World Renewal International
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Pass It On
Mike and Susan Neifert are the pastors of Argonia Evangelical Friends Church in Argonia, KS. I preached in their congregation last Sunday night. They had little time to prepare as I had little time to inform them I could come. Nevertheless, they really met the challenge and had a great crowd, their youth raised a good amount of funds toward paying for summer church camp by serving pancakes and sausage and we had a great service and ministry. Mike is a pastor's son and Susan is the daughter of missionaries to Africa. Mike was one of my students at Barclay College when I first joined the faculty.
It is good that Mike and I can work together so well, I was really tough on him when he was a student. First year profs, like I was, can be really difficult. When I looked at my ministry students who were seniors that first year, I was so frightened for them. I really felt I was sending lambs to the wolves. There are some things one just cannot know what it is like until you have experienced it and I felt that way about ministry. I love the ministry. I feel I get paid for just being. I plan on doing ministry just as long as I possibly can. However, that does not mean I think it is easy. While the ministry of the Kingdom of God is to me the most rewarding thing I could possibly do, it is also filled with the heartaches of peoples lives and the enemy from hell. When I make mistakes, it is ususally with someones life, and not just my own.
Young ministers need room to grow up and mature. Often they are looked to as a problem solver early in life and in the ministry. I was scared for them. Therefore I often tried to cram way too much into their hearts and minds. Mike was certainly the recipient of that. He had always been an A student. He continued that with me, but I really made him earn it because I was concerned that he was not ready. I did not see any of them as ready. I wanted to keep them all a bit longer.
Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 2:2 TNLT "So, my son, throw yourself into this work for Christ. Pass on what you heard from me to reliable leaders who are competent to teach others."
Mike and Susan have done well. They have met the challenge just as they did preparing for Sunday night. The town of Argonia has a caring pastor family. Mike also is also the http://www.worldrenewal.org/ web master. He designed and takes care of our World Renewal website. It is great to have them as a part of the World Renewal family. He also does a weekly devotion that he sends by way of email. If you would like to receive that devotion please contact Mike at: www.argoniafriends@havilandtelco.com and he will send it to you like he does many of us.
It is good that Mike and I can work together so well, I was really tough on him when he was a student. First year profs, like I was, can be really difficult. When I looked at my ministry students who were seniors that first year, I was so frightened for them. I really felt I was sending lambs to the wolves. There are some things one just cannot know what it is like until you have experienced it and I felt that way about ministry. I love the ministry. I feel I get paid for just being. I plan on doing ministry just as long as I possibly can. However, that does not mean I think it is easy. While the ministry of the Kingdom of God is to me the most rewarding thing I could possibly do, it is also filled with the heartaches of peoples lives and the enemy from hell. When I make mistakes, it is ususally with someones life, and not just my own.
Young ministers need room to grow up and mature. Often they are looked to as a problem solver early in life and in the ministry. I was scared for them. Therefore I often tried to cram way too much into their hearts and minds. Mike was certainly the recipient of that. He had always been an A student. He continued that with me, but I really made him earn it because I was concerned that he was not ready. I did not see any of them as ready. I wanted to keep them all a bit longer.
Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 2:2 TNLT "So, my son, throw yourself into this work for Christ. Pass on what you heard from me to reliable leaders who are competent to teach others."
Mike and Susan have done well. They have met the challenge just as they did preparing for Sunday night. The town of Argonia has a caring pastor family. Mike also is also the http://www.worldrenewal.org/ web master. He designed and takes care of our World Renewal website. It is great to have them as a part of the World Renewal family. He also does a weekly devotion that he sends by way of email. If you would like to receive that devotion please contact Mike at: www.argoniafriends@havilandtelco.com and he will send it to you like he does many of us.
Thanks for stopping by.
:: posted by Gary Wright, 7:13 PM
1 Comments:
Referring back to one of your previous posts, my best girl friend is working with Campus Crusade this summer, and I get to help her go through the whole support-raising process which is very humbling indeed. It's worth it, though, to see God working and moving.
