From Sampler to Sower

I suppose you may be wondering why I chose to call this blog “Sampler to Sower”.  And a smart alec would probably tell you, “Because ‘pastorbuhro.com’ sounded way too boring.”  But since everyone knows I’m no smart alec, here’s the real scoop:

My philosophy of ministry states “I minister in order to help teens on the journey of eight steps, from sampler to sower.”  As the blog grows, I’ll write more about this journey, because it lies at the heart of everything I do as a youth pastor.  But here’s the short and the sweet:

The journey of faith is made up of eight steps.  Granted the word “steps” makes me cringe.  It seems to imply that if you’ll just proceed through eight simple processes you will arrive, fully formed, at the gates of heaven.  That’s certainly not what I’m trying to imply.  Rather I see it more as a dance (despite the fact that my Nazarene forefathers would have frowned on such a metaphor) made up of eight central themes, eight ways of moving through the world, eight steps.  Our goal in ministry is to find out what step you’ve learned and teach you the next one.  Know them all?  We’ll do this dance together and both get better.

So what are the eight basic steps?

1. Sampler: We believe that every person is created by God with a hunger for the supernatural.  This hunger leads us to explore – to search for that “more” that we know is out there.  But our searching is typically syncretistic.  In other words, we approach the world’s religions like a smorgasboard, picking and choosing little servings of the things we like, skipping he parts that we don’t.  But Christianity, if t is real, is not something that can be take piecemeal.  And anyone attempting to do so will miss out it’s power to transform.  And so we encourage those who only know how to sample to make a selection, to stop picking and choosing and to make a commitment to examine Christianity a little more closely.
2. Seeker: Once someone decides to examine Christianity more closely, we believe that they tend to ask:
   • Is Christianity real? In other words, does Christianity really make a difference in people’s lives or is it all just a show?
   • Does it apply to me? If I buy into this Christianity thing, how will my life be different?
   • How do I plug in? If the previous two questions can be answered satisfactorily, the final question is about how to start this new life we call Christianity.

   If we can answer these questions for people, we invite them to make a commitment of confession not merely confessing their own need for a Savior, but confessing their desire to make that Savior master of their lives.

3. Singer: It is our firm belief that Christian experience and scripture demonstrates that the natural response to redemption is an attitude of thanksgiving and praise.  We invite those experiencing such feeling to make a commitment to expression, to finding a way to give voice to these feelings.  We furthermore believe that worship is a whole-body experience, involving not only every part of our life and being, but also experienced corporately within the context of whole the body of Christ.
4. Student: Once we begin this life of following Christ, we quickly learn that there is more to this life than just confession and redemption.  There is in the heart of every true believer a desire to learn more about God’s word and His will for our life.  And so we invite those who are feeling this desire to make a commitment to education – to becoming a student of God’s word.
5. Supporter: There is within each one of us a desire to having meaningful relationships with others and to belong to something bigger than ourselves – to devote our lives to a cause that matters.  We invite those who understand such a desire to commit themselves to union – to join with others on this journey of faith by giving and receiving support from others, and by supporting the work of the Church in the world.
6. Searcher: The searcher understands that God does not just want to forgive us – He is looking to transform us.  And He calls us to search to know His heart that we might be like Him.  We call searchers to make the commitment to emulation – to seek to reflect the heart of God in our world.  Of course, Christlikeness is something that no programming can accomplish.  Christlikeness is the result of Christian maturity, and spiritual maturity, like physical maturity, is the natural result of healthy habits.  So we seek to help searchers develop the habits that lead to maturity.
7. Servant: Just as Jesus did not come to be served but to serve, so too he calls his followers to serve others.  And the true Church will seek to live out that calling in the world, striving to do good to all people, both within and outside the Church.  We call on servants to make a lifelong commitment to integration – to joining with the body of Christ, using their unique gifts and abilities to serve the needs of others.
8. Sower: As Andrew demonstrated, the first things followers of Jesus Christ do is to introduce him to others.  In the same way, if Jesus really has made a difference in our lives, we will want to share the good news about Jesus with those we care about.  We call on sowers to commit to evangelization. From the Greek word for “good news” evangelization means sharing that news with others.

This philosophy of ministry, this understanding that I am called to live a life marked by these movements, and to invite others to join with me, guides everything I do as a pastor.  At least it should.   It’s easy to get distracted by everyday business, and the busy-ness of every day.  It’s easy to work because that’s what pays the bills or keeps the board happy.  But whchen I get swamped by trivia or overwhelmed by competing demands it is this which helps me focus on what really matters.