As Paul, along with Silas and Timothy, opens his letter to the Thessalonian church he addresses the minister's call at its simplest and most profound point.
"You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord....." (1 Thessalonians 1:5b-6a).
For all the plethora of strategies, programs and models the church has ever developed none have improved on this approach. Live in such a way that people will have cause to copy you. Live in such a way that when they copy you, they will be copying Christ!
In other words, spend less time adapting your life to relate to people and spend more time adapting your life to Christ. When as ministers we do that publically, transformation occurs. Evangelism happens. Discipleship unfolds.
It means our public ministry is born in our private faith.
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