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In this video, Dr. Joel Kim explains how churches can identify and encourage young people with godly character to pursue ministry.


We’re in the business of trying to encourage younger men and women to serve the church, and our hope is that more and more would heed the call and to go to the front lines of the church or missions to be able to serve the Lord. How can the church help in terms of identifying these folks who should be in the front lines of ministry?

Well, on the one hand, I think awareness of the need is not unimportant. That is, oftentimes we tell our young people the various things they should be. Some people talk about being teachers; others, doctors, lawyers, engineers, business people. But parents and elders and leaders alike are very hesitant to tell a young person who has identifiable gifts that he should actually think about full-time ministry. And so, openness to the possibility of talking about future ministry, I think is a very big beginning.

At the same time, for the leaders of the church, I think one thing that we have to emphasize is that character is more important than just simply giftedness. To put it another way, godliness is more important than giftedness. Identifying those who are sensitive to the workings of the Lord, those who are, already in their youthful age, thinking about those things, that the Lord is leading them. There are individuals who are more sensitive to the leading of the Lord, and I think identifying those individuals whose character and desire align with the teaching of Scripture, I think it’s very important.

Of course, giftedness is not unimportant, so people who are able to teach, love, and understand the Word well are all indications of the giftedness of the individual that should perhaps think about the Lord calling them into ministry.

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