Encouraging the Called

      Over my years in student ministry and especially since beginning my role with the BMA of Arkansas Youth Department, I have seen fewer and fewer students surrender their lives to vocational ministry. It has been a bit concerning as I have had churches and leaders calling to ask for suggestions as they seek to fill vacancies in their churches. There is a vacuum right now in this area that needs to be addressed. I trust God is still calling His servants, so why do we see less and less of them? While I don’t have a solid answer for the “Why?,” I do believe we need to do our best to encourage the “called.” Here are some suggestions to get started:

         • Keep your eyes open for the “called.” The gifted are easy to spot. These are the young people at your church who just exude life. They care about people, and it is obvious. They are often extroverted and easily draw others to themselves. The harder ones to spot are the thinkers. You may have a student who is processing the Word and lining out how that impacts him or her. We need both types of servants in the kingdom and our churches. We must know our students well enough to see how God is working in their lives so we can be a voice of encouragement and instruction for them.

         • Pray for the “called.” Prayer is where we should always start. We need to pray that God will lead young men and women to respond to God’s call on their lives. We should be praying for those that we see the Holy Spirit working. When was the last time you prayed that God would raise up the next generation of leaders, especially young men to be pastors? There are pressing needs in our churches and lives, but we must think about the future of our churches.

         • Ask the question. Questions are great. They open up conversations and can provide the opportunity for the Spirit to do His Work. What should we ask? “Have you considered ministry as your life’s work?” I remember my pastor at Springdale Baptist Church being afraid to ask that question because he didn’t want to be the Holy Spirit in my life. I so appreciated his heart. However, one of my dear friends had not really considered ministry until an instructor at Central Baptist College asked him that question. I don’t think our students have vocational ministry on their radars. Let’s not be afraid to simply ask the question and let the Spirit do the work.

         • Provide opportunities for service. We have young people in our student groups who are clearly being prepared for lifelong service in the church. They may not pursue vocational ministry, but we need to give the “called” and others opportunities to serve and flex their ministry muscles. I am so thankful for Springdale Church and their willingness to allow me to serve and grow in my experience. Look for ways your students can grow in their service. It won’t always be perfect, but it doesn’t have to be. The long-term impact will far outweigh the hiccups you may have to endure now.

      We don’t want to replace the Holy Spirit in this process, but we do want to be a voice of encouragement as we all look to the next generation. Let’s pray together that God will raise up an army of servants to share Jesus with the world.