To Minister

We live in an amazing little place, this Jasper County. There are great people here who have the ability to develop new ideas, join together with others, and make stuff happen. During my 18 years in this area, I have witnessed a major shift in the hearts and minds of our citizens. For the most part, people want to see things improve. They want to see lives change for the better; they want to make a difference.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are still people who want to continue to “leave well enough alone,” but hey…it’s just best to leave them alone and love them anyway. The rest of us, however, are determined to listen for the voice of God, follow His lead, and make a difference in our world through Jesus Christ!

One important point here is that you do not have to be a minister, preacher, teacher, politician, or well educated person to impact our community. You just have to care, love, embrace, and act…and do so sometimes in spite of your own agenda or concerns of personal gain or loss. To engage in forward progress can be the most exciting of life’s opportunities; especially when God is leading the way! Monday night was no exception.
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We celebrated our third annual Jasper County Minister’s Association Dinner. Ministers and lay leaders representing 26 churches from around the county gathered together in one accord to celebrate Jesus Christ; a year of ministry, and to celebrate each other
This year’s attendance was a record for the association, and a fantastic time was had by all. There were 20 resource vendors in attendance and it was awesome to realize all of the programs that exist to aid the faith based community.

Deptula’s Restaurant and Catering served the dinner; and I would just like to say that their peach cobbler is UNREAL! I know that gluttony is a sin, and I would like to take this opportunity to publicly confess that I backslid right into two plates of cobbler…forgive me Lord.

I hope you realize what a miracle it is that we in Jasper County have such unity in our community of faith. Our gathering together to break bread and to pray glorifies God, and strengthens us all. I served in a church in Covington for seven years and never saw this happen in Newton County…ever. We are called to be “One,” to be in “One Accord,” to be a “Body Of Christ,” and we need to come together as often as possible!

Can I just stop here for a moment and let all of you know that in three years of the JCMA, our annual dinners, and monthly fellowships; we have never had one argument over scripture, beliefs, or personal opinions. There has only been fellowship, faith, praise, prayer, testimony, joy, strength, appreciation, and awesome food…not bad huh!

One truth that I would like to declare is that all of the churches in this community need each other. We need to unify; we need to become as one. I have a scripture for this if you would like…1 Corrinthians 12:12-19. We are all one body, and we all need each other; so that we may truly make a difference in our world through Jesus Christ.

This year’s dinner was terrific. Thank you so very much McIntosh State Bank and Bank of Monticello for your continued support; we could not do this at all without you!
In closing I would like to leave you with a quote that really says it all about being a part of the community of faith. If you are out there, and you serve in ministry in any capacity at all; then you are invited to join with us each second Thursday of the month for a time of fellowship. If you need a calendar, please call me at 706-468-1178 and I will get you one.

If you are ministering the gospel of Jesus Christ, then these words are for you…please read them:

I am a minister. I minister to the largest mission field in the world. I minister to those who do not know Jesus.
My calling is sure. My challenge is big. My vision is clear. My desire is strong. My influence is eternal. My impact is critical. My values are solid. My faith is tough. My mission is urgent. My purpose is unmistakable. My direction is forward. My heart is genuine. My strength is supernatural. My reward is promised. And my God is real.

In a world of cynicism, I offer hope. In a world of confusion, I offer truth. In a world of immorality, I offer values. In a world of Neglect, I offer attention. In a world of abuse, I offer safety. In a world of ridicule, I offer affirmation. In a world of division, I offer reconciliation. In a world of bitterness, I offer forgiveness. In a world of sin, I offer salvation. In a world of hate, I offer God’s love.

I refuse to be dismayed, disengaged, disgruntled, discourage, or distracted. Neither will I look back, stand back, fall back, go back, or sit back. I do not need applause, flattery, adulation, prestige, stature, or veneration.

I do not have time for business as usual, mediocre standards, small thinking, outdated methods, normal expectations, average results, ordinary ideas, petty disputes, or low vision. I will not give up, bail out, lie down, turn over, quit or surrender.

I will pray when things look bad. I will pray when things look good. I will move forward when others stand still. I will trust God when obstacles arise. I will work when the task is overwhelming. I will get up when I fall down.

My calling is to reach people for God. It is too serious to be taken lightly, too urgent to be postponed, too vital to be ignored, too relevant to be overlooked, too significant to be trivialized, too eternal to be fleeting, and too passionate to be quenched.
I know my mission. I know my challenge. I also know my limitations, my weaknesses, my fears, and my problems. And I know my God. Let others get the praise. Let the church get the blessing. Let God get the glory.

I am a minister. I minister to people. This is who I am. This is what I do.

By Roger Fields
Reprinted with permission