Biblical Church Growth: Part 3 – Ministry Possibilities

What is Christian Ministry?
There is a great deal of disagreement among various Christian groups, and even individual Christians, as to what constitutes ministry. Honestly, when the topic of ministry comes up, it is almost exclusively in the context of work that is done in the church or by some kind of specifically Christian organization – and mostly by people who are full time professionals. But the truth is, the concept of Christian ministry is not limited to any particular location, profession, or to people with a particular educational background.

The word ministry itself relates to service, so Christian ministry is connected to service that is somehow related to the Christian faith. But more specifically, when we are considering it from a biblical perspective, it is work done in service to God. As such, ministry can be anything, as long as it is something that God is directing a person to do.

Understanding it this way, we should be able to see that much of what is identified as Christian ministry is not really Christian ministry at all. One can do church or other kinds of religious work that is called “ministry,” but which doesn’t actually accomplish the work of God. On the other hand, it is possible to do the work of ministry, and those watching it being performed would not even identify it as ministry. In order to identify the work of ministry from a biblical perspective, we have to read what the Bible says God wants done. So, what do we find there?

God’s greatest purpose is to bring the world (the people in the world) into relationship with himself. So, everything an individual does to touch the lives of others for the purpose of fulfilling God’s purpose of drawing people into relationship with himself, can be identified as ministry.

But that is not all. God’s purpose also filters down into people’s individual lives as they live day by day. He also wants human beings to live an abundant life in relationship with him. So, everything an individual does to help people live life abundantly in relationship with him is also ministry. Pay careful attention to that last part, though. God’s purpose is not simply that people live life abundantly, but live that abundant life “in relationship with him.”

There is a common theme in all of this: It is not the “work of ministry” that is most important, but the motivation for the work. What is specifically and intentionally done to accomplish a purpose that God has specifically directed is what genuine ministry is all about.

The Scope of Ministry in the Church
In order to make the meaning here abundantly clear, it is important make a particular distinction. We need to distinguish between some generic concept of ministry and the actual work of ministry that gets done in the real world. To do that, we need to acknowledge the work that goes on in the church fellowship. Here, we are specifically speaking of the “church” as a local congregation, not as the greater body of Christ. Ministry in the church includes all kinds of efforts – conducting worship services, providing Sunday school classes, children and youth ministries, women’s and men’s ministries, music ministry, and so on. Of course, a big part of the ministry work done in church organizations is that which is done by the professional leadership – pastor, music minister, education minister, etc. After all, they are the leaders of the organization. But there is also a lot of work done by non-professionals (lay people).

The main point here, however, is not related to who is doing the work, but what work is getting done. The truth is, most, though not all, of the ministry done in a church organization is directed toward fulfilling the needs and desires of people who are already Christians. After all, that is who you typically find in attendance at churches. This kind of ministry must not be minimized because this is what allows for spiritual growth, fellowship, and worship – and it is vitally important. That said, the tendency in most churches is to do their work with an inward focus. In actuality, there should always be an outward focus.

We should also not fail to mention ministry done by various parachurch organizations. This might include work done on college campuses, overseas mission fields, with the homeless population, with pregnant women, by discipleship ministries of various types, and the like. These organizations are also generally led by professional Christian leaders, though some also use volunteers in various capacities. And though some of this work also reaches out into society, as we saw with local churches, much of the work of parachurch groups is also directed inwardly toward Christians.

The Insufficiency of Ministry Outside the Church
As we just noted, some work by churches and para-church organizations is done outside the Christian community. Even there, though, much of this outside work is very specialized; aimed at specific demographics, and done by professionals who are able to devote full time to the effort.

While all of the work done by Christians in professional ministry is important, we don’t have to look too deeply to see that the ministry done by these professionals is incapable of touching the lives of the vast majority of people in the world. The masses cannot be ministered to by targeting various demographics based on the efforts of a hand full of professional ministers. There are simply not enough professionals to reach all those people.

How Can We Reach the Masses?
The early church did not use the typical model that we see in churches today. To be clear, this is not a problem that relates to the structure of local congregations. Rather, it regards the overall focus of the believing community. Every church operates based on some underlying purpose, whether it was established based on a conscious awareness of that purpose or not.

For many churches, the purpose of their existence is completely unconscious. For whatever reason, these congregations have established their various traditions and programs, and they live them out on autopilot. This is not saying they don’t accomplish any kingdom work; certainly most do! However, the general flow of these churches is based on the traditions that have been put in place in the past, and the average church member never even thinks about a purpose outside of keeping the organization running.

