The Work of The Ministry: It Takes A Team

(Big thanks to Kathleen over at the remarkable and outstanding Church in a Circle blog.  Her entry on The Burden of One was the inspiration for this blog entry.  Go over and check out the entry and the rest of the good material on the site.)

More than ever before, I am convinced that for Christian mission to be successful, for the life of a disciple to be successful, even as with the life of child to be successful it takes a team.

From the beginning the child was created by team.  The nurturing of the child takes the team of people who can make the wise input, not just the two parents – other family members, family friends, experts in certain areas, the group of friends the child will develop, etc.  It is not always the case that the parties co-mingle and establish a unified strategy, but as long as the child’s welfare is the cause then there is a shared goal.

It is so much more the case when I think about church life.

I have experienced an approach that leaves it to one person at the top – the leader – to have all the answers, to be the go-to person for this, that and the other.  What is worse is that the position of leader can get to some people’s heads, where they assume that is how things are supposed to be run.  As though God’s whole purpose was to send Jesus, and then when He ascended to put them in His place for the sake of the others.  (Read the Bible through people, that is certainly NOT the case.)

It is tragic to experience just how much pressure that regime places on the person in charge, and how restricting it is on the rest of the Body.  It is tragic and yet so well engrained it is as though even as scriptures are made plain to view there is a mind-set that refuses to acknowledge the actual blueprint of Body Life – a blueprint that talks about teamwork.  An approach that says that it takes the Body as a whole functioning together each part as it should for things to progress.  That leaves no room for hierarchy and earthly autocratic leadership.

That releases, empowers and encourages brothers and sisters in Christ to be about the business of recognising Jesus alone in charge of His Church and as a result His desire to see the whole Body active and engaging in all parts of its life, whether it’s when we meet, or when we exist in our own circles of influence.

After all when we refer to ‘the work of the ministry’ no follower of Christ is exempt from that responsibility.  The concept that there is ‘the‘ minister is tricky at best, and downright fatally flawed at worst.  Each believer is called to function and operate as a minister in the ministry and when that happens, when we work together as a united Body (and I’ve experienced that as well), what a glorious sight that is for the glory of God.

(Photo by Jordan Encarnacao on Unsplash)

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

C. L. J. Dryden