One of the things we believe wholeheartedly at Church Community Builder is that the Ephesians 4 ministry model is the best way to execute ministry in the local church. You might believe that too, but does your entire staff embrace that idea?
Bill Donahue recently wrote a thought-provoking post over on the Vision Room that highlighted ten red flags that indicate Ephesians 4 might be turned upside down at your church. We wanted to highlight four to look out for in your church.
What are the signs of a staff that isn't equpping the saints?
Here are four points from Bill’s post that we observe on a regular basis:
1. The staff consistently pleads for more volunteers to help them do their work.
Ephesians 4 is about equipping the saints to ‘be the ministry’ of the church. It can be natural for your staff to embrace this mentality, but it will never lead you towards a fully developed Ephesians 4 ministry model.
2. Announcements are filled primarily with 'what is happening here' and 'how you can get involved and serve here' with the ministries 'on campus'.
If you want to be a church that is about reaching your community, you should be active there. That doesn’t mean that having outreach events and opportunities on campus is bad, but only talking about what’s happening ‘here’ can start to make church more about a building than a movement.
3. When there's more 'ministry' to be done, Plan A is hire more staff who recrtui people to their team.
Is it possible to do more ministry without hiring more staff? Absolutely! Download your free copy of "The Ephesians 4 Church" The best way to make sure these needs can be met is to create a culture within your church where members are encouraged to take part in leading those new ministry opportunities.
4. You hear more about the staff members' lives and work than vision, ministry, lives, and callings of people in the church.
Growing ministry and reaching people with the truth of the Gospel does not happen if we have a mindset that staff are the workers and the church property is the place to hear about Christ.
How can you create a culture of Ephesians 4 ministry throughout your entire church?
There's always a next step:
The key to making an impact is investing deeply in the lives of people, equipping them with the tools they need to lead and empowering them to engage in ministry. This is the heart of an Ephesians 4 church. Find out how to effectively equip the saints for the work of the ministry in "The Ephesians 4 Church." Download your copy now!
