I’m starting at a new church soon and the feeling is completely different than any other beginning.  I’ve seen churches that give new meaning to the words I shall not be moved; refusing to consider any infusion of change, or newness.  I’ve also seen at churches on the other end of the continuum—filling the calendar with exciting activities with very little impact for the kingdom of God.  I’m excited for this opportunity mainly for one specific reason. It’s not the new building from which to launch exciting ministries. It’s not the youthful exuberance with which I have been embraced so far.  It’s not even the fact that the church leadership identifies with my journey and is willing to partner with me as we move in God’s will.  I’m thankful that the aforementioned attributes are true and reasons to be excited.  I’m mostly excited, however, for this opportunity because I know I’ve been changed!  I’ve been at this for over 23 years and while my ministry may be considered successful to some—I have yet to experience the impact I envisioned for the kingdom of God.

I have encountered enough barriers in ministry to write a series of books!  The difference, however, today is that I have a new appreciation for barriers in ministry.  I know I’ve been changed!  God has transformed me for the sole purpose of having the anticipated impact in his work.  Transformation doesn’t come without some adversity.  Consider the story of a boy who found a butterfly struggling to emerge from its cocoon.  After watching it for hours he decided to cut a hole in the cocoon and watch the butterfly crawl out.  The only thing that butterfly ever did was crawl.  Like the butterfly, without the emerging struggle, we fail to reach our full potential.

If your ministry has yet to take off the way you believed it would, if you thought by now you would have reached your full potential, if you thought by now you would have emerged from the cocoon to fly high above the trees.  Take some time to thank God for the cocoon.  Breaking from it is a process which God gives as a gift so we can experience the kind of change in our life required to glorify him.   That’s why I am excited about my new ministry. I know I’ve been changed!

I will be installed as the pastor of the Cedars of Lebanon Seventh-day Adventist Church in Chesapeake, VA on January 16, 2016.  Please follow me on twitter as I share the joys of leading in pastoral ministry @drgbanks.