what's the path i should go?

[upchuckcanuck]

ok, i know God called me into 2 areas of ministry, and i dont know how to go about following the call......i'll split them up into 2 areas and how the callings were confirmed.

#1(long term)children's/youth ministry: i feel more like i'll be working w/ children instead of youth. i dont know if its pastoral, teaching, sunday school, or rec. i do feel that God has called me to do something with a career....my passions are naturally recreation and that was definately re-ignited when i helped out w/ the youth group at my church 2 summers ago... i tried the children's ministry deal at a local church and didnt feel like it was where i needed to be. dont know if its cuz i'm not called to do pastoral and minister duties w/ children or if thats just not where i'm supposed to be. the calling was confirmed when i went to lexington, kentucky for 2 months over the summer and worked w/ alot of local churches and stuff w/ the elkhorn baptist association.

#2(short term)China, possibly as journeyman: i feel like i'll be doing one of 2 things. i'll either be getting my AA from the local junior college and goin to Beijing University for a couple years and just living there and telling the people that i come in contact with about Christ, or getting a B.A. here in the states and going over there through the IMB as a journeyman. anybody who's done something like that, can u give me advice on ways to practice witnessing and ministering to people over there that i can do in the states. i'm trying to get more involved w/ the international ministry here with my campus ministries and i'm taking mandarin so i can communicate. the way this was confirmed was i've always wanted to go and visit China, but God turned that desire and i believe He told me when i was in prayer one night that He's gonna give me a way to go, but as a missionary, not tourist. i was iffy on it cuz i was planning on doing my own thing when i was over there, so through more prayer God finally gave me a peace about it whenever i laid it all down at His feet.

i know God isn't a God of confusion and He'll guide my paths, but He has decided to reveal a little at a time which is frustrating to me, but who am i to argue with God?

i'm just clinging on to Jeremiah 33:3, Psalm 119:105, and Jeremiah 29:11.

 

[Ruth~]

You are doing well to go into Ministry. I really don't have the answer for you but both causes look equally worthwhile to me. I am praying that you will find the answer.

 

[BereanTodd]

Let me share my story a little bit, which has some parralells, though at the same time a little different. About 7 years ago I started feeling called to the ministry, and even went down the aisle to commit my life to the ministry.

At first I thought, much like your first point, that I was going to do some sort of youth work, but I didn't know just what. I started seeking God's direction but I had a really hard time finding it, and eventually I felt quite discouraged. I didn't seem to have any inroads to the ministry.

Finally a brother came alongside me, who was a co-worker of mine, but also pastored a small church on the side and was attending a local Bible College as well. He encouraged me to come take some classes there. I did. And it has changed my life.

Through the school, and through preparing myself for ministry I feel that God has given me direction for that ministry. I have no doubt what I'm called to now, and it is the missions field, although I feel called to Europe as opposed to China.

So what am I saying? Well, my school has a motto:
"A call to ministry is a call to prepare". In other words if you are thinking that it's the full-time ministry you are being called to (such as missions or youth pastorship type stuff) then I suggest you begin to prepare yourself. What does that mean? Well in todays world there are many bible colleges and seminaries that do a wonderful job of equiping and directing people to ministry. If you feel that's not an option for you (though I would strongly urge you to consider it. I avoided it for years thinking it wasn't possible for me, but only once I gave in and began did God really start to expand my options), then I would say to find a pastor who will mentor you and help train you in some sort of fashion. But it would definately help you to have those sorts of people pouring into you, and it will also help you to gain clarity as to where God is calling you to.

In any case I don't know if what I've said helps you at all, but I will be praying for you.