MINISTERIAL LABORATORY

At the end of 2010, I had at heart to take charge of a discipleship and ministerial formation initiative within the churches to which they belong. Being, thank God, part of a ministry that leaves nothing to chance, but with commitment and dedication strives to meet the needs of the people, without neglecting the ministerial body, I felt the need to form a team of young servants for the tomorrow (which doesn't belong to us!). The love for the people that the Lord has entrusted to us and the responsibility for the call impose us, on the basis of the examples of Peter (with Mark) and Paul (with Timothy and Titus), to prepare young servants for a ministry that honors the Master Jesus.

Each local pastor (and / or manager), who has in his heart the growth and continuation of the work entrusted to him, will surely have found a way and time to involve young aspiring servants in the ministerial and extra-ecclesial ministerial activities. Unfortunately, involvement and entrusting of responsibilities is not always preceded by proper role training. Let me explain better by asking a few questions: How many of the young people entrusted with conducting the cult or even preaching have been trained in this task? Have they been given the right indications of responsibility and what they are called to do? Eventually, what have they been taught? Did you require proof before the assignment?

Without demolishing what has been done so far, and wanting only better to equip young people, who can certainly become a stimulus for continuous training and preparation even for the elderly, I prepared a semester course, with a weekly appointment of at least two hours of lessons, aimed at believers who collaborate in worship (musicians, conductors, preachers), in activities related to it (e.g. Sunday School) and open to those who have in their hearts to serve the Lord in this direction and who have not yet had the opportunity to do so today ( better for them, they will be able to train earlier!). The course was born precisely as a laboratory, intended as the workshop of the craftsman, where the one with the greatest experience tries to transfer it to others, doing the same job together, collecting advice and trying to improve the work done even by making mistakes.

It is time to stop working for the Lord with the art of getting by. This may be fine sometimes, it may be an exception, an emergency, but we cannot get by if we are serving the Lord. By now the art of arranging is no longer good: those we serve must be served in the best possible way. This requires our best service, our best skills, the best of ourselves. Appropriate training will prevent personal points of view and opinions from being exposed from the pulpits: it is necessary to expose only and exclusively the word of God.

For the LORD gives wisdom; science and intelligence come from his mouth. He holds powerful help in store for upright men, a shield for those who walk in integrity, in order to protect the paths of justice and to guard the way of his faithful. Then you will understand justice, equity, righteousness, all ways of good. Because wisdom will enter your heart, science will be the delight of your soul, reflection will watch over you, intelligence will protect you; it will thus escape you from the wicked way, from the people who speak of perverse things, from those who leave the paths of righteousness to walk in the ways of darkness, who enjoy doing evil and take pleasure in the perversities of the wicked one, whose paths are twisted and they wind their way. (Proverbs 2: 6-15)