“The gifts [Christ] gave were that some would be
apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip
the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ." --
Ephesians 4:11-12
I
vividly remember one of those “a-ha” moments I had during my training for the
ministry. It was in a class on leadership.
We were talking about what makes for a strong
congregation, and the professor was telling us that the healthiest
congregations are the ones that know how to
give ministry away.
In the
middle of that discussion, the professor said, “You will find that one of the
most important roles we play in the church is that of
talent scout.”
That’s when
the light bulb went on in my head.
Giving
ministry away is about finding something meaningful for people to do so everyone
can use their God-given gifts for God’s work.
This is partly what the church was made for.
Jesus had 12 disciples whom he sent out to
teach, preach, to help and pray for those in need.
He didn’t keep all the ministry to himself,
but shared it with others.
When he
washed the feet of the disciples, it was with the understanding that they would
wash one another’s feet (John 13:14-15).
When Paul says in Ephesians that Christ’s gifts are meant
“to equip the saints for the work of
ministry,” the expectation is that every Christian is actively taking part
in some kind of ministry.
That
doesn’t mean everyone has to sing in the choir…or lead a Bible study…or bake
cookies for the bake sale…
The point is,
everyone has been given different gifts and talents, strengths and weaknesses,
and different personalities.
The many
and various ministries of Christ’s Church fit the many and various passions and
abilities of Christ’s people.
By helping
people discover their gifts and finding ways they can work on a ministry, we
become talent scouts for the Lord!
This is
why at the end of each year of our confirmation program, I have each student
present their own unique project.
I ask
them
to look at their talents and skills
and find a way to express their faith in God using those gifts.
Over the years they’ve done powerpoint
presentations, songs, dances, drawings, sculptures… each a one-of-a-kind
showcase of God’s gifts.
A
congregation I visited years ago had a monthly Saturday men’s group.
The guys who attended this group discovered
they all loved working on cars, and started asking how they could put their passion
and mechanical know-how to work for God.
They wound up developing a new ministry by offering free labor to help
fix the cars of elderly church members and other low-income people.
Imagine what unique kinds of ministries would
sprout up if we all had that kind of
“talent
scout” mentality!
Here at
Atonement, we have many
ministry teams,
from
Worship and music to
Fellowship to
Social concerns, Christian education, and so on…
Each team has a leader and each leader is
entrusted with helping the pastor and council manage the ministries in that
particular area.
Some of these teams
meet together regularly, and some are pretty much just one or two people.
As our congregation grows and changes year by
year, so does the shape of our ministries.
For example, our council just approved a brand new ministry – a Hispanic
outreach team.
Our caring team began a
year when we discovered there were many people interested in ministry to the
sick and homebound.
Over the summer,
five new people were trained to be “Eucharistic ministers” who bring communion
to the homebound.
People with gifts and
talents are taking on new roles as they are “equipped for the work of
ministry.”
New
ministries come and sometimes old ones go.
Sometimes ministries get dropped altogether when people get overwhelmed
or lose interest.
Sometimes ministry
leaders struggle to keep up with the expectations for that ministry, wishing
they had more direction or more people on their team.
Keeping up with all this is a challenge, and
the need for communication between the ministry teams and the council and
pastor is greater than ever.
Below* I’ve
listed some resources and tips that might be helpful for ministry leaders.
But
here’s the light bulb that went on in my head: if Jesus made a habit of giving
ministry away, so should we.
God’s work
involves involving others.
We’re not
just focused on getting certain tasks done – we’re also talent scouts looking
to connect people.
There’s something
spiritually fulfilling about doing God’s work, and someone out there is just
waiting for
an invitation to help with a
ministry. Having more people working
side by side builds relationships and makes the work easier in the end.
We
expect to have lots of visitors this Fall, many of whom will be considering
Atonement as a new church home.
One of
the questions people will be asking as they come check us out is: “Is there a
place for me here?
Is this a church that
can make use of my talents and abilities?
Is this somewhere I can serve God in a meaningful way?”
As we greet them warmly and offer them a new
church home, let’s also make room for them to serve in ways that fit their
gifts.
The Holy Spirit loves turning
spectators into players and it’s a beautiful thing to watch -- so let’s open
the doors as wide as we can and be
talent
scouts for Jesus!
Peace,
Pastor Scott
---------------------
*Here are some tips and resources to help our teams
“equip the saints for the work of ministry” at Atonement:
·
Council
liaisons: each team leader is paired up with one of the council members who
will bring news about what that ministry is doing to the council.
The liaison can bring requests for minor
funding or other needs before the council on behalf of that ministry.
If you are a team leader and do not know who
your liaison is, contact the church office.
·
Time and
talent: Yearly surveys are given out to worship attendees, asking which
ministries people might be willing to volunteer for.
The results are collated and shared with the
ministry leaders.
The
team leaders are the talent scouts for
their ministry area, and this gives them a place to start.
They are expected to contact those people and
help them get plugged into their areas of interest.
·
Temple
talks: Ministry teams are welcome to give a special presentation during
worship informing members of the congregation as to what is happening and how
they can join in.
We want to be great at
giving ministry away, and should always be inviting new people to use their
gifts.
·
A written
plan: It’s amazing how much it helps to have a simple to do list.
Does your ministry have a timeline?
What is your ministry’s goal for the
year?
What needs to be put on the church
calendar?
What kind of support is needed
from the council and pastor?
How much of
the church budget should be set aside for this ministry? Each ministry could benefit
from a detailed plan that looks at the year ahead and answers these questions.
·
“Glows
and grows” meetings: The church council schedules quarterly fellowship
times after the 10am service, and invites questions and input on congregational
issues.
Any ministry team may request to
do a presentation at the next Grows and glows meeting in October.
All are welcome and encouraged to attend.
·
Publications
and media: Do you have information about a ministry you’d like to get
out?
We have a newsletter, weekly email
announcements, and a web site we’re working on.
Cherie Hatlem has been working on the design for the upcoming picture
directory – and this year it will come with a separate ministry directory.
Special projects and events might also
warrant a verbal announcement from the pulpit on a Sunday morning.
·
Training:
Workshops, classes, books and other resources are available to help with just
about any ministry.
Sometimes our synod
or conference offers training opportunities, and sometimes we can offer it
right here at Atonement.
This month,
every ministry team is being asked to send at least one person to
be trained to use our new AED.
This is a device to help someone undergoing a
cardiac emergency.
This training will
take place at Atonement on Saturday September 26 from 10am-11am.
The gift
of Scripture will be our focus this month as we continue the “How to Use Your
Bible” series. Bring your Bibles on
Sundays and prepare for a fast paced sprint through the story of salvation. We’ll have Post-It notes available to help
you mark out 100 important passages as signposts in our Biblical journey. On the way, the great scope of the Gospel, of
God’s design and destiny for humanity will become clearer as we watch the powerful
message of God’s love emerge from the words of Scripture. Come get more familiar with your Bible, and as
you do draw closer to God.
