When I was at high school, I wanted to work in a church. I also achieved good exam results. For one of my classmates who wasn’t a believer, those two things – working in a church and being clever – didn’t go together. I still remember a conversation we had sitting in our school’s gym. ‘You’re clever. You could do anything. Why would you want to waste all that on a church?’

  

That conversation was a long time ago, but I still reflect on it often. I did work for a church for a time, but most of my career has been with other organisations. Do I feel that I’ve wasted my potential? Of course not. I’ve come to realise that I could have had any career and still been in ministry.

  

Jesus calls us to ‘Go into all the world and preach.’ Ministry isn’t limited to the church; it also happens in our communities. People in all types of careers work for God every day – doctors, bus drivers, restaurant waiters, plumbers, teachers; the list goes on. Wherever we are, we can all minister by being open and sharing God’s love with others.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to recognise ways to be a witness for you each and every day. Amen