Self Assessment Plan for Future Ministry Theology Essay

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Ethical Practices Self-Assessment Plan and Practices for Future Ministry

A plan for future ministry outlines the ethical and self-assessment strategies that a minister expects to employ in the course of their ministry. The purpose of this text is to develop a self-assessment plan for growth and strategy in the areas of self-care, pastoral care, community care, and familial care.

Growth Areas and Strategies for Self-Care

While there is no exclusive command requiring us to love ourselves, there is Biblical support for self-care. Confronted by the Scribes to give His view on what was the first of all commandments in Mark 12: 28-31, for instance, Jesus answered that it is to love the Lord with all of one’s heart, soul mind, and strength; and to love one’s neighbor as oneself. Loving oneself, therefore, is a prerequisite for loving God and one’s neighbor.[footnoteRef:1] Christians have an ethical duty to love and care for oneself, as self-care forms the foundation of love for God and others.[footnoteRef:2] There is a need for me to grow in this duty of self-care and the realization that there is a balance between working for justice and resting in the care of God. When we take time to rest, we acknowledge that God is bigger than our efforts of goodness and trust that He is in control. [1: Jeffery Gates, “Self-Care: A Christian Perspective,” Evangelical Review of Theology 35, no. 1 (January 2015): 6 ] [2: Ibid.]

In Genesis 1 and 2, God creates the entire creation in six days and rests on the Sabbath, thereby blessing it and making it holy. The day of rest symbolizes holiness, the very essence of God’s character. Similarly, rest on the Sabbath after six days of pastoral work is one of the self-care strategies that I intend to employ in ministry.

Multiple times in His earthly ministry, Christ retreats from His ministerial demands to draw into a deeper and intimate relationship with God through prayer.[footnoteRef:3] Following His baptism, for instance, Christ retreated into the wilderness, where He spends 40 days and nights fasting and praying for God to equip Him to handle the devil’s temptations. Like Christ, it is important for ministers to retreat into solitude once in a while to seek spiritual renewal and a reconnection with God through prayer. After retreating to pray in Mark 1: 35, Christ returned and told His disciples that it was time to move to another town.[footnoteRef:4] Thus, retreat and prayer provide a means to reestablish intimacy with God so that his purpose and will is made clearer.

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Retreat and prayer is to be complemented with continued reading of the scripture as Christ advised in Mathew 4:4 – that man cannot live on bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. The scripture provides the armor that Christians need to resist temptations and maintain their bodies as temples of Christ. Finally, there is a need for continuous education – the apostle Peter in 2 Peter 3: 18 calls upon ministers to continually grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. Continuous education provides avenues for ministers to better understand how God works, and to provide better nourishment to the flock of Christ.[footnoteRef:5] Continuous education occurs through constant reading as well as attending conferences and camps that bring together ministers and church leaders and allow for knowledge-sharing. [3: Luke 5; 15, Mark 1: 35, Mark 1: 45, Mark 2: 13] [4: Mark 1: 35] [5: Ernie Lassman, “the Importance of Continuing Education for Pastors,” Concordia Theological Seminary Journal 19, no. 1 (March 2015), 4 ]

Areas of Growth and Strategies for Pastoral Care

Strategies for effective pastoral care are based on several facets including accountability, transparency, vulnerability, and humility. Paul, in 2nd Corinthians 6: 3, supports accountability by requiring ministers to live in such a way that no one will stumble because of them or find fault with their ministry. Christians have a duty to ensure that whatever they do in deed or word is done for the glory and honor of God.[footnoteRef:6] I plan to exhibit accountability by always taking responsibility for my decisions and actions, addressing pitfalls in my performance openly and fairly, and opening up my convictions/positions to healthy criticism.[footnoteRef:7] Christ exemplified humility in His earthly works such as when He washed His disciples’ feet.[footnoteRef:8] I will strive to demonstrate humility by bringing attention to God and not myself at all times, recognizing that the privileges and favor I enjoy come from God, listening to all regardless of their social status, and putting the needs of those I serve above my own.[footnoteRef:9] [6: Colossians 3: 17] [7: General Conference of Seventh Day Adventists, “Transparency and Accountability: a Global commitment of Seventh-Day Adventist Church Leaders,” Author, 2018, 55. ] [8: John….....

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