Apathy is the great destroyer of purpose in the church of Christ. Lethargic, powerless Christians in the pew have created stagnation in the body and rendered us impotent. I feel that the misunderstanding of the pew perpetrates this problem. Connecting Points beats the drum and sounds the alarm for all to hear. “If you are a born again Christian, you are a God-called, God-ordained minister. Not just the pastor and the worship leader. You! You are God’s minister, and He has a ministry for you that was pre-ordained before the foundations of the world.” I want to show the church member that he or she is part of God’s great plan to reach this world. My message to the person in the pew is: “God has a ministry for you and He made you to do that ministry. God built you in a way that will enable you to do effectively what He intended for you to do in your life, your ministry. The giftings and talents you have are on purpose. Can you see that? You are who you are so that you can do what God intends for you to do. God was intentional with you . . . your personality, your physical and mental capacity. All were planned by God to enable you to do the ministry He planned for you before you were born. I believe that even the things you like and dislike are on purpose. Why? God wants you to connect with people in your world.”
People in the pews are not just supporters of the ministry, they are the ministers. Can you see how this philosophy runs apathy out the door? Once people begin to project the expectations of productivity they previously had for the pastor upon themselves, sitting in the pew and doing nothing is no longer a viable option. They no longer see themselves as cheerleaders whose job it is to inspire and support the pastor as he does the ministry. They realize: I am the deal. I am God’s minister with a calling on my life that is no less important than that of the pastor. This is the message the church needs to hear. The people in the pews are the ministers of God.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Redefining the Pulpit
When the average Christian thinks of the pulpit they think about the place where ministry takes place. Ministry is something that happens on Sunday and is reserved primarily for those who hold credentials or maybe for those with a degree or two. A person can have ministry if they can preach or sing, play an instrument or in some other way exhibit talent in an ecclesiastical way, but what about everyone else? What about the people in the pews? Furthermore, what about the people outside the walls of the church?
The general misunderstanding is this: the pulpit is the place where ministry takes place. The people in the pew are the supporters of the ministry. The people out side the church are dirty rotten sinners that we are trying to get into the church so they can get into the pew and support the ministry that happens in the pulpit. I am not sure where this misunderstanding came from, but I suspect that it finds its genesis in organized religion. One thing is certain; it did not come from the scripture. The biblical model is altogether different. The pulpit is the equipping place. The pew represents the place where the ministry happens. The people in the pew are supposed to be Gods ministers. The community represents precious people that Christ loves and died for; they are actually our congregation.
The redefining of these terms must begin in the pulpit. Remember Paul’s words to the church at Ephesus: “And He gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry…” (Eph. 4:11-12). Church leaders must realize that they are called to equip the ministers of God. We ordain the pastor, but really the pastor should be ordaining the people to be God’s ministers. Connecting Points moves the ministry outside the walls of the church. This is where real ministry happens. The pulpit is the equipping place.
The general misunderstanding is this: the pulpit is the place where ministry takes place. The people in the pew are the supporters of the ministry. The people out side the church are dirty rotten sinners that we are trying to get into the church so they can get into the pew and support the ministry that happens in the pulpit. I am not sure where this misunderstanding came from, but I suspect that it finds its genesis in organized religion. One thing is certain; it did not come from the scripture. The biblical model is altogether different. The pulpit is the equipping place. The pew represents the place where the ministry happens. The people in the pew are supposed to be Gods ministers. The community represents precious people that Christ loves and died for; they are actually our congregation.
The redefining of these terms must begin in the pulpit. Remember Paul’s words to the church at Ephesus: “And He gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry…” (Eph. 4:11-12). Church leaders must realize that they are called to equip the ministers of God. We ordain the pastor, but really the pastor should be ordaining the people to be God’s ministers. Connecting Points moves the ministry outside the walls of the church. This is where real ministry happens. The pulpit is the equipping place.
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