Servant Connection

                    

 

Servant Connection

                    

 

About Servant Connection
               Servant Connection is a ministry focused upon bringing people closer to God and to one another. Through the years since its inception as a non-profit 501(c)3 ministry in 2005, the ministry of Servant Connection has become more focused. My original goal was “the spiritual transformation of America”—and I thought I was doing well to focus on just America, instead of the whole world!

               I don’t have a lot to show for those grandiose original plans, but I deeply cherish the lessons learned in that six-year “Season of Faith,” which preceded my present assignment as pastor of North Seattle Church of the Nazarene. I found that God uses me most effectively in the traditional established church, and that my individual assignment from Him is more about writing devotional material than it is about trying to head up some spiritual movement that isn’t moving. So, we’re down to pastoring a local church and writing devotional books on the side! I have also endeavored to bring pastors together for prayer in the Seattle area, and continue to attend the yearly Leadership Prayer Summit of the Kelso-Longview pastors with whom I’ve associated for over 20 years.

                These are challenging days for ministry! I am sensing a great sense of fulfillment, though, as I try to focus on my individual assignment from God—what He has called me to do in this season of my life—instead of never relinquishing an idea that has any merit, and floundering in a sea of good intentions and half-baked ideas. (Some of you will understand what I just said). Focus has been one of the greatest challenges of my life, and ministry. I like to do everything! I want to do everything! But by trying to do everything, I continually leave in my wake a stream of unfinished projects and unfulfilled “visions.” It’s also really hard to follow someone who is going everywhere at once!

                While I still often find myself drowning in ideas, I have found that life works best for me when I pray through and ask God to make clear to me what is to be my focus in this season of my life, then concentrate on that, doing my best to ignore all the whack-a-mole ideas which continue to pop up and distract along the way.

                Here’s my “assignment from God” for this season:
 
  1. Serve God.
  2. LOVE THESE PEOPLE AND MAKE THEM FEEL LOVED, starting with my family, and going on to include all the people God has placed in my life.
  3. Write. God has made clear to me that this is one of the ways He wants me to serve Him—by writing books and songs which help people come closer to Him and to one another.
  4. Do the best job I can of serving North Seattle Church of the Nazarene as a loving pastor, encouraging them to go toward God.
  5. Take care of my body, so it doesn’t fail me.
 
                There are lots of other things I do as well, but having a short list of what constitutes my assignment from God for this season helps keep me on track—and doesn’t leave time for a lot of other ambitions!

                If you struggle in the area of focus, I would recommend taking a 3x5 card, and prayerfully writing down what you believe to be God’s assignment for you for this season of your life. I think you will find the exercise helpful.

                Coming back to “About Servant Connection”…

                Since Servant Connection is no longer the main platform for my ministry, nor am I dependent upon it for income, I am narrowing the focus of Servant Connection to providing devotional material to people, to help them grow closer to God and to one another. During the Season of Faith, I was able to write and publish my first book, Serving God. Serving God is a devotional book which helps people go deeper in their relationship with God over the course of a year, as they explore what the Bible says about serving God. My second book, Answers for Today, has the same format of a year’s worth of one-page devotionals, but with more varied themes. I am in process of writing more books, as well as songs, which I hope will be tools to help people come closer to the God we love.

                What about finances?

                In the early days of Servant Connection, it was my only source of income! Now I am able to use 100% of all Servant Connection donations toward ministry: ministry to pastors as I try to encourage them to walk together in prayer and fellowship; a “Garden of Prayer” which I am developing as an outdoor prayer room on our church campus; and the costs associated with maintaining a non-profit ministry, such as maintaining a web site. What I’m saying is that I no longer depend upon your contributions to keep me afloat, financially, so now all your money can go to ministry! And I want to thank those of you who so faithfully supported Servant Connection in the years when I was depending on your gifts to make the house payment each month! I will never forget your generosity, and God’s faithfulness through you. Thank you.

                If you don’t already have my books, Serving God and Answers for Today, I would love to share a copy of either or both with you, free of charge, as my gift to you. (If you would like additional copies, $10 each would cover it.)   

                Thank you for being a servant of Christ Jesus! It’s exciting to serve Him with you. God bless you.
Dave Ness
 
Contact Information:
Personal or book orders:
Dave Ness
13130 5th Ave. NE
Seattle, WA 98125
SCJForever@centurylink.net
 
Donations to:
Servant Connection
P.O. Box 1747
Longview, WA 98632