Volunteers for ministry...

Had an epiphany recently.  Call it an AHA moment.  Each year we pastors scramble to recruit or 'invite' others to serve in our area of ministry.  This is always a stretch and there have been seasons where I panic a bit as I will have way more students in our ministry than I have adults willing to mentor or disciple.  I see this in our children's ministry a lot as well.  So many kids wanting to participate and we have so few workers to develop the next generation of church leaders.

So, now enter the epiphany.

Matthew 9:35-38..
(from youversion.com)

35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."


The epiphany comes from the first words in v. 38. "Therefore pray earnestly...."

Yes it is a pastors responsibility or obligation to train the saints to do the work of the ministry (See Eph. 4) but at the same time, since the harvest is so plentiful we hear from Jesus that there is reason to pray and not just pray but pray EARNESTLY that the lord will send out the laborers into his harvest. Is it my harvest? NO. Do I care more about the harvest than the Lord? NO. Will not the Lord send out the leaders where he knows the programs are humble and ready to submit to His will, His leadership, His provision? YES

So, enter guilt trip for me. How often to I pray earnestly for the laborers to come? How often do I pray for the Laborers that have come and helped to work the harvest?

Not Enough. If I was praying enough (how do you measure enough prayer???) then I would not be panicking but waiting with expectation for the answer to the prayer (Psalm 5:3).