Your Call to Ministry
Once we’re saved, why doesn’t God just take us on home to be with Him in Heaven? The answer is to be found in our purpose. God wants to use us to impact our world for Christ. We were saved not merely for the purpose of going to heaven, but so that we might serve the Lord here until such time He calls us home to be with Him. God wants us to serve Him. We do that by serving others. Whenever you serve others, you are actually serving God. You are not saved by service, you are saved for service. “It is He who saved us and chose us for His holy work…” II Timothy 1:9. In God’s Kingdom, you have a place, a purpose, and a role to fulfill. This gives your life great significance and value. It cost Jesus His life to purchase your salvation. In the Bible we are told, “God paid a great price for you, so use your body to honor God.” I Corinthians 6:20. We honor God when we fulfill the purpose for which He created us. The process of discovering your ministry at FBCH begins when you take the Discipleship Class FBC-301. [Learn more about our Discipleship Classes]
Each of you has been blessed with one of God’s many wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others, so use your gift well.” I Peter 4:10
From Our Pastor
I am not the minister of this church… I am one of many ministers. Yes, as the Sr. Pastor, I have a specific ministry to which I have been called and gifted, but so does every other believer who is part of this Church. Your happiness as a child of God will depend largely upon your entering gladly and creatively into the areas of ministry to which God has called and gifted you. As a member of FBCH you have the opportunity and responsibility to share in fulfilling the mission of this Church. This includes opportunities for ministry in the Church Gathered (all that we do here at our ministry center), and the Church Scattered ( all that we do to serve Christ out in our community, workplace, and as Christian citizens). We desire to expose you to some of the ministry opportunities that already exist here at First Baptist Church of Honolulu, and also inspire & encourage new and creative ways we might together serve the Lord. I want to encourage you to allow the Holy Spirit to use your SHAPE profile and Ministry Mentor to help guide you on your journey to discovering fruitful and fulfilling ministry.
I am only one, but I am one, I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I ought to do, and what I ought to do by the grace of God I will do.
“It is He who saved us and chose us for His holy work…” II Timothy 1:9
Many people think that being “called” into the ministry is something only “full-time” church workers experience. At First Baptist Church of Honolulu we believe God wants every member to be a minister. We have been blessed to be a blessing. Our mission at FBCH is “Changed Lives Changing Lives”. We have many wonderful opportunities for serving the Lord both in and outside the church. A number of these opportunities are described in our Ministry Menu. Read it carefully, then prayerfully discern with the help of your Ministry Mentor how and where God may be leading you to serve Him. If you have not yet been assigned a Ministry Mentor talk to me about signing up for our 301 Discipleship Class.
We are simply God’s servants… Each one of us does the work which the Lord gave him to do…” I Corinthians 3:5-6
Check Out Our Ministry Menu
I want to thank you for your willingness to prayerfully consider how and where God may be leading you to serve as a minister in His Kingdom. In the Ministry Menu you will discover there are many ways to get plugged in to what God is doing in our Church and in the world. Knowing your SHAPE will help you discover where you fit. As you browse the Ministry Menu write down the ministries that are of interest to you and share that information with your Ministry Mentor. Ultimately the best way to determine where you fit is through trial–and-error. So feel free to explore different ministry options. Our goal is to help you discover where you can serve and be the most fulfilled and fruitful. [MINISTRY MENU]
The Church-Gathered & The Church-Scattered
The church is not a building. The church is people. As believers, we together are the church. We are the Church Gathered when we are together on Sundays, Wednesdays and other times. Ministry in the Church Gathered is all the different kinds of things we do when we gather together, or to support our ministry when we are together…leading a small group, volunteering in the church office, singing in the choir… these are examples of ministry in the Church Gathered. When we leave the church building and return to our homes, places of employment, neighborhoods, schools etc., we are still the church but we are now scattered throughout the city. In all of these places there are opportunities for us to serve and be a witness for the Lord by… volunteering at a hospital, helping a needy neighbor, seeking to influence government policy or serving at a soup kitchen. The Church Gathered is like a base camp where we come for support, training and to be equipped. We become the Church Scattered when we leave the base camp to go out into the world to make a positive difference for Christ.