Ephesians 4:12: “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” But what is ministry? Are only preachers to do it? Or, are all of us to do the work of ministry? The word ministry in scripture means a type of general service or work. Ministry is more about each of us giving what we have of our talents and resources to bless others and promote the gospel.
These are good questions and I want to address them and others as I write this letter to my family. Ministry is a word we do not understand completely or correctly. It is the Greek word “diakonia” , and it comes from the word diakonos. The complete definition means to be an attendant, to serve, to aid, to teach, to pastor, to minister, to bring relief, to preform a service.
This is all well and good, but what about this white elephant that we call the Church? This is the biggest drain on the body of Christ resources, the building and all the expenses that go along with it. I do not know of any other business that can only be open for a few hours each week and survive. Do you? Why do we have this building? Is it a parasite ?
“Many Church buildings are valuable in that they are multi-purpose. Some House Christian schools during the week. Some offer meals, shelter, or other daily provisions for struggling members of the community. A church building is often the hub of social life in a small town, being the site for dinners, meetings, and youth activities. A Church building is usually viewed as a safe place, a refuge for travelers or those in need.”
The paragraph above is from a blog called gotquestions.org, which I read sometimes as I research the subjects I write about to see if I’m on the right track mostly. Other people have the same concerns as I have over the condition of the “Church” in our modern day world. As I write this letter I may quote from others too as this subject is a current concern we all have together.
Most churches I have belonged to are just a little too fond of their precious buildings and their plush carpets to allow anyone to mess them up and get them dirty. As if the building is too holy to be used for other purposes than hearing the word of God. Poppycock! Get real church! We are the Church, not the building we have to meet together corporately.
What does the Word of God say? Nowhere in the New Testament can I find a building being called a church. The building is just a place where we can gather together and fellowship, hear gifted men of God preach and teach the Word, find out who is in need, who needs prayers and more. This is what we are supposed to do when we come together, so we can grow and help others in their struggles with this race we are all in called life on planet earth.
I have watched many ministries come and go over these decades through which I have lived. What I have learned by watching and being part of this is that we are wasting a precious resource that God has given us. The buildings we have should never be used just for a Wednesday or Sunday meeting. This is just wrong to waste a resource that has been placed in our keeping to bless others.
This morning I want to list a few things that I can see the church building being used for:
1- School, both as a day class for home school and also at night as a school for adults.
2- Part of the building could be used for food prep for a shut in family, and also feeding the poor.
3- Food pantry for those in need of a little help.
4- Shelter for single moms.
5- Counseling and healing rooms.
6- Using the main sanctuary area for seminars both religious and secular.
7- Safe haven for travelers to get aid, food, and rest.
7- A laundry with washers and dryer’s for needy people to use for free.
8- The exterior land could be used for community gardens.
9- A financial class for those who are not so good at handling money.
You can use this as a guide and come up with many more ideas for its use to bless those in the church and community as a whole. It requires a commitment to be different and take some flak from the religious community. The church needs to drop any affiliation with IRS and their rules that prevent us from doing things the body of Christ is supposed to be involved in. Be involved politically as we are the salt of the earth and without us it will spoil. The Church needs to pay taxes just like everyone else and hiding behind a 501c3 is not being responsible members of society. It just causes someone else’s taxes to be higher and invites control from the government.
Back to the Word of God, sometimes I get up on my soap box and preach my beliefs. In chapter six of Acts we find the apostles appointing seven deacons to serve the people of the church who were needy. This is what I have been trying to show you in my words above. You may only be a member of your local church but you can voice your concern and try to make a difference.
All this demands a real commitment from the local members of a church and everyone has something they can contribute. A few can’t do it alone as they will burn out as many have. Christians are supposed to be different but they are still human and most are too carnal for their own good. Each of us has our own race to run but we are all running in the same direction I hope. We can make a difference, but it takes someone to start and the rest will hopefully follow.
Just get involved and be a player not just a spectator, but a player who puts forth the effort to win. I know we can all do something even if it’s just a small beginning with big results. Changing someone’s life is never a small thing. Just remember, you will make it, just don’t give up. We will win in the end. Hope this helps change your future and all those you touch each day. See you next week.
In His Service As Kilted Priest
The Kilted Priest 