Leadership Thought: Church Members: Are You Equipped for Ministry?

Dear Friends,

There is no  passage of scripture I have preached on more often than Ephesians 4:11-12. 

In every church I've served, the first and the last sermon has been based on this text. Why is it so important to me? The answer is, because I think it should be at the heart of every pastor and leader's mission statement. 

Paul states in Ephesians 4:12. that we are "to equip the saints for the work of ministry." That is my passion, and I want it to be the passion of the people I serve. I do not believe there is any other way to build a Church except through an equipping ministry.

Years ago, I read a humorous letter that was sent to a certain do-it-yourself catalog concern. It reminded me of the importance of following the right blueprints when given the responsibility of constructing something of value. 

The brief letter read: "I built a birdhouse according to plans and specifications. Not only is it too big, but it keeps falling out of the tree. Signed, Unhappy."

The unhappy builder received the following response. "Dear Unhappy, I'm sorry that we accidentally sent you a sailboat blueprint instead of a birdhouse. If you think you are unhappy, you should see the guy who came in last in the Yacht Club Regatta, sailing a leaky birdhouse."

God has given us the right blueprint for building his church, and there is no other way to build that church than to follow His divine design. If we try to build it in any other way than His way, we are going to be in trouble.

To me, the measure of any church's ministry is not calculated  by buildings, bodies, or budgets. No, the true measure of any church's success should be how many spectators have become participants, and how many of those sitting on the sidelines have suited up and are involved in meaningful ministry. 

I once was asked what I thought were the most important principles for building a church. I quickly answered: "No success without a successor," and "Never do ministry alone- always take someone with you."

These two brief quotations are good reminders that whenever I'm involved in leadership, I need to be training someone to take my place. 

D. L. Moody said it best when he remarked: "I would rather put 1,000 men to work than to do the work of 1,000 men."

Today, in many churches, we have seen the downward progression of "men, movements, and monuments." 

I saw this firsthand in Philadelphia, where I once pastored. Great churches that were once pastored by well-known preachers, have now become empty shells, sad relics of the past. Their doors are now closed because people were never equipped to carry on ministry after these famous pastors left. The ministry was never passed down from the pulpit to the pew, and so when these great preaching pastors left, rather than leaving their ministry behind, they took it with them.

God has called the leaders of the church to help their people discover, develop, and deploy their spiritual gifts "for the work of ministry." When this happens, the church is vibrant and alive, and the people are excited and affirmed as they discover that God is able to use them in meaningful ways within the church's ministry. 

I have often told my congregations that the minister's responsibility is not to meet everyone's needs, but to see that everyone's needs are met, and there's a big difference between these two responsibilities. One will kill the pastor, while the other will liberate the pastor. 

I saw a cartoon of a pastor who came home after what was apparently a very hectic day at the church. He turns and says to his wife, "Honey, I've had a rough day. Would you mind telling me everyone's name again?" 

I've sometimes felt that way when I have tried to be Super Pastor, trying to meet everyone's needs.

The key to avoiding days like that is equipping others to help share and shoulder the load.

When I preach, I often lookout on the congregation and see beautifully gift-wrapped packages sitting there in front of me. Each package has a name tag that says, "Given in love by the Holy Spirit for ministry."

Some of those packages have been ripped open, and the gifts within have been exposed and are being deployed for service. Sadly, however, many of those packages still remain beautifully wrapped and the contents within have never been discovered. They need to be opened, and the gifts inside need to be discovered and employed for service. 

The apostle Paul exhorts his good friend Timothy: "Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you.” (1 Timothy, 4: 4). Church members, we need to heed this exhortation.

One pastor I read about not only had business cards made up for his staff to pass out to people, but he also created cards for each of his members. On each card was the church name and then the name, address, and phone number of the member,  and  then there was a blank line below for the member to write in his/her particular ministry. If you had received one of those cards, would you have been able to identify your area of ministry, or would you have been embarrassed because you had to leave it blank?

As pastors, teachers, parents, coaches, and leaders in our communities, we need to help those around us discover their spiritual gifts and their natural talents, and then  encourage them to find opportunities to express those gifts and talents in the meaningful service of others. 

Let's unleash the saints for meaningful ministry. Let's deploy them and remind them there are on active duty to fulfill God's plan to make a difference in our world. 

If we fail to take seriously God's plan for building His church, we may find ourselves sailing through life in some leaky birdhouse and who wants to live like that? 

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom