An Important Pursuit
by Kent Carlson
VP of Leadership Formation
One of the most important pursuits for pastors, and pretty much everybody, is to value the ministry of shepherding, of caring for souls, of being fully present with another human being. I am aware, of course, of the five-fold giftings from Ephesians 4, which states that Christ has given to the church apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers. I believe that people, at least at certain times, gravitate to some of those giftings and roles more than others and the church desperately needs the full flourishing of all those giftings and roles. But there are times when each one of us will need to embrace and pursue the vision and faith of an apostle, or the insight and courage of a prophet, or the passion of an evangelist, or the tenderness of a shepherd, or the wisdom of a teacher. What I am suggesting is that we need to once again pursue and nurture the calling of shepherding as an integral part of Christian leadership.
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Ministers’ Relief & Retirement
Since His death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus has chosen the Church to represent Him on earth. The Church is at her best when we are serving as Christ’s hands and feet in this world: preaching the Good News and caring for those in need. These are a couple of ways we as followers of Christ are helping to manifest the Kingdom of God breaking into our world.
The Minsters’ Relief and Retirement annual fund is a beautiful example of the NAB family providing for and caring for members of the NAB family. Our pastors and church leaders spend much of their time caring for us, inspiring us, teaching us, and helping us grow as followers of Christ, and this fund is one of the ways we can express our love for them through care and support. Click below for more information.
Ministers' Relief & Retirement Info
Church Planter of the Week
Darrick Castronova, theWELLbuffalo, Getzville, New York. A native of Buffalo, New York, Darrick married his high-school sweetheart, Jodi, after his third year at Daemen College. In late 2009, he returned to western New York after he and his family felt God leading them to start theWELLbuffalo, which currently has three campuses: Bethel, Southtown, and the internet. Darrick and Jodi have a soft spot for the fatherless and broken-hearted and extend this into a passion for foster care. Along with the occasional foster child, they also have a few children of their own: Sam, 22; Savannah, 19; Issac, 14; Chari, 5; and Korey, 3. Pray for the Southtown campus and campus director C. J. Arehns as they seek to reach the South Buffalo / West Seneca community. Pray as well for wisdom regarding possibly building out their Bethel campus and the possibility of launching a fourth campus. Find out more at thewellbuffalo.com.
Missionary/Church Planter of the Week