Closer

I'm recently reading a book related to youth ministry during my bedtime reading. This book is called "How to be a Student Leader", written by Doug Fields from the Simply Youth Ministry. Doug has been involving in youth ministry over 15 years and has written over 20 books on related youth issue and ministry.

Personally, I found this book useful to me as it reminds me of many principles of being a student leader. The starting highlights of the book is to define what's so called a student "leader", whom I strongly agree with him, in which a "leader" is nothing but only a "servant" in fact. "A student leader serves until the end", he quoted.

In short, his wordings in the book are simple, easy to understand, but the ideas are helpful and meaningful. What strikes me the most after I read the book was he mentioned that one of the most important elements in a youth ministry is "the inner relationship of leaders with God". The only difference between leading a community or a company and leading a God's ministry -- it's not the leader who's leading the fellowship, but the presence of God. Indeed, I have to agree with Doug that the degree of spiritual relationship with God of a leader will affect the entire fellowship.

Perhaps there won't be any progress of our ministry when from time to time we spend endless time and efforts serving in church, while we have neglected spending our individual time communicating with God, to listen carefully and follow obediently. This really reminds me of the importance of prayer and reading the bible.

I should have realised the missing of this important element when I found myself losing steam when serving recently. I thought it's the pre-leaving symptoms to Holland, but I supposed I'm wrong !!!

It's time for me to return and stay closer.....