Yesterday was my birthday and while enjoying a morning jog, I began reflecting on my “bucket list.” You’re probably familiar with the concept. People ask themselves, “With the time I have left in life, what exciting adventures do I what to experience, that I’ve yet to enjoy?”
There’s nothing inherently wrong with that type of personal adventure bucket list. Although it does tend to focus on self and on personal experience.
As I jogged, and since then, I’ve been pondering a different sort of bucket list—a Christian ministry bucket list. My question, prayerfully asked, sounds like this:
“With the time that I have left in life, what ministry for others, that I’ve yet to be able to share, do I believe God is leading me to offer?”
My main purpose in posting today is not so much to share my ministry bucket list, but to encourage you, regardless of your age, to ponder your Christian ministry bucket list. You might be twenty-five and thinking, “I have forever. It’s far too soon in my life to think about a bucket list.” Yet, none of us knows how many days we have left…
What About Bob?
However, to “prime the pump,” I’ll share a couple examples of my developing Christian ministry bucket list. Here are three ministries I’ve yet to offer, that I sense God calling me to share in the coming years.
1. Foster Care
Our children are now young adults and out of the home. Shirley and I are “empty-nesters.” Instead of thinking, “How can we use the extra time for fun?” (again, nothing wrong with fun, and we have tons of fun), we’re asking, “How can we use our extra time to offer foster parenting ministry to kids in need?”
2. Hospice Care
As a pastor and counselor, I’ve ministered to many people toward the ends of their lives. I’ve even authored a book (God’s Healing for Life’s Losses) on Christian grieving. But I’ve never been involved in an ongoing hospice care, end-of-life ministry. That’s now part of my Christian ministry bucket list—to walk hand-in-hand with terminally-ill persons and their families as they face end of life, and eternal life, issues.
3. 4E Lay Counseling One Another Care
I’ve had the joy of authoring five books. There’s at least one more that I’d like to share with the Christian world: The 4E Ministry Training Strategy. The purpose of this book would be to walk pastors, counselors, and lay leaders through a field-tested, best-practice model of equipping their people for one another personal ministry. That’s a third item on my Christian ministry bucket list.
What About You?
How would you prayerfully answer the question:
“With the time that I have left in life, what ministry for others, that I’ve yet to be able to share, do I believe God is leading me to offer?”
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