You Have a Destiny
You were placed on this earth for a specific purpose. That purpose drives you forward, even when life knocks you down. No matter how many times you’ve faced rejection or setbacks, there’s a fire inside you that refuses to go out. That fire is your calling, set in motion before you even understood who you were or that Jesus is your Savior. It is an irresistible pull toward something greater than yourself.
Your Fire is Your Calling
Too often, believers settle for simply being “good Christians,” living by a moral code while waiting for someone else to bring revival. God’s call is about fire, impact, and transformation. You are not meant to blend in, you are part of a city on a hill, designed to shine. The question is simple: is your light on today?
Before You Step Into Fivefold Ministry
Before God positions you in a fivefold office, He will almost always train you through the body ministries. These build character, obedience, compassion, and the practical skills you need before you are ready to represent Christ in a leadership office. Many try to jump straight into apostolic, prophetic, or pastoral roles without ever being faithful in the foundational ministries God uses to shape His leaders.
These are the seven Body Ministries God often uses as your first training ground:
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Prophecy
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Serving – Ministry of Servanthood
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Teaching
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Encourager – Exhortation
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Giver
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Ruler – Leadership
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Compassion – With Cheerfulness
This is where the root system of your calling grows. You learn to obey God when no one is watching. You learn to serve when it’s inconvenient. You learn to love people long before you ever lead people. These experiences form the blueprint of who you will later become in your fivefold mandate.
The Call is Progressive
God does not expect you to fully understand your fivefold ministry overnight. From the moment you were born again, He began a process in you: planting seeds, giving small assignments, and shaping you through experiences. Each step prepares you for the greater responsibilities ahead. Like Moses, each stage is necessary for growth. You start small, obey faithfully, and then God gives you more.
Obedience Brings Growth
Your first step is to take action with what God has already placed in your hands. Even a small act of obedience can have far-reaching effects, much like Paul’s first obedience to share the gospel planted seeds that continue to bear fruit today. The seed you were given at salvation or in your earliest ministry experiences holds the blueprint for your calling. Obedience now produces fruit later, even if you cannot yet see the outcome.
Detours Are Part of the Plan
God may redirect you in ways that feel uncomfortable, confusing, or even frustrating. Those detours are not mistakes, they are part of the process to strengthen your faith. They expand your influence and prepare you for the fullness of your ministry. Just like Jesus’ ministry led to the cross or Paul’s imprisonment, every step in God’s plan has a purpose beyond what you can see.
Called to What You Cannot Do
God calls you to do what only He can do, not what seems convenient or comfortable. Ministry is not a talent contest, and God does not call the most talented. He calls the obedient. Your fivefold calling is a journey of progression, growth, and obedience, not a quick leap into a ministry office.
Plant the First Seed
Identify the first task, gift, or role God has given you. Plant it, serve faithfully, and move forward. The calling of God is progressive, and obedience in the small steps prepares you for the greater responsibilities to come.
Based on The Fivefold Ministry Progression
This blog is taken from the foundations laid out in the book, The Fivefold Ministry Progression. If you want to understand the stages of your calling, how God trains His leaders, and how to identify the season you are in, this book will give you the roadmap.
Get your copy here: https://colettetoachstore.com/products/fivefold-ministry-progression/
Reflection Questions
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Describe the first church where you served. What role did you play?
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What ministry functions did you once love but have since lost fire for?
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What element of ministry has remained consistent throughout your Christian journey?
Key Takeaway
Every believer has a part in God’s master plan. Your calling is not optional, it's your assignment. Step forward, embrace the fire God has placed within you, and take the first step toward fulfilling your fivefold calling.