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Over the past few months we've considered how we can encourage MCC members, and those in leadership positions at MCC, to be thankful for the ministries they serve in while considering how it has changed their perspective and allowed God to transform them. Sometimes it's only when you step back to look at the big picture of ministry that you see just how much God has done to your heart through your work for His kingdom. With that in mind, I've asked Ministry Leaders across MCC to answer eight questions about how serving has transformed their faith, walk and idea of how ministry can change lives; of those who serve and those who are served. This is the first in that series.

• How did you get called to become a Children's Church Teacher?

We started attending MCC when our son Cody was 2.  He would cry when I would try to leave him downstairs in class, so I would stay with him as he got comfortable.  Molly Malizzo was the teacher, and she was so very amazing and energetic with the kids.  Her animation in telling the Bible stories was mesmerizing!  I had taught Sunday school at our previous church, and I felt very led to join the team of teachers.  My desire to help my child grew into a love for helping other kids.

• How have you seen God work in you and your volunteers through Children's Church?

I cannot tell you how many times that the lesson I am scheduled to teach blesses me and speaks to what is happening in my life. So often the verses and stories miraculously meet my current need. This makes the stories easier to tell and have a bigger impact on the kids. I am humbled that God would work so personally in my life. My Bible knowledge and love of the Gospel have grown tremendously over the years.

• What has been the hardest aspect of serving and how did God use that to grow you?

I wish I could experience every child in my class accepting Jesus as their savior. As a teacher of 4-6 year-olds, I have to be content to simply plant seeds of truth. My job is to come alongside parents in leading their children to Christ. If they love Jesus more and know more about God and His Word when they move up to a new class, that is success also.

• What are you most thankful for in the ministry?

I am most thankful for the love from the kids that I receive in return.  To have a child say to me, “Are YOU going to be my teacher today?” or “I miss being in your class!” is a true joy.

• What would you say to someone who doesn't feel equipped to serve?

Focus on serving where God calls you to serve and trust Him to equip you. Serving should be done from the heart, not out of a sense of obligation.

• Why should people get involved in ministry?

You will be surprised at how much God blesses you in return compared to the time and effort that you put in.

• Can you share a ministry success from 2018:

One of my biggest joys in Sunday school occurs when every child chooses to pray aloud before the snack. As someone who never prayed aloud in a group until becoming an adult, I have a real heart to show the kids that Christian friends pray together. Over time, the prayers I hear are beautifully eloquent and about meaningful topics. These prayers melt my heart and renew my faith.

I grew up in Canada in a very abusive home and suffered much pain in my early childhood. When I came to faith as a young adult, I came to the church for help.  But, I didn’t find it. In frustration, I asked myself “Are my questions too big or are their answers too small?” 

After years of searching for help in the world, and literally blowing up my life, I returned to the church. This time, I was helped by a young pastor’s wife. During that point, the only books that addressed my type of abuse were written by Christian psychologists. While those books helped me a lot, they could only take me so far.

Psychology, and psychology books, never take you to freedom because it is still all about you.

Providentially, by God’s grace, I moved to the U.S. and met a woman in Biblical counseling. During my time with her, I matured in Christ and finally found freedom. The struggle to renew my mind was fierce. I had a lot of wrong thinking that needed to be changed. I needed to study the Word to see what the Bible said. My first session with my Biblical counselor was life changing. I asked her, “How do I love God?” and she said, “Open your Bible.”  It sounds too simple but it set a fire in me. And as I found freedom in God’s word, I wanted to comfort others with the same comfort I received.

As I mentioned, psychology can only take you so far; if you want to see permanent change then you must go to Jesus and His Word.

I began attending counseling conferences with my former counselor, studied and took the exam, and was certified by NANC (now known as the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors). It is a joy and an honor to “Open my Bible” with others. I tell people that I am a great signpost; I don’t have the answers but I can point you to Who does.

As I connect others to Jesus, I help them to renew their mind about God, about themselves, about sin, about their purpose, about God’s process, and about our maturity in Christ. There is so much joy in helping others find their freedom in Christ.

FEAR. I got into biblical counseling out of fear.

As a 26-year-old soon-to-be seminary graduate, the thought of counseling hurting people within the church absolutely terrified me. Somehow, I managed to reach my final semester of seminary without having taken a single counseling class.

Like most seminary students, I loaded up on the biblical languages, theology, and church history classes; not even considering the role of counseling in future ministry.

As a last-ditch effort, I signed up for a counseling class: Counseling Parents and their Children. Dr. Robert Jones taught the class which turned out to be one of the best classes I took during my tenure at seminary. Biblical counseling fused theology and ministry. I learned about the work of sanctification. I leaned into difficult, real-life situations that would arise in a church.

God masterfully used my ungodly fear to draw me into an unexpected area of ministry.

Since my time at seminary I have pursued biblical counseling by getting a certification through the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, as well as going back to get an academic degree in biblical counseling. Biblical counseling, as much as any other training, shapes my everyday work as a pastor. The training in biblical counseling has increased my precision in preaching, grown my compassion for hurting church members, and given me a boldness for confronting conflict.

I would encourage you, whether you're looking for training in biblical counseling or if you want to grow more confident as a disciple-maker to join myself, Elizabeth Allan and Barb Mulvey for the One-to-One Conference Friday, November 9th from 6:30 - 9:30pm and Saturday, November 10th from 8:30am - 3:00pm at MCC!  This weekend conference will help you grow in the care you provide for others!

