Redefining the Pew

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.