Developing Ministry Teams: Equipping and Empowering God’s People for Ministry Facilitator: W. C....

Developing Ministry Teams:

Equipping and Empowering God’s People for Ministry

Facilitator: W. C. DishonAssociate Professor of Pastoral MinistryChaplain for Adult and Graduate Studies MVNU (Fall, 2002)

Previous Pastoral Experience: Port Arthur, TX; Johannesburg, South Africa; Kansas City, Fort Wayne, Houston

Prior Experience: Administrative Assistant, Dept. of Evangelism, Church of the Nazarene (3 years)

School of

Theology and

Philosophy

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EcclesiologyTheology of the Church

Good ecclesiology frees the people of God, the Church, to grow toward maturity as disciples of

Jesus Christ and to effectively serve, or minister, in the

power of His Spirit, as channels of His love and grace.

Ecclesiology Good ecclesiology leads to--

“Building the Church by

Being the Church”

Ecclesiology Christ’s prophesy and promise:

I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it (Matthew 16:18).1. The Church is Christ’s and is His doing.

The ultimate responsibility for building the Church is His, not ours.2. We are co-workers in that process.

Our responsibility is to faithfully obey the Spirit of Jesus Christ as He works in and through us in the task of building His Church.

Ecclesiology3. The Church will prevail.

-Whatever the enemy does, he is doomed to fail. -While individual local churches may wither and

even die, the Church will always survive.

-Just as He called the Church into being by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, Jesus Christ will continue building His

Church through the work of His Spirit until it reaches completion and he returns to take his bride to the marriage supper of the Lamb

(Rev. 19, Eph. 5).

Ecclesiology C. S. Lewis in Screwtape Letters:

One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see her spread out through all time and space and rooted in eternity, terrible as an army with banners. That, I confess, is a spectacle which makes our boldest tempters uneasy. But fortunately it is quite invisible to these humans” (p. 15).

Ecclesiology The Church is a divine organism.

The Church is neither an accident of human history nor the resultof a master plan strategy concocted by the disciples to keep alivethe memory of a great man, Jesus Christ. Instead, Scriptureclearly portrays the Church as God’s doing. Called into being bythe Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost when his fiery presencefreed those in the Upper Room from a carnal preoccupation withself, He fused them together with Jesus Christ and with oneanother into a new unity now characterized by genuine love forGod and for one another. Symbolized by the sound of wind, theSpirit breathed life into this new unity and it became a livingorganism.

The Church What is the purpose/mission of this

divine organism, the church? To build buildings? To develop organizations? To gather a crowd? To make converts?

The Church

No, while any or all of those may be involved, the purpose/mission of the church is to make disciples! By baptizing By teaching Matthew 28:19-20

Disciples are:

Fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ

People who are growing in Christ-likeness

People who increasingly ‘think like Jesus’

Disciples are: To become a disciple means a

decisive and irrevocable turning to both God and neighbor. What follows from there is a journey which . . . never ends in this life, a journey of continually discovering new dimensions of loving God and neighbor (David Bosch, Transforming Mission).

Disciples are: It is not our responsibility to make

people “Christians” and get them baptized into a particular denomination, but rather to help people decide to follow Jesus and his radical message. Maybe this is why the New Testament writers only use “Christian” three times but “disciple” on 269 occasions! (Tom Getman, World Vision).

Disciples are:

It has become popular to preach a painless Christianity and automatic saintliness. It has become part of our “instant” culture. “Just pour a little water on it, stir mildly, pick up a gospel tract, and your are on your Christian way” (A. W. Tozer, Jesus, Author of Our Faith).

Disciples are:

A disciple is one who responds in faith and obedience to the gracious call of Jesus Christ. Being a disciple is a lifelong process of dying to self while allowing Jesus Christ to come alive in us (Greg Ogden, Discipleship Essentials).

Disciples are: People who share Paul’s commitment:

For to me to live is Christ (Phil. 1:21). I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live

but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Gal. 2:20-21).

People who share Paul’s confidence: Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in

you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6).

and we confidently and joyfully look forward to actually becoming all that God has had in mind for us to be (Rom. 5:2 LB).

The purpose/mission of the church is:

To make Christ-like disciples and to facilitate their growth toward Christ-likeness

To nurture disciples toward maturity in Christ-likeness: It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:11-13).

