Recently I’ve attended several of our area fellowships, which are small gatherings of some of our field staff to talk about issues of the mission, and I’ve come in contact with some really seasoned members of our field staff – people who have been on the field for thirty or forty years, have served the Lord well, and have lots of great stories about success and failure. They’re almost unflappable because they have had so many experiences. I thought that three Cs seem to describe veteran ministry workers to me:

Confidence – They have confidence that God is going to continue to use them, confidence as they share the gospel, confidence as they do ministry.

Commitment – They have a strong sense of commitment to their local ministries and to the people God has called them to serve. They have a strong not only sense, but desire, to commit their resources, their time, and their energies to bringing the gospel.

Conversion – They have a passion for conversion, or transforming lives. It doesn’t take long for the veteran ministry worker to sit down and explain some of the great ways that God has intercepted people’s lives to convert them from a life of sin to an abundant life in Jesus Christ. It’s really fun to listen to them.

We have a lot to learn from the veteran members of our field staff, and I’m impressed with how many of them really desire to see the mission change to be more effective in today’s culture. I’ve had a wonderful time with our veteran people.