In modern day environments we find that people want to be recognized for their roles, their participation and their involvement in the local church community. This is a flawed process in as much as it elevates the person to a rank within the body before the person has been able to walk on a pathway of formation BEFORE recognition.
Before anyone can be elevated into a role within the local church body, there needs to be a timeline of formation. What do we mean by formation? It is vitally important that a person desiring to volunteer in a ministry ought first to develop the following key prerequisites:
- Knowledge (scripture, biblical awareness)
- Character (proven character within the fellowship prioritized by an heart of serving)
- Accountability (walking in integrity, honesty and uprightness)
- Skills (connected to the desired role within the local church body)
Too often we see people wanting a position of notoriety within the church, wanting to hold a position, the need to be seen and recognized BEFORE walking through the formation process.
Recognition in the local church body is connected to a ministry role AFTER formation (as noted in the bullet points above), that affirms the calling and character of the person.
Formation requires a prerequisite question by anyone desiring to volunteer or serve in the church…”What is God forming in me through training for my role in ministry?
We all should have a strong desire to serve, volunteer and belong to a family in Christ that is pursuing a righteous walk with the Lord, but the crucial element is to seek spiritual formation and development of character first and allow recognition to follow naturally. If being recognized is the motivation, before formation and affirmation in the church body of a persons’ calling and character, then it is possible that burnout might potentially be around the proverbial corner.
Seeking formation first is the humble pathway to recognition, affirmation and fulfilling a calling that the Lord has placed on your life to serve within the local church. A humble heart, always ready to serve faithfully with a great attitude is part of the formation process toward recognition of the calling the Lord has on your life.
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I created this space as a welcoming home for candid life discussions, faith, and purposeful community. My journey has been anything but conventional—from navigating childhood moves to Europe, spending 40 years in the printing industry, and living across two vastly different worlds in Zimbabwe and the United States, God has spent decades quietly forming my heart before officially calling me into pastoral ministry. Recently ordained and commissioned as a pastor, I write from a place of real, lived experience, openly sharing the highs of deep faith alongside the raw seasons of depression, doubt, and navigating life’s unexpected detours. Since establishing this journal back in 2005, my mission remains simple: to listen without judgment, share honest testimonies, and encourage you to slow down, press pause, and discover how to shine brightly for Jesus in our everyday lives.