My Philosophy of Ministry

By Donald Horton

 

As a Chaplain, I will be available to anyone regardless of their religion, race, community, ethnic upbringing, or location. My main reason for being a Chaplain will always be to serve and/or help people and communities for any reason necessary, and to always care about their spiritual health and wellbeing.

I must be willing to go anywhere that is necessary to show that I care, always listening first and understanding what the need is at that specific time. There will be times when only listening and being there is all someone might need. But I must be willing to go; first and foremost, trying to meet new people as much as possible. Ministry must be out of genuine love and compassion for all mankind, without expecting anything in return. I must be willing to share the love of Christ with anyone but never requiring that to happen but always praying first that I might be given that opportunity before I go. People will not always listen to my words or remember them, but they will usually remember that I was there to be with them in their time of need, sometimes only praying in silence for them or their situation.

Listening to people will involve many things including their words, body language, eyes, movements and positions. When speaking to someone it is crucial to listen first and assess their needs using all available information before deciding on the best way to help.  There are so many different possibilities of what their needs might be that I must try to be prepared for any situation by constantly learning more about the situations that I have faced in the past to help prepare me for the future times as well. There will be times when I must know my limitations and always have a great number of professional people around me to refer people to, for the best help.

I will be an encourager to those that need it because of their fear or doubt, helping them to have faith in themselves and trying to guide them into making better decisions. During crisis people might need me to understand and empathize with what they are going through while always remaining calm, compassionate, and slow to give advice. There will be times when I will need to try to help them understand the why, how, what, who, or where questions that come during crisis.

The needs of the person or group that I may be with must always come before my opinion, thoughts, or wishes. I have so many personal experiences that Christ has delivered me from including, jail time and drug addiction. I have been sobered for over 25 years now and will always have a heart for those that suffer from the same addictions or past. Jesus has changed my life and I want to share it with anyone who is willing to listen and to let them know that Jesus can do the same for them as well. I know it is not my responsibility to save people, however, it is my privilege to serve others as Christ did.

My wife and I are also raising our 6 grandchildren now, so I will be reaching out to Foster Care Agencies around here to see how I can serve them as well.  I want to be able to serve and help others anytime, anywhere, and for any purpose that the Lord leads me, sharing Christ whenever I can. I am far from being ready to do all that He wants me to, but I know that I can do all things with His strength and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Donald Horton