I look forward to the opportunity to meet you along the journey in biblical counseling. Whether you are brand new to biblical counseling or a seasoned veteran; whether you are looking to grow as a disciple-maker or pursue certification with ACBC, God will use our time together to grow us in our faith and equip us for the work of the ministry.

When I was hired as church secretary I thought it was the best job in the world. I loved it – I loved creating publications, communicating, and editing. I prayed over each bulletin as I folded it, I prayed in the Sanctuary walking up and down the aisles. I was eager for Sunday, eager for worship, eager for God’s people to gather together under His Word.

But there was a part that I wasn’t prepared for.

Although I really liked people, I didn’t realize they would come to me to talk about their problems.

I have to confess that I did a terrible job in this area. I wanted to comfort, I wanted to help, but too often what happened was gossip. I thought I was helpful in allowing someone to “vent”, but the truth is, far more damage was done. Oh, I didn’t tell others what was said to me, but there is more than one kind of gossip. Instead of lovingly pointing a woman to Scripture to bring healing truth and the hope of reconciliation, I would let her talk and affirm her pain.

In turn, I talked about my pain too. Until a precious sister in Christ boldly spoke God’s Truth to me. Not lovingly, not gently, but firmly. “You are in sin,” she told me when I tried to ‘vent’. She reminded me, “God doesn’t talk about His children that way. Why are you? This is wicked!”

Thought it startled me at first, but I am so grateful she was firm with me. The only place she left open to me was repentance.

She gave me the “Peacemaking Woman” book by Tara Barthel & Judy Dabler. Desperate to heal, to learn, and wanting to make things right, I completed the book in a week. Everything changed.

Since that experience five years ago, I’ve spent immeasurable hours spent studying the Word, praying with and for women, days encouraging women through the Word and being trained to become a Biblical Counselor. The morning I was to receive my Biblical Counseling Certification Letter, I woke up with tears streaming down my face. We were in Grapevine Texas for the 2018 ACBC Light in the Darkness Conference, and today I was the day.

It was the reason I woke up crying. Because our God is so good, so forgiving, so powerful to allow me this day. I knew this wasn’t my accomplishment alone – all the time in His sacred and living Scripture was illuminated by the Spirit. Every time I sat with a woman and opened His Word, it was His work that freed her. I simply had the privilege of watching.

I thought about the community who had brought me to this moment through prayer, encouragement, and exhortation.  Pastor Frank, the Elders who hired me as a Biblical Counselor, the Deacons who gave me the time off to attend the training's, my sweet women friends who kept telling me not to give up, my fellow biblical counselors who were in the arena and cheering, my parents, my sister, and my son. This moment was not just for me, it was for all of us to marvel at God’s graciousness and power to take a foolish woman and exchange her foolishness for Holy Spirit Word filled wisdom to encourage and equip others as they have me.

Why did I become a Biblical Counselor? So that I could lead others to Christ’s truths, just as my friend did with me five years ago. Because I KNOW there is hope for you! I don’t know His plans for you, but I KNOW He has them and I want to encourage you with it. Because I KNOW He can do crazy things, things that we never expect and bring beauty out of mourning. Because I KNOW deep pain and that His healing love is the balm that is necessary and I want that for you! Just as others have wanted that for me.

If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Biblical Counselor consider attending the upcoming One-to-One Conference on where we will discuss biblical counseling and discipleship. Click here to register and learn more. 

Winter is my favorite time of year but Autumn is a very close second... the summer heat is finally behind us, giving way to cooler days and chilly evenings. I'm always on the lookout for migrating birds flying overhead or feeding in a field. Fall colors are bursting through in all their glory, making Sunday drives even more enjoyable.

The cooler weather also means I can start wearing my turtlenecks and sweaters again!  If I feel chilled, I can just give the thermostat a click to turn on the furnace to warm up the house, or put a few logs on the hearth to light a cheery, crackling fire and warm up that way.  But not everyone is as fortunate this time of year. Some people have a daily struggle to stay warm, and that's where the Wood Ministry can help.

This will be my third season helping with the Wood Ministry.  Although I like being out in the fresh air, cutting and stacking logs, I have discovered that my favorite part of the Wood Ministry is being a Sponsor.  As we are outside among the glory of the fall colors, I can take some time to talk about the glory of God.

The first person I spoke with as a Sponsor was a woman who was "down on her luck," as she put it, and who needed a little help to get through the winter.  I was very nervous as to what I would say to her and I tried to collect my thoughts on the drive to her home.  When we arrived, I took a moment before I got out of the car and I closed my eyes and asked God to help me say the right words, to be a comfort to her, and I even asked Him for some sort of ice breaker - and boy, did He send me an ice breaker!

When I opened my eyes, who did I find staring at me, waiting to greet me, but a big, fluffy dog with his tail wagging enthusiastically!  What a sense of relief I felt as God had presented me with the perfect conversation starter because I am such an animal lover, and who doesn't like to talk about their pets?!  The dog stayed right by my side as I went to introduce myself to the homeowner.  While sharing a cup of hot chocolate that she had prepared, with her dog leaning up against me, I truly felt filled with the Spirit as I shared my involvement with our church, the wonderful fellowship I receive from its members, and the love and comfort I feel from God as I continue learning how to fully open my heart to Him.  It was a great experience and I felt very humbled and blessed as I got to know this woman and learn a little more about her and the situation she had found herself in.

Not every experience has been quite the same as that first one, but that is part of what makes Wood Ministry Sponsorship so special... every person is different, so every situation is different.  If Sponsorship sounds like something that you might be interested in contact Paul Brouse for more information.