General Information
Tim desires to be a blessing to your church in the way that most suits the pastor and church family. While he may consider doing pulpit supply in some circumstances, that is not the focus of his ministry. It is preferred that the Lead Pastor be present at the time of Tim’s ministry so he or she can also be blessed and so, as the shepherd of that church, proper follow-up can be done if necessary.
Every denomination and church have their distinct practices and/or beliefs. It’s why we all exist. Be assured that Tim will respect the culture of your church without compromising the Word of God. When booking, please make him aware of any practices or teaching that should be honoured.
Subject Matter
Tim will deal with a requested subject or will prayerfully choose the subject on his own. After many years of pastoral ministry, he has become well-versed on a broad variety of biblical and real-life issues. Requested topics may come for different reasons:
- The pastor may have something he would like taught to his congregation, but it is a challenging and time consuming subject to prepare for while bearing the burden of all other pastoral responsibilities
- Perhaps there are issues that are sensitive within the church family and easier for a guest minister to tackle than the pastor
- Because the pastor or church leaders feel that concentrated or intense teaching on a specific subject will encourage the church family in their walk with the Lord and will deepen their relationship with Him
Note: The size of your church is irrelevant. Tim is comfortable speaking in both large and small gatherings.
Talking to the hurt
Tim recently had an enlightening and challenging conversation with a Children and Youth Director. The question raised was: “Why doesn’t the church talk about the issues that leave people hurt?” Specifically they talked about such topics as: victims of physical and/or sexual abuse, couples who have had miscarriages, the divorced, those who suffer with depression, families and friends of people who committed suicide, and people dealing with serious illness that may even lead to death. Although Tim will never be an expert on any of these specific issues, the conversation has challenged him to develop sermons and seminars about spiritual healing. Perhaps this would be an area you would like him to address at your church.
Format
Tim can be completely flexible, but these are a few ideas regarding format.
- Preach the Sunday morning message only
- Saturday workshop(s) (one to three) followed by an appropriate sermon on Sunday morning
- Preach a series of sermons with personal ministry following. (Sunday to Wednesday may be a good consideration)
- Preach Sunday morning with a mid-afternoon or early evening workshop (possible church family lunch in between)
- Preach Sunday morning. Workshops Monday and Tuesday evening. Closing rally Wednesday with full worship, sermon, and personal ministry
Note: Regarding possible workshops, teaching is one of Tim’s primary spiritual gifts. He enjoys these opportunities, and finds that the subject at hand can be made applicable to every day life more easily when presented in a less formal setting. In smaller settings the workshops could be interactive, allowing the audience to participate in gaining greater understanding of the application of biblical truth. When the ministry period is ended with a closing rally it allows the Holy Spirit to drive that truth from the head to the heart.
Financial Arrangement
Accommodation
For most of the year Tim and his wife Kris, will travel in a small bus conversion. If allowed to park in the church parking lot, using church electricity and possibly water, they are completely self-sufficient for both sleeping and meals.
Travel Costs
Please plan to reimburse the ministry for the cost of diesel fuel at $0.55 per kilometer from either the previous ministry location or the Lukings’ home in Chatham, Ontario (Round trip would be appreciated if coming from and returning home). If you are in a distant location, every effort will be made to find ministry opportunities between home and your church to minimize the cost.
Ministry
Tim does not want his ministry to be a financial burden to the church. Therefore, to keep it simple and flexible, either an honourarium per gathering based on current church policy, or a love offering from the congregation is suitable. If it is determined to take a love offering, this should be done by the pastor or church representative. Tim will not speak about finances. (Please note that ‘Above All Else, A Christian Ministry ‘ is not yet a registered charity and cannot give receipts for income tax purposes).
Books
Tim has written two books and thirteen booklets to date. He would like to make these available for congregants to purchase at a price slightly above the cost of printing.
If interested
Please complete the Booking Request form on the website: www.above-all-else.ca However, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call the number below.
Contact Information
Above All Else, Tim and Kris Lukings, 21 Veranda Court, Chatham, Ontario N7L0B4
Email: timlukings@outlook.com Cell# 519-437-8391
Above All Else 