The church year has come to an end. Some districts have already concluded their District Assemblies, and others will still meet over the next few months. This season is a time of reflection, evaluation, and planning for the new year. It is a challenging time with high emotions and some big decisions. The Apostle Paul took time to write to Timothy with advice for the ministry, so let’s review this.
2 So you, my child, be strong in the grace of Christ Jesus. 2 And entrust what you heard me say in the presence of many others as witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be competent to teach others. 3 Take your share of suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one in military service gets entangled in matters of everyday life; otherwise, he will not please the one who recruited him. 5 Also, if anyone competes as an athlete, he will not be crowned as the winner unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The farmer who works hard should have the first share of the crops. 7 Think about what I am saying, and the Lord will give you an understanding of all this. (2 Tim 2:1-7)
Encouragement to continue
Paul encourages Timothy to be strong, but not in his strength, in the grace of Christ Jesus. When we evaluate the year, the first thing we should consider is where we gained our strength. Was it a season of self-development, or was it a season where we grew and were strengthened by the grace of Christ Jesus?
Entrust to others
Paul encourages Timothy to entrust what he heard to others. We must hear from the Lord in His grace and through His Word to entrust it to others. Paul also mentions that entrusting faithful people competent to teach others is the heart of discipleship. Pastors must devote their lives to discipleship. Teach competent people so they may go and teach others. As we evaluate the year that has passed, how are the lives and ministries of your disciples?
Metaphors
Paul then uses three metaphors to explain this concept to Timothy. Firstly, the soldier. A soldier must share in the suffering of Christ. Paul aligns the Christian with Christ and states as a good soldier. The soldier should not get entangled in everyday life or “civilian affairs” (NIV). Although the pastor should care for their family and the church assigned to them, it is the concern of the Commanding Officer that they should instead please. The one who recruited us must be our daily concern. Spending time with Jesus and studying His Word will help us understand what He demands and how to influence our communities, reach the lost, and care for the church. The athlete is not about finishing the race or winning, but Paul states to run the race according to the rules. Any race has rules: do not jump the gun or cross the line. So, the ministry has rules, and the ministry’s race has rules for running the race. Make sure you study the Word to understand how to run the race of ministry to complete it. The last one is the farmer. The wonderful thing about ministry is that the pastor, like the farmer, will share the crops. We will have a share in the work we put into ministry and the fruit it will bear. Sharing in the fruit must motivate us to obey, plan and work diligently to please Jesus.
he will not be crowned as the winner unless he competes according to the rules.
The Lord will give insight.
Paul encourages Timothy to spend time with the Lord and reflect on what Paul told him. It is not in his strength that Timothy will understand; no, it is the Lord. If Timothy is not walking in grace and listening to Paul (the Word), he will not be able to understand. It is time with Jesus and reflecting on His Word that will bring insight into the things of God.
As we plan the new year, how much time will you spend with the Lord studying His Word and prayer? It is not just to prepare your next sermon but to hear from the Lord for your life and ministry.
What are you planning to help your congregation grow and help them listen to Jesus more and better?
What are you planning to teach those who are competent?
We pray that the Lord will give you strength through His grace, but he requires that we seek Him for insight into all of this.
Praise - for districts who continue to support the ministry of NTC through prayer and education budget giving!
Pray for the NTC staff who are teaching and coordinating ministerial training programmes.
Pray for the ongoing work of writing new course materials for ministerial training.
Pray for the participants and students in ministry preparation.
Pray for all facilitators involved in ministry training.
Pray for business for GNCC to support the mission of NTC.
Pray for Rev. Errol & Dr. Rhonda Carrim on home assignment.
Pray for the new church year and District Assemblies.
Pray for God's guidance for the coming year so we may know what He expects.
NTC offers short courses on lifelong learning on the third week of every month. We want to remind pastors that they are required to complete 20 hours of lifelong learning per year.
This will be an excellent time to start ensuring you meet the hours required for the next District Assembly. November will be our last for the year, and we will restart in February 2025.
Please consider the two-part course Spiritual and Leadership Formation taught by Dr. Deanna Hayden. You can watch a short intro on the Website Home page. https://www.nazarenecollege.ac.za
For more information, please see our website.
Link to lifelong learning: https://www.nazarenecollege.ac.za/lifelonglearning
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