Similarly, we as individuals sometimes have a mental box defining how God can use us. But the question is: do we really believe that God is omnipotent? We don't have to be so limited in our thinking when we know that God can do anything through us. Instead we should strive for creativity in ministry. In other words, we should cultivate fresh ideas about how we can most effectively reach today's generation for Christ.
Creativity is biblical. It is in the very nature of God as seen from the very first verse in the Bible. We know that God is not limited to categories, for He created something out of nothing – and what a remarkable universe He has created! And we are called to be imitators of God (Ephesians 5 verse 1), which means we have the privilege of expressing our creativity to the glory of God.
In today's highly professionalised society, how counter-cultural is Apostle Paul's declaration: "I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some"? (1 Corinthians 9 verse 22) Paul skilfully connected to different people using different modes of communication and methods throughout his ministry.
Some of us may be thinking, "That's great, but God would never use me like Paul." But the point is simply that we need to break down our own mental boxes of how we expect or want God to use us. In my own life, God has led me to several ministries I would have never imagined possible. What I learned through these experiences was that I just had to be willing and obedient to His leading.
As a former IT professional, I am particularly interested in the creative use of technology to share about God's love. Here are some examples:
1. MercyTalk: In this age of social networking, it is easy to spend a lot of time in trivial or self-focused conversations on the social Web. MercyTalk is a small microblogging site focusing on God's love and mercy through sharing of Bible verses, quotes, prayers or testimonies using 200 or fewer words. Personally, engaging in this flow of God-centred conversations for the past couple of years has helped me greatly in my walk with God, and to cut down unnecessary time on Facebook. (Website: www.mercytalk.com)
2. MegaVoice: Jesus said "Go and make disciples of all the nations" but how do we reach people who cannot read, people who don't have a written language, people who prefer to listen rather than to read and people living in areas where there is no electricity? MegaVoice produces solar powered digital players programmed with audio Bibles (currently available in 4,600 languages and dialects). I had the privilege of distributing some of these audio Bibles to several ministries in the Philippines and Ethiopia. A friend of mine sent them to Uganda and Haiti. We can all testify how effective these devices are in helping people to gain access to the Scriptures in their own language. (Website: megavoice.com)
3. One Laptop Per Child (OLPC): This non-profit project has started in 2005 with the goal of distributing affordable educational devices for use in the developing world. The first model, dubbed as "$100 laptop" was designed to be distributed to children in order to provide them with access to knowledge and opportunities to explore, experiment and express themselves. The laptops are sold to governments to be distributed to students, much like school uniforms and remain the property of the child. I haven't yet been involved in distributing OLPC laptops but it certainly looks like an interesting project, with over 2.4 million laptops already distributed to schools around the world. (Website: one.laptop.org)
You may know of other creative ministry initiatives. Let's be open to new possibilities, ideas and initiatives. You never know how God is going to use you in surprising ways. I pray that we allow God to work in us in whatever way He desires, not just the way we know. Can you think of something creative in your ministry today?
Daniel Jang from Newcastle, New South Wales is serving with (Operation Mobilisation) OM's ship - Logos Hope. For more information, visit www.gbaships.org
Daniel Jang's previous articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/daniel-jang.html