searching, do not be afraid to examine your deepest motives and evaluate how your personality might respond in a ministerial role. You might ask yourself questions such as:

How do I deal with anger and frustration?
Am I a person of integrity?
Do I see ministry as a way to wield authority or as an avenue of service?
Can I withstand the sexual temptations that might emerge in the vulnerable environment of ministry to emotionally needy people?
How do I feel about interacting with and ministering to people of different economic, educational, social, racial, and cultural backgrounds?

Pose these and other questions. Pray. Grapple with your true thoughts and emotions. Most importantly, listen to what God is telling you.

9. Meet regularly with a mentor.

This may be the most important step and yet it is often overlooked and undervalued. A mentor is someone who can help you sift through all the information in your life and come to the right decision. This person helps you ask the right questions. He or she should be someone who believes in you and wants to see you win in life. Your mentor is one of those distinctive persons who can help confirm your calling.

10. If God is calling you into professional ministry, embrace it with all your being!

Ministry is highly demanding. It is also immeasurably rewarding for those who have a clear sense that they are responding to God's beckoning voice. We will be praying with you as you sift, ponder, and examine where and how the Lord can use you best.