It excites me to witness the ways God has been working
in this area of my life. He has created a passion in me that I thought I could only have for music. When I finished
my first rough draft of my book in January 2007, it served as the confidence builder I needed to move forward. It was like
God was saying, "See, I told you I had a ministry for you!"
Though I have enjoyed
the process of writing a book, the down side is that the distance between my writing and others' reading is great. One
way to handle this is through the monthly articles I write for my homepage. I am also pursuing publication of articles
in various venues, whether it is magazine, internet magazines, or wherever. No matter how "small" the publication,
I will be pleased to know that I am using a God-given talent to bring glory back to God, and maybe helping believers in the
process.
An area of writing I have also been enjoying is script writing for church services. I
have a background in theater, so I have a certain idea of how dialogue on stage goes. I wrote a short scene for our Christmas
program where Mary and Joseph carried on their own monologues that overlapped in an effective way. Though it had to be
altered due to the illness of Joseph, Mary's monologue was well received. This began my pursuit of drama writing. I have
since written a few scenes, all of which can be read on the Drama page of this site.
I am very pleased with the growth of the music ministry
in my local church, East Side Grace Brethren Church. Often, the level of music a choir can undertake directly correlates
to the number of men in that group. It is safe to say that the men within our choir are talented enough to handle any of the
music our director, Richard Anderson, gives to us. Add to that the skills of the sopranos and altos, and I believe we
have a choir that is blessed by God. It is an honor to be a part of it.
I
also enjoy the opportunity to sing solos, duets with my wife, and worship leading on the praise team. What is really
great about the church's music department is the closeness shared by the members. When we meet every wednesday for practice
it is not only to prepare music for the upcoming services, but also to pray together, sharing our needs and praises with one
another. It is very much like being in a small group (cell group, or whatever one's church may call it).
I have beginning the
process of finishing new music and recording a CD with a couple musician friends I attended college with, along with my wife.
Combining our various talents, we will hopefully have a Christian album that is both Spirit-filled and worshipful.
The kind of writing I do is one that is geared toward
teaching the Bible and how to apply it to everyday life. I have not taught in a Sunday school setting, but one of the
associate pastors at my church one day discussed that possibility with me. Once he mentioned the idea of teaching, it has
been a seed that has slowly grown. Where I once only considered myself a teacher via writing, I am now excited (though a bit
nervous) about this possiblilty.
One
thing I am doing that is preparing me for such a thing is my envolvement in Grace Institute at East Side. Grace Institude
was started to prepare people who were already involved in a ministry of some kind within the church to grow not only in Christ,
but for the distinct purpose of being more effective within that minstry. Once I have completed the correct number of
classes, along with the other requirements, a certificate will not only be offered by Grace Institute, but by Grace Theological
Seminary as well.
I have taken classes on Leadership, Theology, Hermeneutics (which is Bible interpretation), Christian
Psychology & Counseling, and Mentoring. What I have learned in the Theology and Hermeneutics classes have been directly
applied to my writing, making it more in-depth. The Leadership class was the primary motivating factor God used to influence
the start of a Bible study group at work. It has also encouraged me to step up to the tasks that come along with pursuing
a writing ministry, rather than sitting back paralyzed by thoughts of my seemingly endless shortcomings. The Counseling and
Mentoring classes were geared toward understanding people and may enable me to do just that.
Ministry to Wife and Kids
So often, I have witnessed individuals
doing great things for the Lord, only to have their family neglected. When I started to concentrate on pursuing writing as
a ministry, I made a concious decision to make my family the first group to whom I would minister. To my wife, I have
pledged to be the husband that the Bible tells me to be. I am to love her as Christ loved the Church, giving His life
for her.
To my children, I have pledged to follow the advice of Proverbs and train them up in the ways
that they should go. I realize, as Proverbs also says, that my kids are filled with foolishness. It is my job to
drive that foolishness out of them, filling the void with knowledge and living examples of Christ.