There are other churches that do consciously decide what their focus will be. The planters of these churches tend to identify some group they wish to reach, and intentionally target these groups. The problem in many cases here is that they already have in mind what they think will attract their target, and they establish their churches based on a methodology that they think will reach their demographic. Almost none of these methodologies are bad or wrong in themselves. The problem is that many of those starting churches using this approach do not realize that what they are doing is superficial. When a methodology is determined before intimately knowing the people who are being targeted, the focus is on methodology, not on purpose. No particular methodology should ever be the focus of any church. The purpose must come first, then a methodology developed that accomplishes that purpose in the place where the church is being planted.

So let’s focus on purpose. As we have seen in previous articles in this series, the primary focus within the church organization should be on equipping the saints for the work of ministry. If the masses in society are to be reached, it is the masses of everyday Christians who will be the foot soldiers in the effort, not the clergy. But if the everyday Christian is to take on that role, there must be a way to put them in a position to accomplish the task. The fact is, in most situations, ministry non-professionals are not equipped to be successful at that. They don’t have the vision or the training to pull it off.

The early church was in the same situation. There were massive numbers of new believers who were excited about their new found relationship with Christ, but they didn’t know what to do with it. As a result, heretical teachings racked the church, and there were all kinds of relationship and moral problems. The solution? They began intensely equipping the people with knowledge about how to understand and live out their Christian faith. When they did, the church grew to become the dominant religion of the entire Western world.

How Ministry Works for Non-professionals
It is one thing to identify a problem, but another altogether to create a methodology to actually solve it. How do we put ministry non-professionals in a position to be the primary catalysts for the growth and development of the church? There are four things that must happen.

Identity
First, we must help everyday believers grasp and take on a biblical identity. They must come to understand that they have been called into ministry and that this ministry is the very purpose of their existence. No believer is a doctor, plumber, state worker (or whatever) who is a Christian. Sadly, this is the way most Christians think about their identity. Instead of that, every believer should see themselves as a Christian who is a doctor, plumber, state worker, or whatever. The Christian identity must be first, and one’s occupation is the means by which they fulfill their ministry. They must recognize that the purpose of their occupation is to put them in a position to fulfill their calling as a Christian out in the world. Until this identity problem is solved, the majority of Christians will not have the motivation and intentionality to be dynamic witnesses for Christ out in the world.

Calling
Having the right identity places a believer in a position to recognize their calling. Those who don’t see themselves as Christians first do not even look at themselves as ministers of the gospel. But once the identity is in place, a recognition of the calling is automatic. This calling must be recognized in order to grasp how an occupation can be a platform for ministry. God has called every believer to be a minister of the gospel in unique places out in the world.

Training for the Calling
Once a believer recognizes that a calling exists and accepts personally their own calling, it becomes necessary to get trained to carry it out. A part of the equipping involves training for the profession God places upon a person’s heart. This may involve college, vocational school, on-the-job training, or various other equipping methods. But training for a profession only puts an individual in a position to carry out the calling, it does not necessarily reflect the purpose of the calling itself. The purpose is always to bring people into a relationship with Christ. Thus, in addition to career training, believers need to be trained to be effective witnesses out in the world.

This brings us again to the purpose of the church’s professional ministers. Their purpose is to equip the saints for the work of ministry. Thus, everyday believers need to find a place, whether in a church or some other venue, where they can receive the kind of training that allows them to effectively carry out their calling in the environment God has called them into.

Develop a Plan to Carry out the Calling
Once a person has perceived and accepted God’s calling and become equipped to carry it out, it is then necessary to figure out the best methodology to make it a reality. Every situation is unique and requires its own unique plan. One must take into account personal matters such as personality, skills, and spiritual gifting. But it is also necessary to consider the people in the target community, the rules and regulations regarding human interaction within one’s organization, the relationships that exist between oneself and others, and other matters that affect what is possible regarding the sharing of one’s faith in particular settings.

Implement the Plan
Once a plan is imagined and created, it is then necessary to implement the plan. Depending on the circumstances, implementation may happen quickly or it may take a long time. The important thing, though, is to be faithful in carrying it out.

Carrying out the Ministry
In order for continuous genuine growth to happen within the body of Christ, all the right parts have to be in place. The church has to have the right focus and a means for carrying it out. Additionally, believers have to have the right identity, recognize their calling, and figure out a means for becoming equipped for service. Beyond that, every individual has to become intentional by developing a plan of ministry and carrying it out.

Creating the circumstances for genuine church growth is not a magic formula. It is a simple matter of believers having the right attitude and the church organization creating a system where its members can accumulate the knowledge and skills to accomplish what God has called them to do. When these things fall into place, the circumstances will exist for the church to grow as it did in its early era.

© 2018 Freddy Davis