the enormity of the responsibility, keep
an eye on the future. They develop
others, not just for the comfort of
life in the church, but also for life as
a whole. They equip God’s people to
serve, not feverishly attempting to
do all the ministry themselves. Both
parenting and pastoring must focus
on equipping.
Two major problems are plaguing many
churches. If you read a book directed
toward church leaders, likely one of
these problems will be lamented. If
you attend a conference for ministry
leaders, you will inevitably hear wise
and gifted speakers tackle one of
these problems. But usually, you will
not hear both problems addressed
in relation to one another. These are
the two problems: (1) many churches
are not healthy, and (2) churches, in
general, struggle to equip people for
ministry.
Many churches are not healthy. A
plethora of symptoms are lamented,
from a lack of generosity to low
ministry engagement to the scarcity
of God’s people living on mission.
Symptoms are often addressed, but
the symptoms point to an overarching
sickness. For example, a lack of
generosity reveals a loss of awe for
His generosity, that He who was rich
became poor for us. The scant number
of people, in most churches, who view
their neighborhoods and professions
as God-given mission opportunities,
reveals an incomplete view of or lack
of passion for the mission of God.
The examples of symptoms could
continue, and they painfully remind us
that many local churches are not as
healthy as they could and should be.
Churches, in general, struggle to equip
people for ministry. In a recent research
project, pastors were surveyed and
asked questions about their church’s
plan for developing and training people
for ministry. Less than 25 percent
of church leaders said they had any
semblance of a plan. Essentially
the vast majority of churches admit
they have absolutely no strategy for
developing the people in their churches
for ministry. Clearly, equipping others is
a missing conviction in churches. Yet
the apostle Paul wrote to the church in
Ephesus:
And He personally gave some to
be apostles, some prophets, some
evangelists, some pastors and
teachers, for the training of the
saints in the work of ministry, to
build up the body of Christ, until we
all reach unity in the faith and in the
knowledge of God’s Son, growing
into a mature man with a stature
measured by Christ’s fullness.
(Eph. 4:11–13)
Paul’s exhortation is clear. When
pastors/teachers train and prepare
God’s people for ministry, the result is
the body of Christ is built up.
These two problems are intercon-
n ect ed . Th e sca rcit y o f h e alth y
“
T h e va s t m a j o r i t y
of churches admit they
have absolutely no
strategy for developing
the people in their
churches for ministry.
Solutions • 49