I had a great time this past weekend with family for Father’s Day. I got to spend some great time with my father and my father-in-law. As I was fondly reflecting about the fathers in my life, it struck me that perhaps my favorite thing about them is that they are always on call as a support system. My dad and my dad-in-law reflect my Heavenly Dad really well in this issue; God promised that He would never leave us or forsake us, that He would go with us on every journey and be our best friend.
Sometimes it can feel as though you are going through something in life completely alone. Your college ministry should never be one of those things. Since our mission is to connect college students and young adults to the local church, we are positioned to receive support and guidance from the local church.
My father-in-law is very conveniently my pastor, and the man who’s vision I serve in ministry. Because he is family I get a lot of opportunity to spend time with him talking music, watching movies, and listening to his awesome jokes. Because he is my pastor I get a lot of opportunity to spend time with him talking ministry, receiving his guidance, and listening to his awesome jokes. Every week I have the opportunity to sit down with Pastor Don and share what God has been doing in me and through me. I get to share the ups, the downs, and ask the questions that I have about ministry. I consider this to be one of the most important parts of my ministry. Not only do I get to receive guidance from a man who has been in ministry for longer than I’ve been alive, I have the honor and opportunity to be the eyes and ears on my college campus for my pastor and my church. I’ve been entrusted with a great mission, and just like any other person on a mission, it’s important for me to report back to the commissioner.
If you haven’t already, I want to encourage you to set up a weekly meeting with the pastor of the church that you serve in ministry. It will help you in a few ways. You will be encouraged by how excited your pastor will get about the high points of your ministry. You will be able to bounce ideas off of him and get his opinion on things that you have questions about. He will be able to serve you as support in the weaker areas of your ministry. You’ll learn a ton about ministry as he mentors you. You’ll catch the vision and direction of the church and discuss how you can aid the mission. Also, you’ll develop a really cool relationship with a really cool person.
You don’t have to do ministry alone. Keep your pastor in the loop.