At our church, the ministerial staff had a vision of releasing people to do ministry; we also learned how to concisely state that vision and then Pastor TJ preached a sermon series about "how to start a ministry." Several things can turn the hearts/attention of the laity to a need or ministry...passion can be expressed first out of joy or even anger of an injustice; however the laity hear God speaking to them about starting a ministry, they need guidance and support (believed in) by their pastors and encouraged as to what to do next. At the time, after the first step, their second step was to contact me. I would hear their heart on the ministry and then "tether" that ministry for accountability, resources, communication, and if others expressed interest, then connection. There were no control issues...it was a joy to see God's people excited that God was speaking to them, wanting to use them for something in HIS kingdom and then have a direction to move...
Linda Mihalinec (Guest)
Posted: March 13, 2008
For as long as I have been a Christian (1975) God has been doing new things in my life. If He had to wait for "leadership" approval for those moves for ministry growth (in my life...) oh, my! My point... with accountability in place for volunteers and staff alike to keep balanced and wise, pastors and elders, as servants of the Lord, serving the whole body, equipping the saints, can trust the Lord to release His people to any ministry the Holy Spirit chooses. It takes relationship...rather than programs...to pull off that kind of trust.... relationship with our God and with the people He has put in our path with whom we serve.
Jeanie McGowan (Guest)
Posted: March 10, 2008
Yes, pastors do often have insights that laity aren't aware of, but pastors can also have control issues and have difficulty releasing ministry to lay members. There are trust issues and accountability issues, but those can be overcome if the pastor is willing to work out a system for involving laity, hearing their ideas and giving them some guidelines to get going. We ask for a description of the ministry suggested with a purpose clearly written that supports our mission and vision statements. We also ask that they already have some others who have the same passion who will work with them. After they have done that, we then equip them on how to build a team, etc. Takes time, but is so rewarding!
Bill Fikes (Registered User)
Posted: March 07, 2008
The Church is a Body, and not a collection of programs. Busyness does not guarantee spiritual vitality. If anything, the more programs a church has, the greater the need for revival.
Bill (Guest)
Posted: March 07, 2008
Sometimes the problem is that there are too many programs. In fact I would suggest that the biggest problem is that most churches are driven by programs and not by a simple overarching vision. Busyness and programs do not equate to spirituality. The Church is a Body and not a collection of systems and programs.
