Great Work is Done in an Informal Context

While continuing my internship with Church Assistance Ministry (CAM) I am learning more and more that my work is much more than my work in a professional context.  The work I do to serve others does not only mean writing and teaching leadership in a professional context.  It means working in an informal context as well.  I have been able to observe this in the work CAM staff is doing to raise up and equip others leaders in both professional and informal contexts, and they appear to do just as much work in the informal context as they do in the professional context.

The main area I have observed this is when CAM staffers Steve Elliott and Dennis Baker both shared information and stories about the men they are coaching.  Steve and Dennis are pouring their lives into other men to teach them what it means to lead and serve others.  Many of these relationships are informal consisting of meetings for coffee or talking over the phone.

I have observed three differences between professional and informational ministries:

1. The professional context pays the worker financially while the informal context is often free to the person who is being served. 

2)      In the professional context, lots of people know about the work you do while the informal context is limited to a few people who know what you do. 

3)      The professional context offers a small level of change among the people being served because the relationship is shallow.  The informal context causes great change because the relationship is deep.

Often our culture gives great accolades and credit to people doing the “professional” work of serving lots of people.  However, I have come to realize that great service is given in an informal context by going deep with the person being served.