Taking Your Next Step Toward Full-Time Ministry
	Helping you to take the right steps toward full-time ministry!
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Making the proper contacts with a mission or denominational agency along with the raising of needed support base (prayer and financial).

If one is planning to go into full-time ministry, whether it is the mission field or the pastorate, there are certain steps to take. If the process is not well understood, then certain decisions could lead to delays. Fortunately, mission agencies do well in helping their potential candidates understand this process. Unfortunately candidates most often do not speak specifically enough or start early enough in the process.

Steps to Serving	Explanations
A call to full-time ministry	God gives you an inward sense of call to serve Him. (This of course could be earlier or later on).
Affirmation by others	Others will see how God is using you and will encourage you to serve more.
Recognition by church leaders	Church leaders will give you increased responsibilities in the church.
Personal growth and increased service	You will respond to these matters by continually growing closer to the Lord and taking opportunities to serve.
Suggestion for further training	Often (unfortunately) the church will suggest you study at some school for full-time ministry. Ideally they should first train you as much as they can in the local church.
Specialized training	Usually formal seminary or Bible school training is required but other less expensive training programs are possible with proper oversight and deployment.[1]
Link up	Link up with the right mission or service organization.
Internship, first ministry	Hopefully received with a good mentorship.
Deputation	Raise support for full-time mission or specialized ministry. Pay off loans. Confirm home church. Ordination.[2]
Appointment	They will need a designated place to serve with a special ministry in mind.

Here are some more specific questions you can ask yourself to help you better prepare for service.

Seek home church support and confirmation for this direction:

·    Have you talked to your church/pastor about your desire to minister full-time?

·    Has the church set time aside to discuss this ‘call’ with you?

The process is obvious to some. Others, usually due to a poor church background, have no clue to the process. This is the way it was with me when God called me during my freshman year at university. God could and did lead me, but it would have been so much easier if someone gave me an overview of the process. Let’s try to do that here.

·    Has the church asked you to be responsible for any ministry?

·    Have you faithfully carried it out? Do they think so?

·    Has the church discussed further training at all?

 

Pay off all loans as soon off as possible:

·    Which loans or financial obligations do you have?

·    Have you developed a concrete plan to pay these loans off before ministry?

·    If so, evaluate how you have been doing. How can you do better?

·    If not, develop a plan with needed guidelines to help you minimize this time of waiting.

 

Contact potential mission organizations and seminary trainings:

·    What potential missionary organizations/training institutes have you contacted?

·    If so, what is it that you liked or disliked about the different organizations?

·    What were their specific suggestions? Have you carried any of them out?

·    Have you followed up any conversation with any organization?

 

Research potential training programs at a seminary or elsewhere:

·    What kind of training does the mission organization require?

·    What kind of training does your anticipated area of service require?

·    Have you looked into seminaries or other kinds of training?

·    What do you want to gain from formal training?

 

We recommend that you spend a good bit of time thinking about what you want from a training program. Much time and money is spent here. The goals of the institution are rarely the goals that you have. Remember that God’s training always requires shaping of one’s character, knowledge of God through his Word as well as providing skills and other knowledge.

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