Equipping the Saints for Ministry

“[God] himself granted that some are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” — Ephesians 4:11–12

Last night, I attended my first meeting with the vestry of St. Andrew’s On-the-Sound. If you don’t know, the vestry functions as the board of trustees, is responsible for our property, and serves as the legal representative of the church. While I can’t say business meetings are my favorite part of my job, I found last night’s meeting encouraging and inspiring. God has blessed St. Andrew’s with a vestry that is both business-savvy and Spirit-driven, and they are all dedicated to helping guide our parish in the direction God would have us go.

I was amazed, however, by how many different ministries our vestry members are involved in: education, hospitality, children’s and youth ministry, Daughters of the King, finance, ushers and greeters, buildings and grounds, the Altar Guild, Lay Eucharistic Ministers, readers, pastoral care, music, and I’m sure I’m forgetting something. It is beautiful to see our vestry building up the Body of Christ in so many ways. Not all parish vestries are so actively engaged in the ministry and life of the church. St. Andrew’s is blessed more than you know!

In fact, it is clear that they and I are committed to the same thing: equipping you, the saints, for the work of ministry. As I wrote last week, the Church is bigger than its leaders. We are the Church, and we are all called to be active in ministry. God, by his Holy Spirit, has graciously given each of us different gifts and talents to use for building up the parish and sharing the love of Christ with others. A large part of my calling is to help you discern those gifts and discover how God is inviting you to use them, both inside and beyond St. Andrew’s.

So, I ask you to do two things this week. First, thank God for the wise and faithful men

and women he has called to serve on our vestry. Second, ask the Lord to show you where God may be calling you to serve, whether in our parish or in your neighborhood, workplace, school, or community. If you don’t yet know your gifts, great! That gives me an excuse to take you out for coffee. I’d love to help you discover them.