I recently had the privilege of speaking at a new church plant in Burlington, Iowa.
The service took place in their new location within a shopping center, which was without heat in the middle of the Midwest’s winter season. One of the pastors, Aaron, apologized to me towards the beginning of service for both the cold and the potential for a small crowd.
I told him that I appreciated the invite and that it was an honor to be at their church. Then I began to explain how I enjoy the diversity of locations that I’ve been able to minister in over the years...
I honestly like to mix it up with where I’m ministering because it keeps me fresh and on my toes. Plus, it’s never boring!
Sometimes people contact me to ask, “Hey, would you ever be willing to minister in _____ place/region/environment?” and I often reply that yes, I’d be open to ministering there. While there might be a few exceptions to this or a few places I wouldn’t be willing to go, overall I enjoy ministering in a variety of settings.
Over the past couple of years, I’ve had the honor of preaching the Word and seeing His Spirit save, heal, and deliver people within many different contexts. I think it’s very easy to fall into a rut if one only ministers within the same culture, structure, or setting. It isn’t hard to slip into assumptions that everyone in the room knows what you’re talking about when you speak to the same groups of people on a regular basis.
That’s why I enjoy ministering in different places because it forces me to ensure I’m preaching the relevancy of God’s word, which remains true for all people, at all times, on every part of the planet.
The love and presence of God knows no linguistic or cultural boundary. Some of the places I’ve ministered include the following, and each presents their own unique cultures and communication styles:
an Assemblies of God seminary in Indonesia (note: Indonesia is the country with the world’s largest Muslim population)
an African church
a predominantly African-American church
Hispanic churches in both the Midwest and Florida
Teen Challenge campuses where men are coming out of lifestyles of addiction.
I’ve enjoyed ministering at Four Square churches in Brazil, revival tent meetings with many hungry people (and lots of sweat) in Iowa, and a Vineyard church in Santiago, Chile. However, some of my favorite recent experiences have been in a youth recreation center in a dangerous area of Medellin, Colombia. None of the kids in attendance were Christians, but I had the honor of sharing the Gospel with them and seeing the power of God fall upon them.
One of the smallest churches I’ve ever ministered in was also one of my favorites! It was a tiny wooden church in a small, snowy village on an island in Alaska. It was a interdenominational and most in attendance were not Pentecostal or Charismatic, and after preaching the Word it was beautiful to see the Spirit come into the room and touch people, especially the children.
If my gospel can work in just one context only then my gospel is probably not the Gospel of Jesus Christ that powerfully transforms lives no matter the context. For this reason, I enjoy the diversity that comes with ministering in different settings, whether that be different countries, cultures, denominations, or even non-denominations.
The Word of God never changes.
The Love of God is always available.
And everyone on the planet has the same needs.
There’s a longing in the heart of men, women, and children from every race, every tongue, and every tribe to know and experience the salvation that comes from Our Great Savior, Jesus Christ, and the perfect love that comes from the Perfect Father.