by Jeremy Rands
This past week I had the privilege to meet with a family as they were traveling through on their way to a new ministry opportunity. I remembered interviewing this family for a position at a school I previously administrated in Ohio. I hired him to teach, and now eight years later he was in a moving truck heading to Alabama to become the administrator of a Christian school there. This was a joyful meeting for me. We talked of our times together at our previous ministry and he reminded me of some of those meetings I had with him where he was expected to “grow” and reach his potential – not always easy meetings!
As I drove home from seeing his family, I recalled the many other opportunities that the Lord has given me over the last 15 years of ministry. The church that I served at before coming to Columbus to pastor was mindful of the need to train men for the ministry. We had a steady flow of interns coming and going. We were structured, on purpose, to train and disciple. Many faces went through my mind as I traveled that dark Alabama road home. God gave us gifted and talented families that He had set apart for His use. One, now administrating a Christian school, another an administrator at a Christian college and the list goes on. There is a church planter in Colorado today doing a magnificent job. A family we had the opportunity to invest in is now directing a Scripture printing ministry on the border of Mexico. A family is on deputation headed to the mission field. Another man has now graduated with his law degree and serves as legal counsel for a nationally known Christian law ministry. There are assistant pastors in New Jersey and Ohio that we had the opportunity to train while they were interns. Praise the Lord that He is still calling men into the ministry!
This training came at a cost. Those men and their families sacrificed and were committed to God’s calling on their lives. They were determined not to quit and stay faithful when times got difficult. They sacrificed financially and worked incredibly hard so that they would be prepared to go and serve the Lord when He moved them.
Why is it necessary to mentor and train?
1. The work is great and we cannot do it alone.
2. God’s blessings are unlimited and others deserve the opportunity to receive them.
3. There is a command for us to disciple.
4. The world needs Jesus and laborers need to be sent to tell them.
5. God is calling laborers into His harvest and proper training is vital to their success
and longevity.
I heard someone once say no one seems to want to serve in the ministry anymore. I do not believe that is true. There are scores of young people that want to serve and they desperately need someone to invest in them and teach them how.
by Jeremy Rands
Original article can be found at http://www.gbccolumbus.org/pastors-blog/do-we-have-time-to-mentor/