Developing Maturing Disciples

What does a mature disciple look like?

What are the qualities, traits that characterize a mature, Christ-like disciple?

Heart(The core of your being)

1) Motivated by a growing Love for God, others, self.

2) A movement away from self-serving motives and toward motives that are God-glorifying.

3) Desires to be totally pure (Christ-like) in motive of heart.

Profile of Holistic DiscipleshipLower Lights Community Church of the Nazarene


Soul(Emotions, Will, and Thoughts)

1) You know and accept that God has forgiven your sins, you have forgiven yourself for your past sins, and have extended forgiveness to others who have sinned against you. When appropriate, you have attempted reconciliation. 2) Your identity is in Christ not in what you do or your vocation or your status.

3) Recognizes that emotions are healthy as long as they are handled or responded to in Christ-like ways.


SOUL (cont.)

4) Worshipping regularly, both privately and corporately.5) Practicing Spiritual Disciplines of scripture reading, prayer, fasting, meditation, journaling, etc. which leads to a growing understanding of God’s will.

6) A contributing part of the fellowship both socially and in ministry.7) A growing confidence in God that leads to greater obedience.8) Recognizes all is God’s and we are stewards of it.9) Is involved with outreach to neighbors, family, co- workers.


Strength(The physical body)

1) A Christian understanding of sexuality

2) Abstaining from substances that cause harm to the body and others (tobacco, alcohol, drugs)

3) Developing a lifestyle that is God-honoring and leads to health for the body.


It is essential for those involved in pastoral ministry to keep this purpose clearly in mind. We should routinely evaluate our

effectiveness. Willowcreek--REVEAL

Ecclesiology The Dominant N.T. Image for the

Church– Body, a Divine Organism: 1 Corinthians 12:12: The body is a unit,

though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.

Romans 12:4-5: Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body . . .

Ecclesiology Organism vs. Organization:

Organization-An association of individuals and derives its power from those individuals.

Organism-Common life shared by individual members who derive power from the source of that life.

The life-giving, empowering presence of the Holy Spirit is essential to the existence and function of the Church as a divine organism.

Ecclesiology Are “organism” and “organization”

mutually exclusive? Or is there a place for both in the

life of the Church?

Ecclesiology Christ is the Head of His Body, the

Church: Ephesians 1:22: And God placed all

things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Ephesians 4:15: Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is Christ.

Ecclesiology The Spirit Is the Giver of Life and

Gifts. Pentecost:

“The Holy Spirit has generated the Church. . . . This appears quite plainly in the story of Pentecost” (Kraemer, p. 126).

“Pentecost is more than the birth of the church; it is the indwelling power of the Spirit of Christ as the source of the church’s life and ministry” (Anderson, p. 111).

Ecclesiology Without the Spirit’s presence and work,

the Church is lifeless and dead. Never true of the Church of Jesus Christ May be true of individual local body of

believers May be true of individual member 95% There is no substitute!

Ecclesiology Holy Spirit is the giver of gifts.

Each part of the body makes some contribution as enabled by the Spirit.

Primary scriptures: Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4

Define: “Divine abilities distributed by the Holy Spirit to every believer according to God’s design and grace for the common good of the body of Christ” (Bugbee, 52).

Ecclesiology How many and what are they?

Specific, fixed number? Comprehensive lists? Single or in clusters? Infinite variety? “There appear to be as many gifts available

to the community as there are needs, with some highlighted in each community according to the ministry focus” (Anderson, The Soul of Ministry).

Ecclesiology Points to emphasize:

All God’s children have gifts. These gifts are intended for the common

good. As stewards of the grace of God, we will

give account for the use of these gifts. Therefore, each person who is part of the

body is called to ministry.

Developing Maturing Disciples Who Minister

Every Believer is a Minister. Called to walk as Jesus walked:

Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. 1 John 2:6

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 1 Peter 2:21

Starts with a servant attitude. Mark 10:43-45 Philippians 2:1-8


Who Minister

Impact of consumer mentality on church “The roots of the church’s identity crisis are

found in the consumer mentality so pervasive in our culture…. People flit about in search of what suits their taste at the moment…. People change congregations and preachers and even denominations as readily as they change banks or grocery stores…. Capitulating to consumerism has profound consequences for the church. It changes the very character of the church” (Colson and Vaughn, The Body).


