DEAR MINISTER Pt.3

FOCUS ON CONTINUOUS TRAINING

"Lanre, I think you need training" (paraphrase). Years back, that was the statement I heard during a conversation with someone I revere.

I did not know what he saw, but I know the stench of ignorance around me was so much that he had to voice his concern and what he perceived was my major need.

Getting quality training for ministry is so vital and crucial. It is one thing to be called and anointed for ministry, it is another thing entirely to be trained for ministry. A call into ministry doesn't automatically guarantee success in ministry.

Donald Barnhouse said, "If I had only three years to serve the Lord, I would spend two of them studying and preparing". This speaks volume about importance of training.

Jesus, the son of God used the first 30 years of life to prepare for a ministry that lasted about 3 years. Wayne Stiles said, "He grew up with a hammer in one hand and a scroll in the other".

Jesus trained his disciples for years before leaving them. All of the disciples of Jesus attended "Jesus Christ Theological Seminary". They had hands-on training from Jesus himself.

Paul did not jump into the pulpit immediately after his conversion. He did not start special programmes neither did he register a bogus ministry name.

Rather, he retreated to Arabia (Galatians 1:17) to study and realign his understanding of the Bible with the reality of Jesus as Messiah little wonder he gave us deep revelation.

Even in the old testament, the prophets placed premium on training. Prophets attended a school of prophet(1 Sam19:18-24). Before anyone could be called a "Rabbi" those days, he must have attended Rabbinical school and study up to post graduate level.

Quality training makes you effective and saves time. One of my lecturers in school of ministry said, "What an untrained minister will do in 10 years, a trained minister might do in one year".

Ministers who do not have time for training are already wasting time. An investment in quality training will save you struggling time in ministry and give you speed. Those who do not have time for training end up achieving nothing with time.

If you complain about what it will cost to get quality training, then you may need to count the cost of ignorance and check which is costlier. Quality training comes at a cost, it can't be cheap.

There are many bible illiterate pastoring and preaching. Men who know nothing about scriptures and doctrine. They are raising immature and confused people.

The type of Christians we have today reflects the type of shepherd leading them- untrained. Wishy-washy leaders produce wishy-washy followers.

Listen to God speaking through Jeremiah: "Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding"( Jeremiah 3:15). How can a pastor fulfill this assignment without adequate training?

Knowledge is imparted in training. Do not let pride rob you of learning opportunities. It pays to learn.

Dear minister, you need to apply yourself to relevant trainings and it must be continuous. Keep ugrading your knowledge about ministry, don't stop.