BY Alan Rathbun, EPD DISTRICT TEAM
We are changing the way workers travel through the consecration and ordination process in Eastern PA.
In the past, workers completed the process in a one-on-one relationship with an ordination mentor. While there has been good fruit from this over the years, we wanted to bring greater consistency and strengthen the consecration and ordination process with deeper relationships, increased ministry skills development, and deeper personal transformation.
To accomplish this, we have replaced one-on-one mentoring relationships with consecration and ordination coaching triads. Two or three workers are grouped with a coach, and the workers complete the consecration and ordination process together at the same pace, with peer interaction, focused on personal transformation and ministry application.
One of our first triads enjoying a meeting at Cracker Barrel
Carlos Ramirez, Brett Warner, Brandon Glenn, and Alan Rathbun
Personal transformation is spurred on as the coach questions and challenges the triad members to live what they are reading and what they are writing about in their papers. Ministry skills development is strengthened as members of the triads complete ministry projects that flow from each of the learning areas of consecration and ordination: the Fourfold Gospel, ministry in the local church, and fulfilling the Great Commission.
One of the major themes throughout the new process is personal gospel impact. From the very beginning and throughout the process, workers are challenged to love and seek the lost in the same way that Jesus did. This flows from the belief that if the people in our congregations are going to love others like Jesus loves us, consecrated and ordained workers must set the example for the congregation in sharing the love and good news of Jesus with the lost people God has placed in their lives.
Two of the hoped for byproducts of this shift from one-on-one mentoring to now triads will be to see the strengthening of relationships and to see workers complete their consecration and ordination in a timely manner.
In sharing about personal challenges and transformation, relationships are likely to continue past the process and possibly for many years to come. In addition, the accountability of discussing what they have read and written with their peers will keep each member of the triad in sync and on schedule to finish the complete process within three years.
Please pray for the five triads currently working through the process!