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As a pastor, if you fail to raise up individuals who will serve in ministry, your church will not function, and the Gospel will not be preached to our cities. Armorbearers who serve in ministry are that important.

Pastors and leaders in the majority of churches have been bearing the brunt of the work of the ministry. That is why you hear of so many ministers "burning out."

Pastors and other spiritual leaders should be breaking through, not burning out. Spiritual and natural break-throughs will happen as the Body of Christ decides to do its full part.

How It Works
I came to Agape Church in Little Rock two weeks after it was started in May of 1979. As soon as I arrived, I began to get involved. I set out to do whatever I could do to help Pastor Happy Caldwell fulfill his vision for the church.

In 1982, we started a mission school to reach around the world. My call was to direct that school and place missionaries wherever the Lord led. One night in 1983, the Lord quickened my heart to read the story of David and Saul. I turned to 1 Samuel 16:21 and read: "And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer."

At that time, the Lord said to me, "Son, I have called you to be Pastor Caldwell's armorbearer." An armorbearer carried his leader's shield into battle, and if necessary, he laid down his life for the one whom he served. The shield for me is the vision God birthed into Pastor Caldwell's life.

The Lord said, "Run with the vision I have given him, and I will see to it that yours will be fulfilled."

Now, almost 20 years later, I am still serving God by serving my pastor in this ministry, and I am seeing God faithfully fulfill His call on my life. I am blooming where God has planted me. God is calling for many Christians to become armorbearers for their leaders and for each other. We should begin to work as a team to advance God's Kingdom in the earth.

While preparing to speak to our office and ministerial staff one day, the Holy Spirit put into my heart to ask them each to give me two keys that had produced longevity in their positions and had helped them bloom where they were planted. We have several full-time staff members who have been with the church for many years. The church staff overall has remained very solidly committed.

From that meeting came forty keys to producing longevity of service in the place where God has placed you. Here are those keys in the order in which they were given.

Successful Keys to Blooming Where You Are Planted
  1. You must have a call from God.
  2. Make sure you have a real personal relationship with Christ.
  3. Ask God to give you His vision, or goal for your life.
  4. Be willing to do whatever is asked.
  5. Do not lose sight of the people behind the work.
  6. Be thankful for your position and never take it for granted.
  7. Be willing to submit to authority.
  8. Know that you are in God's will.
  9. Know that your rewards are laid up in Heaven.
  10. Develop a servant's heart.
  11. Walk without offense.
  12. Serve as if you were serving Jesus Himself, and do not get your eyes on the man under whom you work. On the other hand, be careful to respect the call that is on his life.
  13. Be patient.
  14. Have a loyalty that goes beyond personal feelings.
  15. Respect everyone.
  16. Hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil.
  17. Judge yourself.
  18. Do not ever be too big to do the small things or too small to do the big things.
  19. Commit to the ministry the way you ought to be committed to your marriage.
  20. Know that you are important and needed.
  21. Help other people fulfill their ministries.
  22. Do everything you know to do to get where you want to be.
  23. Do the very best wherever you are.
  24. Stay with something until the job is done.
  25. Never quit.
  26. Be dependable.
  27. Be a good follower as well as a good leader.
  28. Maintain your joy in the Lord.
  29. Always remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
  30. Always obey God's specific instructions.
  31. Be patient with one another.
  32. Always walk in love.
  33. Be willing to change direction.
  34. Know that God is your Source.
  35. Use all the abilities that God has given you.
  36. Have a healthy perspective of yourself.
  37. Always keep the overall vision of the church before you.
  38. Maintain a good attitude.
  39. Trust in God's grace and His anointing on your life.
  40. Be big enough to be rebuked and corrected.
I have divided these forty keys into four separate categories that will help us get a better understanding of them. We will take a look at the most important keys of each category:

  • Longevity
  • Commitment
  • Attitude
  • Teamwork
These things are what it will take for you to be faithful and to be where God wants you to be. These are working in my life, and I know they will work in yours.

Source: God's Armor Bearer - Book II by Terry Nance
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers

Author Biography

Terry Nance
Web site: Gods Armourbearer
 
Terry has served as senior associate minister of a thriving congregation for over 23 years with over 40 years of experience in local church ministry. He is currently the senior pastor of Impact Church in Sherwood, Arkansas. Terry has authored four books. On the bestselling list, these books have motivated thousands of Christians to stand with their leaders in faithful service, helping them to fulfill God's purpose for their lives.
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