Advice From the Pro's...

Explore the many areas of ministry and how you can serve, too.

What is a Minister/Pastor?

I am not sure I know a short answer to this question. When I was a teenager we were always challenged at church camp and CIY to “Dedicate our lives to full-time Christian service”. I know that intention was to draw young people into ministry as a profession, but everyone who has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, should have dedicated themselves to full-time Christian service and a life of ministry.

Now there are those that I believe are called by God into ministry as a vocation. I’ll never forget the night I sat on the bleachers of the baseball field at MilliganCollege looking at the cross rising through the fog on the hill at Emmanuel School of Religion. It was that night that I knew God was calling me into a life of vocational ministry. That was 22 years ago and it’s been an incredible ride.

I am still not sure I know what a minister is by definition. I have taught Sunday School and Children’s church. I have preached many sermons to thousands of people. I have dug septic tanks in Piedras Negras, Mexico. I have held the hand of a teenage boy as he died from brain cancer. I have performed dozens of weddings and hundreds of baptisms and funerals, and yet I constantly wonder if I am doing what I am supposed to do as a minister. So I simply try to listen to God each day and follow where he leads me.

What does it mean to minister to a congregation of believers?

This part scares me to death at times. People listen to what I say from the pulpit and make life-changing decisions based on what comes out of my mouth. AUGHH!!! I love people in general. I love being around most of them almost all the time. I really love my people here in Shelbyville. They have supported me for nearly twenty years. We make mistakes together along the way, but we just keep loving each other.

When things are going well we laugh together. Some of the funniest moments in my life have happened with the people at our church. When things are tough we cry together. We have gathered in the hospitals and funeral homes when people we love a lot are sick and dying, and we’ve gotten through it together.

I see my role as being one of casting vision toward a better tomorrow. Whether it be a better life and way of living here on this earth or toward an eternity with Jesus, I just try to keep things going forward and improving.

What education is required?

The only way I know to answer this is to tell you about my education. I have a BA in Business Administration and Bible from Milligan and a MA in Practical Ministries and Church Growth from Cincinnati Bible Seminary. I also took classes at Emmanuel and have participated in many continuing education opportunities. I am currently involved in the Beeson Institute for Advanced Church Leadership with Asbury Seminary.

When I was a Youth Minister I always counseled my kids to try to determine the direction they were going and find a school that offered those things. Then the trick is to always keep learning. Not just with formal education, but through life experiences. I would encourage everyone going into vocational ministry to be sure to get a good solid grasp on God’s word, but to also balance that with education in ministry oriented people skills. I never knew how valuable my degree in Business Administration was until I became the Senior Minister of a multi-staff church with a million dollar budget.

What is most rewarding about serving as a Minister?

This one is easy! It is seeing people who were lost and searching for answers to life come to an understanding of who Jesus is and accepting Him as their Lord and Savior. I love going into the baptistery with someone who is submitting his or her life to Jesus. I have been blessed to have that experience with both my children and then to return into the baptistery with them to help them baptize their friends that they have led to Lord.

What is the most challenging aspect of serving as a Minister?

The most challenging part of ministry is the one that I remind all of my kids from church who have gone into ministry of before they leave home to go study and get ready. That is that ministry is not easy and even Christians are not always nice. The key is remembering “why”. It is because there really is a battle going on out there. When God places a call upon your life to enter ministry as a vocation, Satan places a “hit” on your life and begins his attempt to either lead you a different direction or destroy you as you try to serve God.

But I am convinced that God will never lead you where He won’t protect you! You know what he is calling you to do, or you wouldn’t be reading this. He is calling you to ministry! It is an incredible ride! Yeah, there are some bumps along the way, but it is still the ride of a lifetime! Catch the next wave, let God help you make a difference in someone’s life and call me if I can help.

Peace,

Dave

Dave Hamlin, Senior Minister

Shelby Christian Church, Shelbyville, KY