Inviting Others into the Work

And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ.   ~ Ephesians 4:11-13

Our Rebuilt team has no real central office, and so we have a virtual office with most team members located in Baltimore but many others throughout the country. To help build unity and connection, we hold an annual retreat which is a mix of work, prayer and connecting. This year, we held the event right after our conference, so there was much more connecting and prayer than work.

On the final morning of our retreat, we took time to honor Roni Schultz, who will be retiring from a position of partner development. We created a Tribute video for her as members of our team and other volunteers at Rebuilt shared their stories and their take on Roni’s many good qualities and attributes. As each new member came on the screen, Roni’s eyes would ball and cry. At the end, she got up and gave a little speech thanking everyone for the ways they had added to her life and for gift of their relationship.

My connection to Roni goes back over twenty years. She was president of parish council during my first few years at Nativity. When Father Michael had the crazy idea to move Christmas Eve from Nativity to the Timonium Fairgrounds, Roni stepped up to organize and lead all the volunteer ministers. She risked her reputation to support us when we didn’t have much of a track record. Through the years, Roni has been a source of encouragement. She has served faithfully in hospitality and in Rebuilt. She deserved all the honor she received and then some on that Friday morning.

As I watched the proceedings, I was felt with a joy and gratitude not only for Roni but for the position we have as parish leaders. We have the opportunity to create the space and an environment so that people can use their gifts and abilities to build God’s kingdom and make an eternal difference. Every single person on this earth desires a life of significance. Everyone wants their lives to matter. As parish leaders, we have the privilege of creating opportunities to live out that God given desire.

Early on in my ministry, I struggled to ask people to get involved in ministry. It felt like an imposition. I shared this with my mentor, Mark Pacione and he responded, “Do you like your work? Do you think it is making a difference in other people’s lives?” I nodded my head. He went on, “Then why wouldn’t you want to ask people to help? You are giving them the opportunity to serve God and serve others.”

So much talent and ability lies dormant in our pews. People have gifts and abilities to offer that can make an eternal difference. As Church leaders, it is our responsibility and honor to invite people to use their time and talent to build God’s kingdom, the only kingdom that will last. This is why we need to take the quote above from Ephesians to heart. God has given us the role to equip the saints for the work of ministry so that the body of Christ can be built up and so that the people in our pews can grow in their own spiritual maturity. Until someone starts serving in the Church, something will be lacking in their faith and their personal relationship with Jesus. You just need to get to know Jesus better when you are serving his purposes.

St. Paul tells us it is our job to equip the saints, or people in our pews, for ministry. The word equip can sound challenging, but I think eighty to ninety percent comes from just creating the space and casting vision for people to serve in the parish. When pastors and parish leaders have that attitude so many of the details will work themselves out. Or we will find others who will do the work of working out the details.

If you struggle inviting people into work and ministry, remember you don’t want something from people, you want something for them. Remember that your principal role is not to do the ministry but to create the space and environment where others have the privilege and honor of serving in ministry. Create that space and one day God will reward you and say, “Well done good and faithful servant.”

Rooting for you,
Tom