Alpha - Perspective on Ministry

I somehow got pulled into Alpha. Well, no, it was my own fault. The person who runs it asked me when I go to school and learning that I'm free Thursdays wanted to know if I could cover off some Alpha sessions during his vacation. He's done this before, he books Alpha then looks for a backup. I'm the only backup left and I agreed to cover his weeks. Well tonight was the first session and I'm covering the next two weeks so I ended up staying tonight to sit in since I need to meet the people and they need to meet me.

I was thinking about ministry. I always thought there would be a moment when I was officially doing ministry. But there isn't -I'm always doing it. Stepping in to do Alpha is something I can do and should do since we lack another leader at the moment. That's ministry. That's it. You do up Sunday worship and then step in and out of roles the rest of the week. Show up at meetings, visit people and somewhere in there do your own devotions to keep connected to God so you can step into whatever needs doing. I'm leading a worship service at a nursing home in a few weeks time and I have no idea what I will do. I've never been there, I don't even know if they have a piano which means a capella for me again which I force myself to do but really would rather not.

Its not that I'm disappointed, its just that somewhere between the summer and now I'm suddenly doing ministry much like a pastor. Not with the full responsibilities but slowly getting there. I have the benefit of still being able to screw up a lot because I am learning so this is still gravy.

So two people came to Alpha - two that we weren't expecting and another seven didn't show that we were. And the two that show are Christian. At first I'm irritated because one of them is the kind of Christian that has turned me off Christianity in the past. But I realise that this is ministry - its not about me its about the other person and their needs. And I realise that as much as I am passionate about non-Christians that I have a lot that I can share with Christians in terms of leading to deeper understandings of Christ and broadening the appreciation of what it means to be a Christ follower and what church is supposed to be about. Why would people in a church come out to Alpha if they weren't seeking something - maybe friends, or a non-judgemental new face or a better understanding. The servant thing is starting to take hold in my heart - God serves everyone, thankfully he isn't choosy like I am!

Anyhow I have a great opportunity to listen and not set the agenda and to learn more about churched Christians and what they seek so I'll pray about that for next week!