For those of us who are called at the present to vocational ministry (because all Christians should be engaged in "full-time" ministry, whether at their job or in the Church), perhaps there is a prideful part of us that enjoys doing most of the work. Perhaps it makes us feel important, or at the very least gives us job security. This pride is hurting our flocks. No matter the context, all Christian leaders should be finding ways to equip those we lead for ministry. This is a difficult and messy task, and I am just beginning to figure this out myself. I pray that I strive to equip the youth I serve in my church and community and my fellow coworkers on our youth ministry team to minister in the ways God has gifted them.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Equipping the Saints
Yesterday in a class on Christian Leadership, we discussed how to recruit, equip, and deploy volunteers for ministry in the local church. Our guest presenter, Polly Lott (who is on the administrative staff at Denver Seminary), introduced and undergirded the discussion with Ephesians 4:11-16. I was grateful for her instruction, because she made clear that this is not just about getting people to help carry the load in ministry. From this text, she made the case that it is not just expedient to utilize volunteers in ministry, it is a biblical mandate. Why is it a mandate? Because it is the job of the leaders in the church to equip Christians to do ministry. In many churches, the maxim is repeated that "twenty percent of the people to eighty percent of the work." If this is true, than in many ways eighty percent of the people in our churches are unemployed! Yet we seem to be okay with this. An important part of spiritual formation is discovering how has created us for ministry to others, and then dedicating ourselves to this task. For the vast majority of people, this ministry is done within or in addition to what we might consider "secular" careers. Yet there is nothing secular about dedicating oneself to ministry within the context of everyday life or about giving one's time, talent, and treasure the the building up of the Church when he or she already puts in forty hours at a job. It is a holy endeavor.
For those of us who are called at the present to vocational ministry (because all Christians should be engaged in "full-time" ministry, whether at their job or in the Church), perhaps there is a prideful part of us that enjoys doing most of the work. Perhaps it makes us feel important, or at the very least gives us job security. This pride is hurting our flocks. No matter the context, all Christian leaders should be finding ways to equip those we lead for ministry. This is a difficult and messy task, and I am just beginning to figure this out myself. I pray that I strive to equip the youth I serve in my church and community and my fellow coworkers on our youth ministry team to minister in the ways God has gifted them.
For those of us who are called at the present to vocational ministry (because all Christians should be engaged in "full-time" ministry, whether at their job or in the Church), perhaps there is a prideful part of us that enjoys doing most of the work. Perhaps it makes us feel important, or at the very least gives us job security. This pride is hurting our flocks. No matter the context, all Christian leaders should be finding ways to equip those we lead for ministry. This is a difficult and messy task, and I am just beginning to figure this out myself. I pray that I strive to equip the youth I serve in my church and community and my fellow coworkers on our youth ministry team to minister in the ways God has gifted them.
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