Your experience and uncertainty with the start on ministry
Hi everyone,
I`m from Brazil, and I had a question about how you felt in my situation. And sorry, because (obviously) english is not my first language.
Just a contextualization about Brazil: In most cases, here, a pastor doesn`t consider actually a professional way, is more related to some type of spiritual resignation. Therefore, most pastors not only receive no pay for their work, but also pay church expenses out of their own pockets, and commonly we don`t have a specific couple of pastors in a church`s (Sure, it depends on the size).
So, in this context, I`m 27 and have attended the same church for 9 years, I`m married and don`t have children yet. In our church there are 4 pastors, only the senior pastor in full time.
I have a call for a pastor and my church recognizes that, probably I`ll become a pastor in the next few years. But I have a strong wish for work all the time and not only in the part time. Here, we almost don`t have jobs when you work some hours a day. I work 9-11h a day and need to do other things related to church, take care of people and study in time left.
I have a good career expectation in the technology field and receive a good salary now. However, I really don`t want that for my life. I can`t see myself working for that in the next 5-10 years, when I try to think about the professional future, I only can see ministry. But, in this year something happens and it seems like the perfect opportunity to do something. So, although I`d wanted that for a long time, for the first time I have the courage to talk to my pastor about work in church and we are praying for that.
Right, the decision seems to have been made. But, what do you do about the questions and thoughts?
Although my wife has been agree, she had a lot of uncertain about values and some things (probably I`ll receive 4 or 5 times less and don`t have any career expectation in that church)
I never felt that thing so near and now I`m feeling nervous, and the difficulty to understand the God`s voice, because this is a thing I have wanted for a couple of years. So, this complicates my capacity to know God`s wish.
So, if this occurs, the plan is to focus on those activities that I wrote and learn with the senior pastor, I don`t have a plan after.
So, I would like to read about your experiences and what you think.