05/30/13 ACTIVE, PRODUCTIVE BODY LIFE
We had a very good service last night. I asked folks what they would like to be doing in ministry, here at Seaside. I prefaced my inquiry by recognizing that people have their own personal ministries, flowing from their own relationship with Christ, but we all need to have a "body life" ministry, serving one another and reaching beyond our own sphere of personal contacts. The healthy Christian life and ministry is both personal and corporate.
Church ministry is not only the pastor's preaching/teaching/leading (though this is fundamental and central). All believers have the responsibility to meet God's standards before they can expect to serve in body life ministry, and God equips us with talents, skills, abilities, gifts, vision and desire to do His work. But then we must make ourselves available.
Several people revealed the ways they would like to serve other people at Seaside. It was interesting, because much of what they said was what I know we need in our church. I still have items on my unspoken "wish list," but at least some of them were addressed last night.
Some churches have an abundance of people who are "doing" the work of the church, but they fail to be consistent in their Christian life. Some churches have an abundance of people who are "being" the faithful follower of Christ, but they fail to launch into body life ministry. These two ideas, "being" and "doing" meet together in the well rounded Christian and church ministry.
I have always taught that legitimate personal ministry springs from a strong body life in the local church and flows back into a strong body life in the local church. This is not just my opinion, this is the standard set by the New Testament. If personal ministry is separate from body life, then there is either something wrong with your local church or there is something wrong with your relationship to your local church, or their is something wrong with you.
