Putting our hand to the plow...

[SolaVeritas]

Hello, I'm new here and I'd love to hear from others who had a distinct call from God to (pretty much singelhandedly) start a new ministry or outreach and about your experiences with that. What has helped you, what changes it has brought to your life? Did you make mistakes and what did you learn from it?

My husband and I are just in that planning/starting process and it's so exiting and then again so scary at times. There are huge encouragements and answers to prayers that make us dance and praise the Lord, and then, WHAM, we get hit big time and feel so crushed we can hardly breath a prayer. It's a rollercoaster but I wouldn't want to be anywhere else or do anything else! I can't even imagine anymore being concerned with anything other than what God has laid on our hearts. What a relief to be so single focused. Isn't He wonderful? Praise the Lord!

 

[J Rock]

Hello, I'm new here and I'd love to hear from others who had a distinct call from God to (pretty much singelhandedly) start a new ministry or outreach and about your experiences with that. What has helped you, what changes it has brought to your life? Did you make mistakes and what did you learn from it?

Hi there.

1. My wife and I started thesharing.org ministry to the nursing care community.

2. The experience
a) helped us to know what our purpose on this earth is
b) showed what poverty is like
c) made us realize that we are odd balls who are not easily understood

3. What has helped us has been a very small band of God's faithful people to support and encourage us.

4. The changes have been to force us to swallow the pride that we did not know existed - we did not realize how much money we were used to until we did not have it any more. It was a blessing but a hard reality check.

5. Did I make mistakes? Certainly, but you adjust and move on. The number 1 thing that I have learned from this experience is that consistent communication is the key with your small band of supporters. A Missionary that does not communicate to the partners about what God is doing is a Missionary that does not consider the supporters a vital part of the ministry.

6. And always remember, plans change to fit the needs of the people that you minister to. Don't become so devoted to your plans that God cannot change things up on you.

I hope this helps. God bless to you and your husband.

Blessings,
John

 

[SolaVeritas]

Thanks so much for your reply, especially #6 is a keeper! I hear you on the oddball comment, he he, oh well it's all good.
Blessings to you too.