Who Minister

“It is hard to move people from a consumer mind-set to a servant lifestyle when so much in their world militates against this transition. Yet, it is exactly this transformation that will provide them with the greatest joy and maturity. To build an equipping culture in a sea of opposing forces requires bold prayer, careful strategy, and persistent, never-ending work.” (Mallory & Smith, Equipping Church Guidebook)

Every Believer is a Minister. The Church’s goal: not a congregation of

consumers, but an army of disciples. Failure to move people from self-centered

consumers to committed servants will undermine the very nature and function of the Church as the body of Christ.

The lack of willingness to serve one another within any local body of believers will render that church ineffective.

Every Believer is a Minister.

The Biblical Ideal: Mark 10:45: “Diakonia” (serve, minister) John 20:21: As the Father has sent me, even

so send I you. “The more we study the early Church the

more we realize that it was a society of ministers” (Trueblood, Incendiary Fellowship).

“If you are a Christian, you are a minister…. Every layperson is called to ministry” (Garlow, Partners in Ministry).


Agree or Disagree? Why?“In our time it may well be that the greatest single bottleneck to the renewal and outreach of the church is the division of roles between clergy and laity that results in a hesitancy of the clergy to trust the laity with significant responsibility, and in turn a reluctance on the part of the laity to trust themselves as authentic ministers of Christ, either in the church or outside the church” (Robert Munger, quoted in The New Reformation).


The Church Gathered and Scattered: “The renewal of the Church will be in progress

when it is seen as a fellowship of consciously inadequate persons who gather because they are weak, and scatter to serve because their unity with one another and with Christ has made them bold. This is the only kind of Christianity that can stand up to the challenge of the militant paganism and the fanaticism of the new Left. It will win, in the long run, because it is more revolutionary than they are” (Trueblood, Incendiary Fellowship).

Church Gathered and Scattered

Church Gathered: The Base Hebrews 10:25 Koinonia Equipping

Church Scattered: The Field Stevens, The Other Six Days Refers to the Church out in the world,

between Sundays


Challenge: To get beyond the sacred/secular split

in one’s thinking and living To avoid compartmentalizing one’s

life and Christianity


Trueblood: “We gather in order to scatter! The Church is a particular fellowship of men and women involved in common life, sharing the life of Christ, who assemble with one another for the purpose of sending. Christians are perpetually being ‘sent out’” (Mark 6:7).


Slocum: “When I search for my place as part of the Church Scattered, I must get in touch with my own spiritual gifts—the special gift or gifts placed in my life by the Holy Spirit. These gifts are valid and active all week long. I must look at my vocation and ask, ‘What is God calling me to do?’ . . . I must ask what it means personally to follow Jesus Christ into my everyday world.”


Ephesians 4:11-16:It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.


Issue 1: Who does the work of ministry?

Issue 2: Who does the equipping? Issue 3: How do we understand

“prepare?”


To Mend and Restore:* Fix what is broken. Bring back into proper alignment. Supply what is lacking.

To Establish and Lay Foundations: Jesus Christ, the True Foundation The Word of God Modeling, the Incarnational Way


To Prepare and Train: A spiritual gifts-oriented church A sense of call Specialized training

*Ogden, Greg. (2001). Unfinished Business: Returning the Ministry

to the People of God. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing.


What are the implications of this understanding of Ephesians 4 for the church and/or our approach to ministry? Education and Training Modeling and Mentoring Multiply rather than Monopolize

Ministry


“I envision the layman out in the stream of life, in the situations and crises of our community, equipped with a personal relationship to Christ, empowered by His Spirit, knowledgeable with the plumb line of His will, in fellowship with other Christians so as to withstand the pressures and ambiguities of life. In the church, I ask what we must do to provide all the resources to train and equip that person. I see everything in that light—worship, fellowship, study—and it provides the basis to judge what should have priority and what should be eliminated as irrelevant” (Lloyd Ogilive, quoted by Howard, Nine Roads to Renewal).

Surrender and Service?

In our consumer-oriented society and seeker-sensitive church world, what happens to the commands of the Gospel and the concept of discipleship?

