A God-Centered Ministry

I've been thinking a lot lately about church ministries. Youth groups, college outreach ministries, small groups, etc. Most of my experience comes from serving in a youth group (or Student Ministry as we preferred to call it), but it seems to me that there are certain things that one must consider when contemplating ministries. I was emailing a friend the other day who is currently struggling to determine whether or not she should stick with her current ministry. Now there are obviously a lot of variables in such a situation, and specific advice isn't always universal, however I think (I hope!) that my advice to her was good and Christ-honoring. As I said, every such situation is different, with different people and leaders, different teaching styles, etc. However there are some things that we should think on regardless, which I attempt to touch on. Here's what I wrote:


As far as the church, I guess look at the full picture of God the Bible gives us, the God who is just as just and wrathful and sin-hating as He is loving and gracious and compassionate, and think about if your ministry or any other is proclaiming the full and complete gospel and complete God. Are we being as direct and complete as we should be? Are we limiting our portrayal of Jesus to the aspects which will make Him more pleasing to people, even though His cross is foolish to the perishing and none will come unless elected apart from human initiative? Are we showing Jesus as the cosmic cure-all, the prescription meds for loneliness or hate or disobedience or discontent, or are we showing Jesus as He is, and always pointing back to the cross that was the climax of all His earthly ministry? More than curing things like loneliness or feelings of worthlessness or discontentedness, more than conquering bad self-image, Jesus came to revive DEAD sinners, and if we do not stress man's hopelessness and Christ's atoning sacrifice then we are being faithful neither to the Word nor God, and are merely catering to human's desires...
...this is to some extent just my opinion, and although I personally feel very strongly it is indeed possible that God may not want you to leave. I can only tell you what I think and what I see the Bible say. ANd I see that in Luke when Jesus is around before the Ascension, He tells us what we are to preach: 'repentance and forgiveness of sins', in His name (see Luke 24:47). That in and of itself shows what: mans state of emnity with God and God;s hatred of sin (as seen by the need to repent), and Christ's atoning sacrifice as covering over sin. That is the gospel and that is what any legitimate ministry must strive to preach, to the best of its ability and as fully and accurately as possible.

I hope that my advice to her was sound. I truly believe what I said, and I believe it to be in line with the Scriptures. God desires faithfulness from His children. He is the one who saves, sanctifies and safeguards; we are merely messengers and envoys. He has given us His word, from which we learn of Him and of ourselves, and all of our evangelistic efforts must be rooted in, nay, engulfed by what Scripture says. The minute we start caring more about 'making converts' than being faithful to God, we need to sit down and examine ourselves. If we truly believe that salvation is of the Lord, then this cannot help but shape our evangelism. God elects and redeems people, but He has chosen us to bring His gospel into the world, making us His messengers. And that's what we must remember, that we merely deliver the mail. If we remember this, then our focus in evangelism must be getting the message right. Not likeable, not condensed, but the way the Author wrote it. Now obviously one must use tact and discernment, and at times our approach may be different from person to person, but God never changes and neither does His gospel.
I am now putting my soapbox away and going to bed.