Play ONE Instrument Well

Nik Satelmajer wrote about his granddaughter who had just completed her first piano lesson (age 5). She excitedly told him how much she enjoyed it and that she was going to also learn flute, piccolo, clarinet, drums and xylophone. And when she mastered them, she'd study music and be a music teacher and teach kids so sing and play.

Will she ever learn that? Probably not. But he encouraged her to learn to play ONE with great skill and play it to the glory of God.

Do you remember, Pastor, your thoughts on what you were going to do as a minister BEFORE you actually started?

I planned to be the best - better than anyone I knew or had heard or even read about - in preaching, teaching, leading, pastoring, fund-raising, building, program planning, etc.

The reality? Probably not!! Don't know any pastor that excells in all areas.

Wonder if Pastors/Lay workers would share (and be vulnerable) a little of the "instrument" you play well - that is, the part of the Gospel ministry where you excel in ministry to the glory of God . . and, if you'd like, which are the hardest or weakest.

Personal studies (one-on-one)
Small groups
Class teaching
Pulpit speaking
Visitation
Program planning
Scholarship
Leadership
Fund raising
Administration
Visionary
Children
Youth
College
Senior Saints
Marriage/Counseling
Women
Men
Add-your-own

Anyone?

 

I would say I "enjoy" and seek to excel at two "instruments" - I enjoy pulpit ministry of an expositor (any size, any gender, any age) and coupled with that is the in-depth scholarship.

Weakest areas of ministry? Visitation (I'm just not a sit around and chat-over-coffee type) and counseling (reason I went back to school after 7 years of pastoring was for training in counseling that had been skimmed over in college and grad school. Wasn't just to get an earned doctorate, but to use that added training for ministry).