As the old saying goes, “find a job you love and you’ll never work another day in your life.”
It’s true.
How many people spend the work day watching the clock but then go home and work even harder than they did all day on some hobby or passion or project?
Why is that? Because when we’re doing something we’re good at, something we’re passionate about, it’s not like work anymore. It’s something we look forward to!
Needs-based or gifts-based ministry?
The same principle applies in the church. Scripture teaches that God has given each of us certain abilities and gifts which are to be used to build up the body of believers (see Ephesians 4, 1 Corinthians 12, etc.). Yet so often, we build our church programmes and plans and then go looking for people to fill the needs those programmes and plans create. This is needs-based ministry. And it is default for churches. If we let it, it will happen automatically. Programmes and plans will create needs and people will be pulled in to fill those needs whether or not it’s a good fit; whether or not they are passionate about that particular form of ministry.
How different would it be, though, if we started with the people God has brought to our assembly and then built our ministries and plans around the gifts and passions the Spirit of God has given them?
This is my passion for CrossPoint Church. But it won’t happen accidentally. That’s why I’ve met up with all our ministry workers over the last several weeks to discuss the gifts and passions God has given you and how you can use these to build the believers at CrossPoint.
New opportunities
I’ve been encouraged to see how these meetings are opening up opportunities for new ministry. You’ll be hearing about some of these over the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, if you’re not involved in using your gifts to build up the believers yet, please feel free to catch up with me and we’ll find a way to get you plugged in and making a contribution to the work that God is doing at CrossPoint. That said, I understand if you feel like you need to sit back and be ministered to for a while. There are times when we all need that.
Whatever situation you’re in, my heart for you is that you would be drawn into the humbling, healing power of the gospel of Jesus Christ through your interaction with the body of Jesus Christ at CrossPoint. Pray with me that we would be that kind of assembly.
Grace to you.
