Ministering to adults in the local church is one of the most important aspects of shepherding in the Body of Christ. As a result, it is our priority to cultivate a high view of God, to submit to the authority of Scriptures, to seek transformation upon people towards Christ-likeness, to do ministry in the church, and build biblical leadership. This means the structure of church ministry is fundamentally contoured by these principles.
Because we want to grow an adult ministry that is both strategic and thoroughly biblical, we will regularly highlight the following broad elements in the process of edifying the body of Christ in this local expression. These elements include but are not limited to:
Equipping
- The church’s most important function is to proclaim the Word of God in an understandable, direct, authoritative way. Paul told Timothy that if he reminded the brethren of the truth he would be ‘a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine’ ( 1 Timothy 4:6).
- ‘These things command and teach.’ In other words, ‘Teach with authority’.’
- Gifted men in the church are to equip adults for ministry, using the Bible as their textbook. As a result, we will offer opportunities for adult instruction each week both on Sunday morning and during the week for men and women of all ages and stages.
- As we noted previously in Ephesians 4:11-12, equipping the saints is a prerequisite for biblical work of service.
Service
- According to James, we are to ‘become doers of the Word and not only hearers’ (James 1:22-25). Moreover, according to Ephesians 4:12, the saints are equipped in order that they might build up the Body via works of service.
- This is a service that is accomplished for the benefit of others both in the church and outside the church.
- Service inside the church is characterized by using one’s giftedness to ‘care for one another’ (1 Corinthians 12:1-25), and thus build up one other.
- Service outside the church includes being ‘salt’ and ‘light’ (Matthew 5:13-16), and in the process, proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world (Matthew 25:32-45).
Prayer
Visitation
Follow-up
Evangelism
Encouragement (Barnabas Group)
Service-Coordinating
Circulation
Maintenance
Developing Compassion:
Accountability in discipleship group
Break out from cliques
Pray
Fellowship
- As believers are equipped, and we use our giftedness to serve others, the body is ‘built up’ (Acts 2:42). Fellowship is the community context of being ‘built up,’ and occurs as each one does his/her part in the Body of Christ.
- Fellowship could be described as ‘a common life together. In a way, it sums up the other functions we have talked about. Fellowship involves being together, loving each other, and communing together.
- Fellowship includes listening to someone who has a concern, praying with someone who has a need, visiting someone in a hospital, sitting in a class or a Bible study.
- Fellowship also involves sharing prayer requests’.
Spiritual Giftedness
- Every believer has been given special capacity to minister to others in the Body of Christ – that ability is called a spiritual gift (1 Peter 4:10, Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthian 12; Ephesians 4:11).
- As to essence, a spiritual gift is an ability. It is an ability to function effectively and significantly in a particular service as a member of Christ’s body, the church.
- It is an ability endowed upon believers by the Holy Spirit as He desires.
- As a result, we will both teach and encourage all believers to use their giftedness and be an active part of the Body of Christ in this local expression.
Shepherding
- Another critical aspect of our adult ministry is oversight by biblical shepherds. Jesus commanded Peter in John 21:15-19 to ‘Shepherd My sheep.’
- The Bible makes it clear that in the thinking of the apostles there was the closest possible relationship between the words ‘a shepherd’, ‘an elder’, ‘an overseer’ and ‘to oversee’.
- It is to carry on the work of an overseer (episkopos, ‘bishop’) does not mean to do the work of any sort of overseer in general, but in the New Testament it always carries the idea of overseeing as a shepherd.
- It involves the all-embracing oversight required by the descriptions of such work in Psalm 23, John 10 and elsewhere. . . . As overseers, their function and duty was ‘to shepherd’ the church of God.
- It does not refer to the more restricted idea of ‘feeding’ alone, but rather to the complete care of the congregation (including feeding) is plain from the duties delineated, one of which is shepherdly protection from false teachers’.