TAKING UP THE CHALLENGE

A core part of the MTS year is the ministry recruiting conference – a fantastic time for all sorts of people to think through what serving Christ will look like for them in their lives. As we hurtle towards 2013, ministry recruiting conferences are happening across the nation. We spoke to one delegate from Victoria’s Challenge Conference about how their views on life and ministry were challenged.

Damien Craig

I attended Challenge Conference because my pastor told me I should! I had been thinking about ministry for a while, and I wondered exactly what the benefits of completing a ministry apprenticeship would be.

Since attending Challenge, I’ve learnt that ministry apprenticeships are not just an extra year or two on your plans; they’re a taste of what might be to come. I had thought that I would probably need some training, but going to Bible College was just for ministers-to-be. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a lay worker, a pulpit minister or a regular secular employee, going to Bible College would always be worthwhile. You would have a much better grounding in your own beliefs and could answer questions far more readily than if you relied on your own understanding.

The most helpful part of the day was talking to the other attendees from different backgrounds (university students, secular workers, current apprentices), as well as the interviews. My wife, Meg, and I were interviewed by Ben Pfahlert, MTS Director. He helped us to see our own strengths and guided us in how we could put them to good use for the kingdom of God.

The conference has opened my eyes to the need for dedicated staff workers, especially in a number of Victorian universities. Because of this, my wife and I are planning to save so that I can complete an apprenticeship, go to college and then go to one of the universities that don’t have a dedicated Christian staff worker or Christian group. I have a dream of helping every campus in the nation gain a dedicated staff worker, which is a massive undertaking, but God can do marvelous things.