Christian Pathway

As I finished my training at St Mellitus 3 years ago I was given some advice that stuck with me ever since. That was“don’t be the filler”. The person that fills in the gaps of your context, (I would add unless you are called to be). It’s very easy to say yes to everything we get asked to do as we have a large range of skills and experience that we can bring to our context.

What should we do and how should we filter all the requests that get made of us in our various roles? How should our lay ministry form and be part of that? How does the uniqueness of lay ministry help?

That is what my next 600 words or so will attempt to answer.
I have 40 years in IT, and a diploma in ministry mission and evangelism from St Mellitus whom I love. I have a calling to evangelism, 6 years working with the homeless and a faith that is shaped by reason, philosophy, science love and relationship. I am a street pastor and rail pastor and love them as well.

I have a great incumbent and a great team. i have a busy job, and a busy family and I am currently enjoying my 44th consecutive season ticket at West Ham. I love my church and love preaching. I am an average golfer.

All of these things are shaped, affected by and informed by an abiding love of Jesus and a stone-cold conviction that his message that you are loved and precious just as you are is much needed by this world. I have seen it affect people many times. I also think he can be brought to any context, work, football, family as well as church because, in all of those places, you will find people who need to hear that message.

The chap at West Ham is just as affected by encountering him as the person in the pew. I needed to be in both places to do so.
All of the things I listed above require my time which I am happy to give. As I get so much from all of them I don’t see it as giving, it’s just doing things I love. His yoke is indeed light.

One thing I will point out as I make any points about how I see lay ministry. It will not be the same for others. This is the essential point I will make going forward.

I think it should be different for you. Lay ministry has the flexibility built into the role to find your distinct ministry, both inside and outside the church. Our training helps us in innumerable ways. So, I do not doubt that whatever I say about lay ministry going forward will be seen as the direct opposite of others. That’s exactly how it should be.

Indeed that is why you must not be an unwilling filler, ignoring your calling, indeed that is the one thing I would say is a constant and unquestionable truth of lay ministry. Your role as a lay minister gives you the flexibility to truly understand the nuance of your calling.

That may or may not require sacrifice, but it must be what you are called to do by your calling. The helpers will always be too few in our overburdened churches.

However, our Lord only made one of you and he will take you where he wants if you let him and learn to say no as well as yes.
This is what makes Lay Ministry as unique as you. It makes it as unique as the Lord made you and as unique as the things he wants you to do. We have flexibility, as well as training, as well as faith. We have families, church, and football teams, and work, and street and rail pastoring and possibly an average golf handicap.

We can bring our lord into all of those, and balance all of those things in our role. That’s what makes Lay Ministry unique, we don’t have to fit the patent, the expectation or the stereotype, or worse the gap.

We can fit who our lord wants us to be. But we must fill that calling, and not the calling of filler unless the two are the same.

I hope that helps, and I hope you hear him calling because wherever he calls you to go will be just what he made you for.

Lay ministry is the perfect vehicle for discovering just that. He may even call you to be ordained one day. Who knows.
Mike