HOW TO BUILD YOUR MINISTRY

written by W.N. Vincent

Ever heard the phrase ‘Talented but stuck’?

This is the case for many Christian Musicians who are called to serve God and the Body (Church) but do not know what steps to take to begin fulfilling their call.

In the end, not all of their potential and skill are harnessed or maximized.

Do you find yourself ‘waiting’ on God and never taking steps to fulfill God’s call for your life? Or maybe you don’t even know what steps you can take to build your ministry?

From experience and learning, I have found some powerful keys which, if applied will help you to build your ministry.

Please follow me as I share them with you.

1. Get in The Process

There is a popular ideology that you have to wait until you build capacity and you are READY, before going into ministry. While this idea sounds religiously good and logical, it is important to note that capacity is built in the process and not outside the process.

The day you answer God’s call for your life and start engaging yourself in your ministry is the day you start building capacity.

Capacity is not built outside the process. There is a depth of clarity that comes when you are in the process such that, if you are not in the process this clarity will elude you.

Mr. Wealth

The truth is, no man can ever be ‘ready’ for a depth of God’s usage except he submits himself to God’s process. It is in the process God gets him ready for a depth of call.

You can look up a featured article titled Understanding Waiting and Manifestation.

Not everyone will follow the same pattern(s). For example, not every Christian Musician will start by recording a song. Your process will be different from another man’s but you must start.

Today, the general concept of waiting on God is ‘idleness’, sitting down and doing nothing, but no! Waiting on God is not idleness; waiting is service.

The day you begin to obey God’s instruction is the day you start waiting. You can’t say you are in the choir for example, and God has been demanding some things from you, but you are trying to build capacity outside the process of the call with the cliché statement, “I am waiting on God”.

In fact, God never reveals the second phase if you have not followed through on the first phase, faithfully.

2. Build Your Character

Character is the foundation for an effective ministry.

I once heard one of my mentors in the music ministry say these words;

God is more interested in your heart than your ministry because ministry flows from the heart.

Pastor Bob Kauflin

If your heart is not right, simply put, your ministry cannot be right. By your heart, I mean your attitude, intentions, and motives in your dealings with God and Man.

Just as some secular jobs and professions have a dress code, so we as called ministers (Christians) need to be clothed in a certain way. Col 3:12-15. And this dress code is the character of Christ; to put on Christ.

To be effective in ministry, we must ‘wear’ the character of Christ, keeping in mind that the most important encounter in ministry is not people’s encounter with you, but their encounter with Jesus, as we are simply called to set up that encounter.

Paul Tripp wrote an article where he elaborated on the issue of Character. Click Here to read it.

One of the biggest challenges today is the habit of music ministers trying to leverage solely on external strategies to build their ministry while neglected character building.

We must never forget; the Fruit we bear is as important as the works we do.

Skills, strategic planning, etc., can take you up, but Character will determine if you will remain up there, as a quality character is the bedrock of a quality ministry

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3. Build a Network

By networking, you connect with other music ministers.

Get active. Support people selflessly. It’s ok if you don’t get as much support as you give out, but these are fundamental bricks you must lay. Make sure you don’t do things alone.

Learn to attend music concerts. The effect of music concerts on the music minister is very powerful, even if you are not the organizer. Such exposure always opens you up to a lot. Your desire, passion, and ideas will broaden and deepen.

Also, attend external Choir rehearsals. It will help you overcome the limitations that may arise from being in only your choir. For example, different choirs do different styles of music and operate with different rehearsal settings, arrangements, etc.

There’s this comfort your choir gives you that can be very unhealthy to your growth if left unchecked. You must break away from it. How? Attend external concerts and rehearsals and see a broader perspective.

Understand that you need more than talent to be successful in ministry.

4. Media Presence

To build your ministry, place emphasis on building your Media presence.

These days there is little or nothing you can do without a media presence. The media is a gift from God and you need to take advantage of it. Don’t wait until you want to release a song before you start being active.

Post as regularly as you can on matters pertaining to your ministry, take good photos and be active on other people’s timeline. In a way, this is how to get them active on your own page too.

Post as regularly as you can on matters pertaining to your ministry. Take quality photos and be active on other people’s timeline. In a way, this is how to get them active on your own page too.

The media can be one of your strongest points of contact with the world. You can be in Africa yet influence someone in Asia. The media gives you the same leverage it gives to the celebrities, it all depends on your strategic planning.

Strategic planning is what separates those who are ready from the talented bunch. You must go from just talented to hard-working and strategic if you must walk successfully in God’s calling for your life.

5. Prayer

Prayer is not the last on this list because it is the least important. When you talk about building a fan base or followership via the media, the best way to do that is through prayers. It cannot be overemphasized, and a single sermon will not be enough to expound on the efficacy and potency of prayer.

You must be a man of prayer. You cannot escape prayer. If you ever escape prayer, at best, you are going to do ministry in the flesh.

Knowing that the battles you face in ministry are not all physical (2 Cor 10:4) is enough reason for you to keep the fire on your prayer altar burning.

The easiest way to trend is through prayer. The work gets harder without Prayer. Prayer is part of the hard work because it takes a lot of separation and denial to pray. One way to unlock ideas is to pray in the Holy ghost.

Don’t only pray when you have a ministration; pray when doors are opening, pray when doors are shut, pray when instructions are given, pray through the process. Pray without ceasing.

Do not make prayer your last resort. No! You will get directions on strategic steps to take to build your ministry.

Make prayer your first advantage.

Cheers to the growth of your Music and Ministry.

 

Best Regards,

Vincent