Friends on Mission

I’m sitting in the Forest Hill Chase food court having lunch as I write this. Ten years ago, I would walk here from NCC every Friday afternoon to eat at an Indian shop called “Mild ’n’ Spicy”, which I think has been around longer than I’ve been alive. The quality has stood the test of time, and I still order my vegetable curry and creamy potato.

Sitting here, I’m reminded of 16-year-old Jeremy, who first experienced the joy of doing ministry with his friends. As a bunch of Year 10s, we got to lead a ministry together at the school every Friday night. We’d walk down to the shopping centre, see who could smash their curry the fastest, and then head back to lead the community we were building at NCC. It was a childlike posture of service, and it formed my ministry DNA.

What we built together was fun, but the best part was the friendships that came from building it. Today, I still get to do ministry with many of the people I led with a decade ago. Those relationships have made every bit of following God’s call worth it.

I like to use a concept called “Friends on Mission.” These are friends we form a deep bond with over a shared vision for serving in God’s kingdom. They are people God brings alongside us, people we join hands with for the sake of the gospel, and people we can laugh with, cry with, and share life’s joys and struggles with.

People who have served in the church for a while can start to see ministry as a burden to bear, as if it’s our responsibility to “suffer” for God. Some of us have lost the joy of ministry because we’ve taken on a weight Jesus never asked us to carry. But Jesus said, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). What if ministry really could be like that?

Yes, ministry has its challenges, and it isn’t always smooth sailing. But it can also be ridiculously fun and immensely fulfilling. I’m driven and goal-oriented, so I’ve had to learn to appreciate the little moments with the people I share God’s kingdom work with. I’m learning to be grateful for ordinary moments with like-minded people on mission, because they make ministry the exciting thing it’s meant to be.

People often describe my ministry style as casual and relaxed. That’s because I’m trying to minister and lead with the easy yoke of Jesus, and to learn what to hold tightly and what to hold loosely. I hold tightly to the gospel, and to making way for those who are turning to God and those God is calling to lead (Acts 15:19). I try to hold loosely to my own preferences, like music style, dress and aesthetics, and to the small frustrations that come with working alongside people, like miscommunication. Some things we simply aren’t called to worry about.

So who are your Friends on Mission? Is there a burden you’ve been carrying that Jesus never asked you to carry? As you serve the Lord, don’t place unnecessary burdens on yourself in the name of ministering for God. Take up His easy yoke and rediscover the joy of serving alongside others.