Have you really tested to see if you should be working in vocational ministry?

Here is a conviction I've held for a long time: every Christian, at some point in their life, should properly test whether God might be calling them into vocational ministry. You should not assume you know the answer. Actually test the question.

What does that look like? An internship. A traineeship. A mentored role in a church. A part-time position taken as a deliberate taster. Some structured way of getting close enough to ministry to find out whether it suits you, and whether it might be where God is leading. For most, the best time to do this is when you’re young, before careers, mortgages and family commitments make experimentation harder. But it doesn't have to be then.

Back in 1999, I had just graduated with my music degree from Melbourne Uni, and I still had a year to go before completing my honours year for my Arts degree. Church work was not something I was even considering. But then I saw a job advertised for a part-time youth outreach position at St Hilary's, Kew. They were looking for someone who had experience with creative approaches to youth outreach (they even mentioned “experience with bands”) – that was me! As a young adult volunteer, I contributed to outreach ministries at my church and to the Queenscliff Theos youth outreach ministry (Scripture Union). But I’d had no formal training in ministry at Bible College, just some coaching from older leaders. 

My motivation for applying was largely pragmatic; I saw it as a way to earn some extra income while continuing my music career and finishing my studies. I’d do it for a few years and then move on. My prayer was, “God, I have no idea or not whether you think I should do this job. If I get offered it, I’ll do it and give it my best shot; if I don’t get it, that’s totally fine, and I’ll keep doing what I was doing.”

To my pleasant surprise, they did give me the job! But then something unexpected happened. I remember standing in front of the St Hilary’s congregation a few weeks into starting, and it was like a lightning bolt hit my gut, saying, “This is what you should be doing.”

I felt right at home. I also discovered that ministry feels very different once you're actually immersed in it. As a volunteer, you see only fragments. But when you're given responsibility, mentoring, and dedicated time to think deeply about people and the gospel, something changes. You begin to be stretched in ways that are difficult to experience from the sidelines. You discover not only whether you can do ministry, but whether you love it enough to keep doing it through the difficult seasons.

That doesn't mean the practical life concerns disappear. Ministry can feel financially uncertain, and many people hesitate because they worry about job security, income, or whether they're good enough. Those are real concerns. But they're best answered by proximity, not by theory. Give yourself enough exposure to ministry to properly discern whether God may be calling you into it. You’ll know, because if a real calling is there, any challenges will just motivate you to keep persisting. 

Some people assume that calling arrives as a sudden revelation. But in the Bible, calling often unfolds gradually. Think about the Apostle Peter. He was just a fisherman when Jesus called him to leave his nets and follow. Peter didn't instantly become a fearless church leader. He stumbled, doubted, stuffed up, misunderstood Jesus, and even denied him. Yet Jesus patiently formed him over time into someone capable of shepherding others. Calling is not about being impressive; it's about willingness, availability, and trust.

I am convinced that more people are suited to ministry than realise. There are definitely people attending Merri Creek right now who are highly gifted and suited to vocational ministry but have yet to take the next step.

What began for me as a small two-day-a-week experiment has now become a 26-year ministry adventure. I never would have predicted that at the start. You might be petrified to pray the “I’ll do ministry if you want me to” prayer. Fair enough! Vocational ministry is a weighty calling. It’s not for everyone. But it just might be for you.