I used to think there was a right way to do every ministry. A right way to lead Bible Studies, a right way to evangelize, a right way to disciple, a right way to do missions, and a right way to preach. I learned a different model for practically each of these ministries and became entrenched in each respective approach. I taught others how to use these models and insisted upon their use, cautioning that even a slight deviation could yield unfavorable results. While there certainly are helpful models worth studying and implementing in ministry, I’ve since learned it’s possible to overemphasize the approach and develop “model arrogance.”
Different contexts, different ministers, and different recipients require different approaches. We are called to go and make disciples of all the nations. It would be foolish to assume we could go out with the same approach and apply it uniformly across various cultures, languages, social classes, and demographics. If that is true for the world at large, it is true to a certain degree for the United States as well. The U.S. is a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities. Thus, ministry approaches should vary even within the context of our nation. Of course, that’s not to say the gospel message should change at all, but rather that its presentation will take on different forms.
The Apostle Paul knew to address the Areopagus by utilizing their idol to an unknown god in his sermon. He didn’t preach to them as if they were Jews with monotheistic views. His sermon to the Athenians in Acts 17 looked entirely different from his sermon to the Jews at Antioch in Acts 13, where he chose to emphasize Israel’s history instead. This kind of versatility allowed Paul to reach wider audiences for Jesus.
Are you emphatic about particular ministry approaches? Or are you more excited for the end result of reaching lost people? As believers, it’s the latter that should stir our hearts. For those who have mastered a ministry model, it may be time to learn another. Alternatively, it may be worthwhile to step back and reassess how flexible, adaptive, and effective you’ve been. For those who haven’t learned or used a single model, it may be time to ask someone you respect how they evangelize, disciple others, or lead their Bible study. At the end of the day, regardless of what you use, it will be better to err on the side of sharing Scripture. After all, it’s not the model that wins a soul to Christ, it’s the inspired word of God penetrating the heart.
While it is wrong to be legalistic with a ministry model, it is worse to be critical of those using models without ever making our own attempts at the ministry. Let’s not be paramedics who criticize the treatment another paramedic is offering while other patients lie around us. We’ve all got work to do, and there’s different ways of doing the work. In the end, only the Lord can tell us “well done, good and faithful servant.” As the saying goes, Jesus is the only pathway to Heaven, but there are many pathways to Jesus. Let’s help people get on a pathway to Christ.
