stry_cba_myministry

CBA: My Ministry

Joy Cornelius

Lord of the Harvest Archery Club

Dayton, Ohio

I was raised in a Christian home. My father graduated from Seminary the year I was born. He pastored churches in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia. We moved more than most families but that was okay because we went where God called us and we kids (there are seven of us) didn't question. You see, ministry and involvement in ministry was not optional in our home. Ministry was a way of life. It permeated everything we did. I taught my first class of toddlers when I was barely 13. We had some little kids who were neighbors who wanted to go to church with us on Wednesday night. We didn't have a class for preschoolers at that time so it became my ministry. Church camp was big with our family. Dad would be the cook; Mom would run the dining hall. I went to church camp before I went to school. Years later I owe my love of cooking for large groups and doing it on a shoestring budget to my dad. As teenagers, our social life revolved around the church and our youth group. Every place we lived we would always be taking neighbors or friends from school to activities with us.

When Lee & I married in 1971, it was a major adjustment. While Lee came from a Christian home, his background was very different from mine. I had 6 siblings, he had 1. My parents had been married forever. His were divorced and remarried. I was very comfortable speaking in front of people, Lee preferred to remain in the background. I practically lived at the church, Lee attended on Sunday morning. We waited 4 years to have children. In those 4 years, I was into everything at church. I could say no to no one. I thought this was the way a real Christian was supposed to be. At one point, Lee told me I should pack my suitcase and move into the belfry at our church because I spent more time there than I did at home. Three kids did slow me down some but ministry of some kind was always on the burner. God has worked on both of us over the years and we have found some balance. Lee became more involved being a trustee and running the sound system. His interests kept him behind the scenes but still using his gifts in ministry. Unfortunately (for me), those things were things that were usually done during regular church times. The things I like to be involved in were at other times. I can remember praying he would get involved in things that would take him out during the week so he wouldn't notice as much when I was gone again. About 10 years ago he was asked to be part of a new ministry in our area, Christian Bowhunters of America. Boy was I excited. They met once a month. Maybe if I was lucky, they would want to get together to shoot their bows more often. Lee had never bowhunted before but it was something he had always wanted to do. He had really missed hunting since we moved to Ohio several years earlier. Maybe this would get him some hunting buddies. Lord of the Harvest Archery Club was started in 1992. At first things were fine. Lee went off to his meetings & I controlled the TV set for 2 hours. Then something happened. Someone got the bright idea that this little club could host a 10 day hunt and invite people from all over the country. They had a location, they had the dates, they had a speaker..all they needed was someone to cook for them. And since everyone knew I loved to cook for big groups. I agreed to do it.

Those first few years were tough. I had to sweat every penny I spent. I was in the kitchen at 3 or 4 in the morning to make sure the hunters had a hot breakfast before going out into the cold. By the end of the week, I just wanted to go home. Many times I felt like, while the guys appreciated what I was doing for them, I was pretty much taken for granted. Didn't they realize they couldn't do this without me? They should do everything they could to make my job easier. Lee should love me so much more because I was doing this for him. The hunter's loved me (the cook is always their favorite). I met some wonderful people. Somewhere about the fourth year, I realized my attitude was changing. The guys had wanted me to start shooting my own bow. I had no desire to do so. But more & more I saw women doing it, women who did not know the Lord. There was one in particular who I knew I could never get close to unless I was shooting a bow too. God especially laid her on my heart and once that happened, I had no choice. I took possession of the guy's ministry. It was mine (but I chose to let them continue, since they were doing such a good job ). Lee bought me my first bow, a beautiful 47# Bear recurve. The first time Hoot Gibson, past president of OSTA, shot it, he offered to buy it from me. But you have to understand, Hoot collects bows like some people save pennies. I could barely pull it so Lee got me a 30# recurve. It was a good starter bow. Once I built up to my good bow, I decided to keep the 30# one to share with other women. This way they can be introduced to the sport without laying out a lot of money. Am I still involved in ministries other than CBA? Yes, and I am probably spread a little too thin, and I do say "no" occasionally. I have come to limit myself as our CBA ministry has grown and has become our main focus as a couple. What a joy to serve the Lord together! Our club is in its ninth year and oh, how the Lord is blessing. We have more ministry opportunities then we can possibly fulfill. We are praying that God would raise up other ministry minded clubs to share the burden. We like to call what we do "Activity Based Evangelism". Taking a hobby or an activity and using it as a means to share Christ in a non-threatening way. And it works! I am convinced you can share Christ without every opening your mouth. People will see Christ in you and come to you, provided you are living and striving to be Christ-like. Sadly, the biggest problem I have found in sharing my faith with unsaved archers, is their past experience with "Christians". They have had a bad experience with a "Christian" dealer who sells sub-standard equipment. They have had dealings with someone who claimed to be a "Christian" but didn't act very Christ-like. It breaks my heart every time someone asks why the "Christians" in our club are different then the others they have met. But I take the opportunity to explain that Christ is our example and the danger in looking only at man. Please do not look at me because I will fail you, but Christ will not.

I have learned so much and come to believe that ministry is not something we do, but the attitude of our heart. It is my prayer and our prayer as a club that other Christians will catch the vision and realize the importance of building relationships with the lost for the purpose of leading them to our Savior.

