(Prov. 20:6 NIV)
I went to Agape Church in Little Rock two weeks after it was started in May of 1979. As soon as I arrived, I began to get involved. I set out to do whatever I could do to help my pastor fulfill his vision for the church.
In all I served twenty-three years in that ministry, and I saw God faithfully fulfill His call on my life. In short, I bloomed where God had planted me.
While preparing to speak to our office and ministerial staff one day, the Holy Spirit put it into my heart to ask them each to give me two keys that had produced longevity in their positions and had helped them bloom where they were planted. There were several full-time staff members who had been with the church for many years. The church staff overall had remained—and still is—very solidly committed.
From that meeting came forty keys to producing longevity of service in the place where God has placed you. Here are the first twenty of those keys in the order in which they were given.
- You must have a call from God.
- Make sure you have a real, personal relationship with Christ.
- Ask God to give you His vision or goal for your life.
- Be willing to do whatever is asked.
- Do not lose sight of the people behind the work.
- Be thankful for your position and never take it for granted.
- Be willing to submit to authority.
- Know that you are in God’s will.
- Know that your rewards are laid up in heaven.
- Develop a servant’s heart.
- Walk without offense.
- Serve as if you were serving Jesus Himself, and do not get your eyes on the man under whom you work. On the other hand, be careful to respect the call that is on his life.
- Be patient.
- Have a loyalty that goes beyond personal feelings.
- Respect everyone.
- Hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil.
- Judge yourself.
- Do not ever be too big to do the small things or too small to do the big things.
- Commit to the ministry the way a person should be committed to his marriage.
- Know that you are important and needed.
- Consider each of the following keys above and evaluate how well you are doing at developing longevity and faithfulness in service.
- Read and meditate on what the Bible says about the faithful:
“A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter” (Prov. 11:13).“A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health” (Prov. 13:17).
“A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies” (Prov. 14:5).
“As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth the soul of his masters” (Prov. 25:13).
“Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” (1 Cor. 4:2).
“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry” (1 Tim. 1:12).
Heavenly Father, You are such a faithful God, and I know it blesses You when we follow Your example and are faithful like You. I am committed to being an excellent armorbearer for the long haul. Show me if there are any blind spots so that I can deal with whatever would hold me back from serving You 100 percent. Amen.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Terry has served as senior associate minister of a thriving congregation for over 23 years with over 40 years of experience in local church ministry. He is currently the senior pastor of Impact Church in Sherwood, Arkansas. Terry has authored four books. On the bestselling list, these books have motivated thousands of Christians to stand with their leaders in faithful service, helping them to fulfill God's purpose for their lives.
Terry is the Founder and President of Focus on the Harvest, Inc. He's traveled extensively, awakening believers to this strategic generation. Through his God-given passion, believers are ignited to discover their gifts and callings, commit to the vision of their local church, and focus on the harvest of souls throughout their city, state, nation, and world.
Terry holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Southwestern University, where he met his wife, Kim. They've been married for over 40 years and have three children; McCall, Alex, and McKenna.
In May 2008, Terry and Kim began Impact Church, a dynamic and growing, multicultural body of believers in Sherwood, AR. We believe that Christianity is not a religion; it's a relationship. God loves each person individually. He desires everyone to know him personally.