What does it mean to be ‘called’ by God? Unpacking this important biblical reality
Have you ever had a strong urge or impulse toward a particular course of action in your life, especially when you feel driven by a strong conviction?
Common sense tells us that, when this sort of thing happens, we are being called to do something. And if it somehow relates to God, this is called a “divine calling.”
Unfortunately, our churches are being confronted by a leadership crisis as a record number of pastors are leaving the vocational ministry. Why? Well, for lack of a better reason, these individuals believe they have lost their calling or never had one in the first place.
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The statistics to support this are pretty staggering. Consider this: from 1992 through 2017, the percentage of pastors under the age of 55 dropped from 75% to 50%, and that continues to decline.
But herein lies the conundrum: God hasn’t stopped calling people into ministry. However, it seems many churches have forgotten how to cultivate these divine urges of young men and women, leaving a rather significant void in raising up leaders for the next generation.
Dr. Scott Pace believes the solution is rather simple, and he wants to help church leaders invite, equip, and boldly prepare those who believe they have been called by God into ministry. Listen to him address the issue:
In his latest book authored with Shane Pruitt, Calling Out the Called: Discipling Those Called to Ministry Leadership, Pace describes the biblical concept of calling and highlights key steps to help prepare anyone who is considering pastoral ministry or missionary work.
Pace joined “The Crossmap Podcast” to talk about what a calling actually is and how to boost conversations about discipleship and the call to ministry.
Listen as he shares how to empower people to live their calling, rather than ignoring or suppressing it due to a lack of understanding.
