John and Kathy Deisher

One Call, One Harvest, 50 Teams

ministry

New Roles, New Goals

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We’ve been asked by staff and students here, staff on other campuses, supporters, pastors—and honestly, sometimes even by ourselves—about our new role at Sam Houston State. I had a lot of conversations with Kathy and with trusted friends, asking, “What does it really mean to provide pastoral care and staff development?”

As I prayed over those conversations, the Lord reminded me that my calling here really comes down to a few simple things. These five things pretty well capture our role as part of Chi Alpha at Sam Houston State:

Prayer

Prayer is where it all begins for us. It’s not just part of our role—it’s the heartbeat of everything we do. When we pray, we’re reminded that God is the One who moves hearts and changes lives, not us. Our role is to stand in the gap, to lift up staff and students, situations, and needs before Him, and to believe He is at work even when we can’t see it.

Listening

We’ve come to realize that one of the greatest gifts we can give is our attention. When we slow down to really listen—to someone’s story, their struggles, their questions—we make space for God’s Spirit to move. Often people don’t need an answer as much as they need to know they’ve been heard and loved.

Guiding

We don’t see ourselves as the ones with all the answers, but as people who get to point others back to Jesus. It’s not about fixing problems; it’s about reminding everyone where true life and holiness are found—in Him. Our prayer is always that our words and actions gently guide people closer to the heart of God.

Caring for Souls

So much of ministry happens in the unseen, and we’ve learned to embrace that. The hidden prayers, the quiet conversations, the unnoticed acts of love—all of it matters. This “soul work” may not draw attention, but it creates an environment where people can encounter God’s love and discover His purpose for their lives.

Teaching and Preaching

Finally, we count it a privilege to open God’s Word with both staff and students. Whether in a large group setting (often me, though Kathy is an excellent teacher), over coffee or hot chocolate, or in a small Bible study, we love those moments when Scripture comes alive and someone sees God more clearly. Teaching and preaching aren’t just responsibilities—they’re opportunities to watch the Holy Spirit open eyes and hearts.

At the end of the day, our role here is simple: to be faithful in prayer, to be present, and to point people to Jesus. In doing that, we live out both the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. Everything else flows from there.

Lines & Angles

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[A note to my readers. During this time of “shelter-in-place” I thought I would write a series of devotionals aimed for those in vocational ministry. I recently re-read Eugene Peterson’s book “Working the Angles” and thought that this would be a great time to refocus on my ministry priorities. There is some good stuff in there for those who are not in vocational ministry, but it is geared particularly to those who are. –jd–]

  • Read

Psalm 103:21 “Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will!

  • Meditate

Imagine a triangle. Go ahead. I’ll wait.

Got it? Good. Now imagine that the three lines of the triangle represent the visible roles we fill as vocational ministers. Let’s label those lines: preaching, teaching, and administration.

This is what we do. This is what people see. And, in some cases, these roles are how we define ourselves.

But what makes a triangle different from just three random lines? It is that they are connected at angles. Go ahead, take a look at your imaginary triangle. See those angles? Tri-ANGLES?

I want to talk about those angles. Much of what I will be writing in the next few days comes from Eugene Peterson’s insightful book, “Working the Angles”. We want to move from focusing on those three public roles, the lines, to what connects them, the angles.

What are those angles that keep our public ministry together? They are prayer, scripture reading, and spiritual direction. They are found in our private lives. Without those three, preaching, teaching, and administration fall apart. These are angles that are the foundation of being a minister who does the will of God.

So, let us bless the Lord and do his will.

  • Pray

Father, I desire to bless you with my life and ministry as I do your will. My prayer is that I learn to focus well on these angles that hold together the roles I fill. Give me ears to hear, eyes to see, and a heart to receive your words.

  • Contemplate

1. Have you allowed your identity as a minister of God to be in your public roles, forgetting to take care of those angles? Ask for God’s forgiveness as we go through this series.

2. Take the time to begin to look at your daily schedule and see how you can begin to work on these angles of ministry.

(This devotional series is based on my notes from “Working the Angles” by Eugene Peterson)

October Master Class

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We are hosting our October Master Class on the campus of Oklahoma State University this Friday, October 11th, from 12:00n-1:00pm. Our topic this month is “Women in Ministry” with Nyree Brodrick. Nyree serves as the director of the Oklahoma District of the Assemblies of God Women in Ministry Network.