Dear Leader,
“Do you spend more time ministering to people or preparing people to minister?”
I came across this quote recently and I can’t get it out of my mind! — Especially in light of the Ephesians 4 passage that says we are to “prepare God’s people for works of service.”
Is it possible that we are actually decreasing our leadership effectiveness and limiting the growth of the church and it’s people by “doing” too much ministry?
Jesus ministered to large groups of people, but his prime time was invested in a group of twelve who would eventually go out and do great things.
Steve Murrell, in his book “Wiki Church: Making Discipleship Engaging, Empowering, & Viral” submits that we need to replace three “Discipleship Myths” with three “Discipleship Truths.”
Discipleship Myths:
- The Myth of Mentoring – My pastor’s job is to minister to me.
- The Myth of Ministry – I am not ready to be used by God.
- The Myth of Maturity – No one should minister until he is mature.
Discipleship Truths:
- The Truth of Mentoring – A pastor’s job is not primarily to minister to people but to equip people to minister to others. (Ephesians 4:11)
- The Truth of Ministry – While some members may not feel ready yet, God is ready to use them now — even if they think they don’t pray enough, aren’t mature enough, don’t know enough Bible verses, or have too many past sins. (Ephesians 4:12)
- The Truth of Maturity – We can’t wait until every believer feels mature enough to minister because no one will mature unless they minister. (Ephesians 4:13)
Steve goes on to say “The biblical job description for professional ministers — apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers — is to equip the “non-pros” for ministry, then get out of their way.”
So, I ask again… “Do you spend more time ministering to people or preparing people to minister?”
What do you think? Drop me a line at davidraylandis@gmail.com
Blessings to each of you,
David R. Landis
Primary Leader/Overseer, Gulf Coast Area