Proclaimer Blog
How to encourage a friend
Speaking to and spending time with many ministers, there are some recurring messages. One of these is very simple, but can have a profound effect on ministries. Ministers are lonely. They feel isolated. Perhaps you can identify with this. You are slogging your guts out working in one of the few Bible believing, Bible preaching churches in your area. Those other ministers around you in similar churches (whether Anglican or Free Church) think you're a bit of a right wing nutter. The reality is that you can be friendly towards them (and indeed, you are), but they are not really partners in gospel work. You don't get encouragement from them to keep going. You don't find them identifying with the struggles you have. You can't phone them up because you're wrestling with a particularly knotty text.
So, the two options are we remain friendless, or we work at cultivating friendships. It's no surprise that we advocate the latter. This is something that is easier in some places than others. Easier in the city, for example, than in the country. Easier in a larger church with a staff team than a smaller church where you're the sole practitioner. Easier if you've already got a network (e.g. from college) than if you've being serving away on your own for years.
It's why our residential conferences are not just places to learn. We deliberately make them places to hang out too. Not everyone wants that. Some people with huge capacity want teaching session after teaching session. But we don't put on our conferences for that small minority (though we hope they may get something out of them). We build in down time to make, build and cultivate friendships.
And it's a great way to use the EMA. Perhaps you're a regular? Who is the local guy who's friendless who needs an invitation? Is there someone locally who needs you to say to him, "Come along with me." Or, even if you're not a regular, why not use this year, where there's plenty of space, to make a friend, take a friend? You could be doing yourself, him and the cause of the gospel the power of good.