TIPSFORTIGHTTEAMS
THE MINISTRY OF PRESENCE( Presence Produces Profile)
99 % OF SUCCESS IS SIMPLY SHOWING UP! Would you be so kind as to repeat those words after me?“ 99 % of success is simply showing up.” A no brainer you say? Let’ s ruminate upon this for a moment. It works in every field of endeavor, every area of life, every interaction, transaction, relationship, and worship team setting. Showing up is always best! And though, in some scenarios, absence does make the heart grow fonder, the more applicable cliché is often:“ out of sight / out of mind.” You gotta be there! Never“ phone it in!” Showing up connects you with the people, the passion, the process, the product, and the profit. Presence produces profile. It keeps you in the know, and being known, but it ain’ t so if you don’ t go— you gotta show! As a minister, leader, team member, or anyone else who desires to serve others, the battle is 99 % won by simply showing up!
THE MINISTRY OF PRESENCE Ok, let’ s lose the clever alliteration and poetic blather, and just get serious for a moment, shall we? Wouldn’ t you like to be a real blessing to those with whom you minister? You will be, when you begin to exercise the ministry of presence. This ministry takes place when you simply make yourself available to others. No questions asked, no strings attached, no limits on time or resources. Just available. Unlimited availability flows out of a servant-heart. You’ ve probably already articulated your desire to manifest that servant-heart in your own life, so go for it, but remember, availability can be a risky business. in their proximity at their bidding, not our own. This is the essence of the ministry of presence; a self-sacrificing willingness to be always at-theready on behalf of others. Let’ s say that again.“ A self-sacrificing willingness to be always at-theready on behalf of others.” It is a lofty goal, but accessible in the life of a Christ-servant.
AND HOW? Now that we’ ve made the decision to yield our lives through the service of availability( the ministry of presence), we must consider the“ how” of it. How might we prepare to give ourselves away? What shall we do to stimulate this type of servanthood in our own lives? The following are four areas in which we prep for the privilege of servant-availability. With our hearts engaged, ears tuned, eyes opened, and hands trained, we’ ll be ready at any moment to serve the Lord, the leader, the team, the church, and the world!
[ 1 ] ENGAGE YOUR HEART Acknowledge that you are longing to be a Christservant, then stir up that passion, and follow it!“ Serve the Lord with gladness [ of heart ]...” Psalm 100:2a( NKJV)“ Servants, be obedient... in sincerity of heart, as to Christ;” Ephesians 6:5a & 5c( NKJV)
Engagement puts your passion into play. Remember,“ Where the heart flows, the body goes”. If your heart is not in it, you may as well not show up at all. Engage your heart, and serve with passion.
SANDY HOFFMAN Serves the worshiping community at Christ Church Santa Fe, NM. Visit Sandy online at: www. WorshipWorks. com, or www. ChristChurchSantaFe. org
fire. And yet, in I Kings, He chooses a whisper to communicate with Elijah. Why? I believe that God wanted Elijah, like us, to be attentive, listening carefully for His next direction. Always keep your ears in gear!
[ 3 ] OPEN YOUR EYES“ Open your eyes to the world all around you, open your eyes, open your eyes...“ Keith Green,“ Open Your Eyes”
The needs might be within the worship environment where you serve. They could be church-wide. They may even be down the street, or around the world! Who knows!? But once you see the needs, show up and meet those needs with passion— right where they are.
[ 4 ] TRAIN YOUR HANDS“ Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with [ all ] your might...” Ecclesiastes 9:10a( NKJV)
Melodramatic as it may sound, the Christian author, Oswald Chambers, said in his book,“ My Utmost for His Highest,” that“ one may not choose the site of one’ s own martyrdom.” The intrinsic nature of servant-availability dictates that we are not allowed to call our own shots or choose the site( circumstances) of our own service. We must, instead, be prepared to show up when, where, why, what, and how it is given to us by another( 99 % of success... remember?). Be it the Lord, the leader, the band-mates, or anyone else in need of our willing company, we place ourselves
[ 2 ] TUNE YOUR EARS Listen closely for the still small voice of the Holy Spirit saying,“ Go and do.”“... the Lord was not in the wind,... the Lord was not in the earthquake,... the Lord was not in the fire,... [ but ] after the fire, a still small voice.” Taken from I Kings 19:11 & 12( NKJV) Our Father may speak in any manner He chooses. He is capable of stirring up the mighty wind, shaking the earth to an undeniable sub-woofer rumble, or crackling and exploding like a raging
Train your hands to“ play [ serve ] skillfully.” In terms of warfare, allow the Lord to“ train your hands for battle.” In the public places,“ lift up [ your ] holy hands to the Lord.” In private,“ don’ t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.”
We see in the Scripture that God put great emphasis on the works of our hands. We’ re ministers. Our hands are used to comfort, to create, to lay on others for healing, to repair the wall, or even to reduce the wall to rubble when necessary. The possibilities of what our hands continued on 54
36 Jan � Feb 2017 WorshipMusician. com