“Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matthew 9:38)
There is a pressing need of raising up many gospel workers. The estimate is that the CRCA needs to raise up and train up to 30 men in the next ten years (2020-30) just to meet the requirements for ordained ministers with the current number of churches. It is also foreseeable that in the next 10 years we have another ten churches. This highlights the pressing need to raise up 40 gospel workers in the coming decade.
This pressing need should be addressed by a multi-pronged strategy. There is no “silver bullet”, but God is able to meet this need for workers as we employ the means he has given us and as we invest strategically in leadership development. It was Christ himself who identified this need and urged us to pray for workers (Matthew 9:37-38). The apostle Paul recognised this need as well and instructed Timothy to entrust the things Paul had taught him “to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2 Timothy 2:2)
We ought to see the raising up of pastors/preachers/church planters as a sub-set of raising up a much wider pool of gospel workers. We need to raise up many men and women for a range of gospel ministries in the local church and beyond, full-time, part-time, ordained, and non-ordained. Out of this much wider pool, some men will, the Lord willing, step forward for ordination training.
Click HERE for STRATEGIES & RESOURCES for Raising Gospel Workers
NOTE: Additional strategies, resources, internship and apprenticeship options will be available in the coming months, as some are awaiting action by Synod which meets in May 2022 (DV).
For more information and updates please contact Jack De Vries CRCA Ministry Development Coach.