Missions has taught me that ministry is a lifestyle, not merely a vocation. One of our greatest blessings (and greatest challenges) over the past few years has been learning to live out our calling in a way where personal life and ministry life are blended into one.
Mission Adelante began by building friendships in a local ice cream shop, having English classes and Bible studies in our home, and inviting neighbors over for dinner. Which category do these activities fit into? Ministry or personal? The wonderful answer is both! Now, when we take a family walk to that same ice cream shop we pass no fewer than five homes where Mission Adelante families live. And, when many of them are out on their front porches or in their yards playing, a family walk to the ice cream shop becomes a ministry opportunity!
Our children get to experience the blessing of being involved with our ministry as well. This Fall we launched a “Leaders in Training” program for pre-teens that meets Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons for tutoring and character development. As home-schooling parents we were excited that Annie and Caroline get to participate in this program as a way to supplement what we are doing with them academically and allow them to build cross-cultural friendships.
Of course, the challenge in all of this is that if ministry is our work, and it is intertwined with our personal life, then how can we avoid always being “at work?” Indeed it is a mixed blessing. There are deep ravines on either side. Compartmentalizing ministry into a professional activity strips it of its authenticity. On the other hand, neglecting personal and family needs in the name of ministry is a recipe for disaster.
Enjoying and embracing the blessing of an integrated ministry lifestyle while learning how to overcome its inherent challenges is one of the keys to surviving in ministry for a lifetime. Please pray for us as we continue to learn how to live out our calling in this way. Pray for God to help us know how to minister as a team and to each other.