Is it possible to have salvation without discipleship?

Is there any place for the concept of surrender in today’s Christianity?

Surrender Is Essential for Service

What is implied by Christ’s call to “Follow me?”

Does self-denial still play a role in discipleship?

Does it have any bearing on effectiveness in ministry?

What connection is there between surrender and the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in one’s life and ministry?

Motivation for Service

What is the Christian’s motivation? Where does that motivation come

from? How does this relate to the work of

the Holy Spirit?

Summary

Christ is the Head of His Body, the Church.

The Spirit is the giver of Life and Gifts. Every Believer is a Minister. The Church Gathers to Scatter. The Church is an Equipping Center. Surrender is Essential for Service. Love Makes the Difference.

Developing Maturing Disciples Who Minister in/as

Teams

Is the concept of Ministry Teams biblical? Term is not used in scripture. Examples are numerous:

Moses, Jethro Nehemiah Jesus, Disciples, 70 Acts 6 Paul, Barnabus, Silas, John Mark, Timothy, others

Ecc. 4:12: Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.


in/as Teams Putman, Church Is a Team SportI believe that the church is supposed to be a

collectionof transformed individuals molded by God into a

team. .. . When I speak of church, I mean a body of

believersworking as individuals and together as a team toachieve the Lord’s goals. God’s plan is to glorifyHimself through this team.


in/as Teams

Before we can play, we must be developed through a discipleship process that helps us understand our mission, play this new game, and be successful in our position on the team. . . . As we grow in Him, we move from self-serving, thoughtless, hard-hearted beings into the players God wants us to become. We are now able to become one with other believers to form His team. Yes, we play as individuals and as a team as well. God has given each person gifts and talents for the purpose of using them for this team. The result of the discipleship process is people who can serve God wherever they work or play as part of His team.


in/as Teams Pastor as coach, player-coach (Trueblood)

To “prepare” (train, develop) each player and the team as a whole:

The job of the coach is to create and environment where every person can grow. He knows the game well enough to know what the player needs. He guides the student through the process of becoming a great player and even a great coach. When we win and train up men and women who are able to win and train up others, growth becomes exponential. (Putman)

What is the Pastor’s Leadership Role?

Manager--Or Mentor?

Supervisor--Or Shepherd?

CEO-- Or Servant?


Shepherd (cares for sheep)

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. . . . I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep (Jn 10:11-15).


Servant (stoops to serve)

You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matt. 20:25-28).


If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all (Mk 9:35).

Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have

washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you (Jn 13:14).


Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away (1 Peter 5:2-4).


Shepherd/Servant Caring, Compassionate Consensus-builder Facilitator Equipper

True greatness, true leadership is achieved not by reducing men to one’s service but in giving oneself in selfless service to them.(Spiritual Leadership, Sanders)


in/as Teams

The Church is a ‘team of teams’: Leadership teams Ministry teams Small groups Others


in/as Teams Is ‘team’ just a glorified name for a committee

or work group? How does a ‘team’ differ? Work groups are collections of people who come

together for a particular duration to accomplish a specific task.

Committees are collections of individuals who meet for discussion and perhaps to make recommendations on policy, programs, etc.

Leadership teams are small groups of leaders who share a common vision, have complementary gifts and skills, are committed to one another’s growth and hold themselves mutually accountable. (Barna)


in/as Teams A Christian ministry team is a manageable

group of diversely gifted people who hold one another accountable to serve joyfully together for the glory of God by:

sharing a common mission accomplishing a meaningful ministry anticipating transformative results

(Becoming a Healthy Team: 5 Traits of Vital Leadership, Macchia)


in/as Teams

Five Traits of Healthy Teams: T rust

E mpowerA ssimilateM anageS erve

(Becoming a Healthy Team: 5 Traits of Vital Leadership, Macchia)


in/as Teams Christ said: I will build my church and the gates of

Hell will not overcome it (or prevail against it) (Mt 16:18).

John, the revelator, portrays the risen, victorious Christ, who says: I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and hell (Rev. 1:17-18).

Message of Revelation: “Jesus will win!” Jesus is building His Church and we are privileged

to be part of that grand process!

Developing Ministry Teams: Equipping and Empowering God’s People for Ministry Facilitator: W. C....

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