How do you know if you’re being called to preach?

[Honeymoon]

Just a general curiosity, not trying to say I am being called. What types of things did you feel or go through?

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Just a general curiosity, not trying to say I am being called. What types of things did you feel or go through?

If your preaching is saving souls. Be blessed.

 

[Paidiske]

I think it's something that has to be tested. I was very unsure, and it didn't help that initially I was in a church that discouraged me. But over time as I had opportunities to preach - and see people respond to that preaching - I could see God at work in what I was doing.

I think it's also important to be clear in your own mind what you think preaching is supposed to be, and what you're trying to accomplish. As long as, in my mind, the focus is on the congregation, and offering them something that will be helpful to them, in genuine loving relationship, then it's fine. But if I drift into "performing," or trying to prove something, then I lose my way very quickly.

 

[NomNomPizza]

If your preaching is saving souls. Be blessed.

eeee no?
thats two dinstinct Jobs , preacher is feeding church with knowledge while evangelist is winning souls
Preacher can do both but these are separate jobs
Every Christian is called to be evangelist while not everybody to preach

 

[Maria Billingsley]

eeee no?
thats two dinstinct Jobs , preacher is feeding church with knowledge while evangelist is winning souls
Preacher can do both but these are separate jobs
Every Christian is called to be evangelist while not everybody to preach

A preacher communicates the word of God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. This covers all ministries.
Ephesians 4
11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the [e]edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

 

[Paidiske]

Context is everything. What does this group of people need to hear from God's word at this moment? Sometimes that will be prophetic, sometimes evangelistic, sometimes pastoral. Sometimes mission-oriented, sometimes about personal growth, sometimes moral challenge.

The first step in good preaching is listening to and knowing your congregation.

 

[Tolworth John]

Just a general curiosity, not trying to say I am being called. What types of things did you feel or go through?

Preaching like any Christian service is something that is tested through ones service in one's church.
No one just gets a call to be a Billy Graham or a world famous missionary. They all start out working in there church where ever they are needed.
There enthusiasm is spotted and they are asked to help in other areas and as they learn and grow in knowledge and ability, are given bigger tasks.

Someone thinks they are called? Ask them what are they doing in there church?
Ditto want to go to theological college? What are they doing in their church, does the leadership back, support them, how much will they be missed?

 

[Pioneer3mm]

Just a general curiosity, not trying to say I am being called. What types of things did you feel or go through?

I wrote a comment/post on your other thread..'spiritual gifts' section.
----
You are a Pentecostal.
If you are searching for an answer whether you are 'called to ministry'..
- It might be helpful to find/know what your spiritual gifts are..
- & specific ministry gifting.

More of His grace & guidance to you..

Blessings,

* Your task/assignment can change..
- During the ministry journey.

 

[Honeymoon]

I wrote a comment/post on your other thread..'spiritual gifts' section.
----
You are a Pentecostal.
If you are searching for an answer whether you are 'called to ministry'..
- It might be helpful to find/know what your spiritual gifts are..
- & specific ministry gifting.

More of His grace & guidance to you..

Blessings,

* Your task/assignment can change..
- During the ministry journey.

Yes sorry for double posting someone on the other thread suggested I post the question here. Thank you for your answer.

I’d like to know what my spiritual gifts are, guess I just got to keep praying. I sometimes fantasize when I’m listening to music or something about preaching to people and helping lead them to God. But I don’t know if pastoring would necessarily be for me, kind of the quiet /shy type. Most of all what I do know is that I want to see people saved, my heart aches for those who aren’t.

God bless you

 

[Paidiske]

There are lots of introverts in ministry, for what it's worth. We just tend to have a slightly different style than our extroverted brothers and sisters.

 

[Honeymoon]

There are lots of introverts in ministry, for what it's worth. We just tend to have a slightly different style than our extroverted brothers and sisters.

How would you say your style differs?

 

[Paidiske]

How would you say your style differs?

Partly it's about things like how I manage my diary. I deliberately build in blocks of time between heavy pastoral commitments, for example, so I can come back to the office and mentally/emotionally decompress on my own, in a way that an extrovert might not need to.

Partly it's about how I do big events. I don't tend to want to be the centre of attention, but I will often look for the person standing on their own and go talk to them. I work better, and prefer to, for example, teach in interactive small groups rather than talking to large groups.

Partly it's about relationship style. For example, if I want to thank you for doing something, my instinct is to find you one on one and express my thanks privately. It took me a while to learn that some people got very hurt by this, as they expected public thanks in front of everybody.

The first time I was supposed to preach, I had a massive panic attack and ended up not going to church at all that day. But I was fortunate to be supported through that by a minister who saw my potential and gave me help to try again, and gradually I've found my own voice and a way of relating and speaking to people that's authentic to who I am.

 

[Tolworth John]

What types of things did you feel or go through?

If you think you can preach, get involved in your church, volunteer to help the sunday school, do the spade work to get known as a keen worker.
In conversation you will let it be know you want to teach and someone will try you out.
As opertunities increas so you will be recognised by your church leadership, if they have a training scheme ( and they should ) you will be trained and given opertunities to preach at other churches who have no paster and are seeking preachers to fill the pulpit.

So get involved with your church, talk to your minister and see what happens.

 

[The Liturgist]

There are lots of introverts in ministry, for what it's worth. We just tend to have a slightly different style than our extroverted brothers and sisters.

Indeed, I myself am an introvert and actually most of my colleagues who have discussed this issue with me have said they are introverted, and some are very introverted. I would also say all of my “friends of the cloth” are very private and intense even if they do not consider themselves introverted.

 

[The Liturgist]

It took me a while to learn that some people got very hurt by this, as they expected public thanks in front of everybody.

In some local churches I believe this occurs as a result of overly long extra-liturgical announcements. The adult leader / mentor of my youth group in the United Methodist Church where I spent some of my teenage years would get very frustrated with this, which amuses me as I myself developed a similiar feeling.

 

[The Liturgist]

Partly it's about how I do big events. I don't tend to want to be the centre of attention,

Me too. By the way, I have always been taught that I should never draw attention to myself when celebrating the liturgy.

 

[Paidiske]

I would also say all of my “friends of the cloth” are very private and intense even if they do not consider themselves introverted.

Probably because there's just so much we can't talk about, or can only talk about in very circumspect ways.

 

[The Liturgist]

Probably because there's just so much we can't talk about, or can only talk about in very circumspect ways.

Indeed. This also is probably what separates professional clergy from respectable denominations from people who probably shouldn’t be in the ministry. Loose lips sink ships, and the Church is the Ship of Salvation.

Which brings up a fun fact about Lutheran churches, who we were discussing earlier: Scandinavian Lutheran churches will often have, as a matter of tradition, a beautiful model of a ship at the west end of the nave pointed towards the apse, symbolizing the Church, and naturally flying the flag of the Scandinavian people the church serves.

I love that. I also love the distinct iconography one finds in some Danish and Swedish round churches. And then there are the exquisite Norwegian stave churches, and the Faroese have churches with grass-covered roofs.