Joy Cornelius

December 2001



	CBA: My Ministry Joy Cornelius Lord of the Harvest Archery Club Dayton, Ohio I was raised in a Christian home. My father graduated from Seminary the year I was born. He pastored churches in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia. We moved more than most families but that was okay because we went where God called us and we kids (there are seven of us) didn't question. You see, ministry and involvement in ministry was not optional in our home. Ministry was a way of life. It permeated everything we did. I taught my first class of toddlers when I was barely 13. We had some little kids who were neighbors who wanted to go to church with us on Wednesday night. We didn't have a class for preschoolers at that time so it became my ministry. Church camp was big with our family. Dad would be the cook; Mom would run the dining hall. I went to church camp before I went to school. Years later I owe my love of cooking for large groups and doing it on a shoestring budget to my dad. As teenagers, our social life revolved around the church and our youth group. Every place we lived we would always be taking neighbors or friends from school to activities with us. When Lee & I married in 1971, it was a major adjustment. While Lee came from a Christian home, his background was very different from mine. I had 6 siblings, he had 1. My parents had been married forever. His were divorced and remarried. I was very comfortable speaking in front of people, Lee preferred to remain in the background. I practically lived at the church, Lee attended on Sunday morning. We waited 4 years to have children. In those 4 years, I was into everything at church. I could say no to no one. I thought this was the way a real Christian was supposed to be. At one point, Lee told me I should pack my suitcase and move into the belfry at our church because I spent more time there than I did at home. Three kids did slow me down some but ministry of some kind was always on the burner. God has worked on both of us over the years and we have found some balance. Lee became more involved being a trustee and running the sound system. His interests kept him behind the scenes but still using his gifts in ministry. Unfortunately (for me), those things were things that were usually done during regular church times. The things I like to be involved in were at other times. I can remember praying he would get involved in things that would take him out during the week so he wouldn't notice as much when I was gone again. About 10 years ago he was asked to be part of a new ministry in our area, Christian Bowhunters of America. Boy was I excited. They met once a month. Maybe if I was lucky, they would want to get together to shoot their bows more often. Lee had never bowhunted before but it was something he had always wanted to do. He had really missed hunting since we moved to Ohio several years earlier. Maybe this would get him some hunting buddies. Lord of the Harvest Archery Club was started in 1992. At first things were fine. Lee went off to his meetings & I controlled the TV set for 2 hours. Then something happened. Someone got the bright idea that this little club could host a 10 day hunt and invite people from all over the country. They had a location, they had the dates, they had a speaker..all they needed was someone to cook for them. And since everyone knew I loved to cook for big groups. I agreed to do it. Those first few years were tough. I had to sweat every penny I spent. I was in the kitchen at 3 or 4 in the morning to make sure the hunters had a hot breakfast before going out into the cold. By the end of the week, I just wanted to go home. Many times I felt like, while the guys appreciated what I was doing for them, I was pretty much taken for granted. Didn't they realize they couldn't do this without me? They should do everything they could to make my job easier. Lee should love me so much more because I was doing this for him. The hunter's loved me (the cook is always their favorite). I met some wonderful people. Somewhere about the fourth year, I realized my attitude was changing. The guys had wanted me to start shooting my own bow. I had no desire to do so. But more & more I saw women doing it, women who did not know the Lord. There was one in particular who I knew I could never get close to unless I was shooting a bow too. God especially laid her on my heart and once that happened, I had no choice. I took possession of the guy's ministry. It was mine (but I chose to let them continue, since they were doing such a good job ). Lee bought me my first bow, a beautiful 47# Bear recurve. The first time Hoot Gibson, past president of OSTA, shot it, he offered to buy it from me. But you have to understand, Hoot collects bows like some people save pennies. I could barely pull it so Lee got me a 30# recurve. It was a good starter bow. Once I built up to my good bow, I decided to keep the 30# one to share with other women. This way they can be introduced to the sport without laying out a lot of money. Am I still involved in ministries other than CBA? Yes, and I am probably spread a little too thin, and I do say "no" occasionally. I have come to limit myself as our CBA ministry has grown and has become our main focus as a couple. What a joy to serve the Lord together! Our club is in its ninth year and oh, how the Lord is blessing. We have more ministry opportunities then we can possibly fulfill. We are praying that God would raise up other ministry minded clubs to share the burden. We like to call what we do "Activity Based Evangelism". Taking a hobby or an activity and using it as a means to share Christ in a non-threatening way. And it works! I am convinced you can share Christ without every opening your mouth. People will see Christ in you and come to you, provided you are living and striving to be Christ-like. Sadly, the biggest problem I have found in sharing my faith with unsaved archers, is their past experience with "Christians". They have had a bad experience with a "Christian" dealer who sells sub-standard equipment. They have had dealings with someone who claimed to be a "Christian" but didn't act very Christ-like. It breaks my heart every time someone asks why the "Christians" in our club are different then the others they have met. But I take the opportunity to explain that Christ is our example and the danger in looking only at man. Please do not look at me because I will fail you, but Christ will not. I have learned so much and come to believe that ministry is not something we do, but the attitude of our heart. It is my prayer and our prayer as a club that other Christians will catch the vision and realize the importance of building relationships with the lost for the purpose of leading them to our Savior. Joy Cornelius December 2001