Your Church Needs You

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Ephesians 4:11-13

There's an awful lot of confusion nowadays about how the church is supposed to function. Many people think that paid church staff are supposed to do the work of the ministry. I mean that’s what you pay us for isn’t it? Paid staff are supposed to do the work and church members are like customers or consumers who receive the benefit. In my church that would mean that five people are supposed to meet the needs of about two hundred people. The end result of this model? You end up with five very tired church staff, two hundred unsatisfied church members, and a community that isn’t ministered to at all.

That is how a lot of Christians think the church ought to run! But that isn't what this passage tells us. According to verse twelve it isn’t the pastor or church staff who do the works of service, it’s the members. It’s God’s people! According to the passage, it isn’t about paid and unpaid staff. It's about pastors and teachers equipping God’s people to serve. But what does that look like?

My church has about thirty people who teach weekly. Those thirty people are called to teach and equip the other hundred and seventy people in the church. Then those hundred and seventy serve on various committees and teams to do the work of the ministry. And the five paid church staff help coordinate it all. That’s a better model, isn’t it? And the end result is thirty people ministering to a hundred and seventy. And now, because you have a hundred and seventy servants, you can not only meet the needs of the church but you can also reach out to and meet the needs of the community. 

That’s the model for church that we are given in this passage. And for it to work, Christians have to serve. If you are a Christian, then you need to understand that your church isn't a business you frequent. You aren’t a customer! You are one of the ministers who does the work of the Lord. So, if you aren’t serving in the local church, then there’s a problem. The church needs you! It can't grow and become all it needs to be if you every believer doesn't do their part. Are you doing your part to help build God’s kingdom and advance His church? If not, then it’s time for you to get to work. Find a church, and find a place to serve. We need you.