Dad taught me about Ministry and the Church
You have to be on your guard about false doctrine, even in the church. Dad always weighed the words of preachers and teachers in the church carefully, examining the scriptures and discussing them at length with Mom and with the kids. This has stood me in good stead and guarded me from disappointment as I have encountered misguided ideas and people within the church.
Church programs should be supported, even Sunday evening services. My parents were as busy as anyone else, but Dad always made being at church a priority, which has proved a good pattern for us to emulate.
Everyone should have a ministry in the church – use your spiritual gifts. My Dad has the gift of teaching, and he has nearly always found a place to teach in a local church or chapel, wherever we have lived. Happily, I also have the gift of teaching, and so I have tried to find ways to use that gift to build up the church.
As it turned out, Dad’s gift was not in the area of fashion, although the white socks and black shoes made a certain statement.
Always get involved in a Bible study whenever you can. My parents have generally either joined or started a Bible study wherever they have lived, and Kathy and I have tried to do the same. Some of the best friendships we have formed have come about as a result of our involvement in various Bible studies. This is yet another benefit of a godly heritage … so many things I have learned and take for granted that others with less-godly Dads never had modeled for them.
Don’t eat all the cupcakes. When I was nine or ten we attended a chapel that served frosted cupcakes after church every Sunday, in a variety of pastel colors. My Dad taught me not to take more than one or two, which has translated into an adult understanding that I am not a consumer when I go to church. We seek to serve rather than to be served at church — my Dad modeled that concept to me through his life as summarized in that phrase: “Don’t eat all the cupcakes.”
Why we go to church — we go to church because we love God and because He commands us not to forsake the assembling together. We need fellowship, we need instruction, we need to minister to the other parts of the Body of Christ. My Dad understood that and encouraged us kids, as we transitioned from teenagers to adulthood, to find a good church and to stick with it.
Make sure your family is taken care of by church programs. My Dad takes being the spiritual leader of his family seriously. As our priest, he sought our spiritual growth and chose churches that could minister to us as a family.
Remember that people in the church are sinners, too – don’t let them get you down. As an Army Chaplain, my Dad had lots of opportunities to see people in a negative light, and had several occasions when people opposed him in his ministry. Somehow he maintained a healthy attitude — I never saw him bitter or particularly discouraged about the sin of others in the church. It has been a tremendous encouragement to me as I have lived out my life as a member of various churches.
Hang in there, even when things aren’t perfect at a church. It has been said, “If there was a perfect church, they wouldn’t let me in.” In the Army, Chaplains tend to be either very good or very poor, and Dad has had the opportunity to work with both kinds. His dedication to various chapel programs even in the face of poor leadership has served as a template for me in dealing with less-than-perfect churches.
Choose a church that has a pastor who preaches from the scripture. My Dad has always been (at least in my experience) a good student of the Bible, and holds the scriptures up as the rule for living. As we have had occasion to be church-shopping quite a bit in recent years, it has been helpful to remember the fundamental ingredient of a good church.
This was the most touching blog piece I’ve ever read. It’s a wonderful tribute to your dad. What a blessing. ~Yvonne
This being the 6th in this series, I though perhaps it was time to point out that a good part of what Tim has learned from his Dad, didn’t really come from his Dad, but he owes his thanks to his Grandpa, my Dad. I simply passed on what my Dad taught me. Since I respected him above other great men, I figured that what he taught me would work for our children, especially our sons. My Dad was not an educated man (in an academic sense) (he never went beyond the 8th grade) but he was a man of great wisdom with a servant heart. Put those two together, and it’s a formula for success. I think, Tim, that you’ve inherited those two traits from your grandfather. Exercise them, and you’ll be “great” too. Dad