I sat across the table from a pastor friend listening as he told a story.
“I had this youth minister growing up named Stan. Stan wasn’t the most eloquent guy. You’d never see him headlining a conference, read a book he’s written, or hear about him at all. His ministry wasn’t flashy – it was really simple. He’d pick a couple of kids each year, decide to invest in them, and then he’d spend time with them. They’d be mentored by Stan until they graduated high school and moved on, then he would find a couple more and repeat the process. I was one of those kids, and wouldn’t be the person I am today if Stan hadn’t discipled me like he had.”
My pastor friend went on, “If everybody in the church tried to do what I do, the church would be so ugly! Everyone would be competing for speaking engagements and trying to sell books – it would all be driven by ego – it’d be terrible!”
He paused before continuing.
“But if everyone in the church tried to be like Stan and simply do what he did, then the church would be beautiful.”
He was silent a moment.
“Sorry – I just put that together for the first time just now. Wow!”
‘Wow’ is right!
The Overflow 