Church Ministry
Ministry and outreach is at the heart of God’s design for the church. All to often, a local church will lose sight of its vision and turn its focus inward and neglect outreach. Outreach is not merely a mission trip or a community event. While these activities may be opportunities to serve outside the church, outreach does not end with an event. God intends for each member to touch and feel the needs around them. We can insulate ourselves from the needs of our culture by focusing on the church itself and forgetting Jesus’ mandate to go out. Giving money to organizations that reach needs we cannot reach is a valuable service, but it does not fulfill our individual call or local church’s call to reach out.
When a church begins to minister to itself only and forgets outreach, we cease to be salt and light to the community and our failure to obey becomes a barrier to the blessing of God. To the church of Sardis Jesus said, “You have a name that is alive, but you are dead”; and the church of Laodicea lived in luxury and physical prosperity, but Jesus said the church was blind, naked, wretched, miserable and poor. A church that becomes self-focused may have wealth and the prosperity that the world claims is a blessing, but if they are self-centered and complacent, God will condemn them. Money and numbers do not reveal God’s blessing. A church may claim to be alive and even have an energetic worship service, but God will call them lukewarm and dead if they are not making an eternal impact.
To have life, we must be conduits of God’s life to those around us. As God pours His Spirit into our lives, we pour ourselves out to the world around us. This has not proven to be the desire of most churches. The highest goal of most churches is to build a nice facility, have a variety of programs and to serve itself. Ministry is turned into a ‘member’s only club’. The average church member has been allowed to believe that attending church is a service to God and fulfills our obligations. While these things can have their place and scripture does command that we assemble together, this is not outreach nor do these things in themselves fulfill the commandments of God.
If a church or a believer wants to be alive in fellowship with God, we must look at the ministries that God emphasizes and join His work. Below are the ministries that [church's name] emphasizes based on their relevance to scripture:
While a recreation program, singles ministries, mother’s ministries and many other programs that are common in churches today may have its place and do good, they are not sufficient to fulfill God’s call to reach out. There is no blessing from God to do good to those who are not needy or can return the favor. There is no blessing for doing good to our friends. Friendship is rewarded by friendship. God said, “what reward is there for loving our friends?” If we give to those who cannot repay, we are rewarded by God. If we minister to those who count us as enemies, God promises a great reward. We are also warned that the one who shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry and not be heard.
If we seek the things that are important to God, He promises to meet our needs. When a church extends itself in ministry, we should take care to observe what God deems to be the most important. Those in need who cannot help themselves are dear to God’s heart. God places those in need before us to test the church and reward the believer. The needs of the community are the responsibility of the church. A church building is not worthy of the majority of the church’s money. If God provides the money to minister and build, it is a blessing from God. If God does not provide the funds for a building program, ministry is still the blessing from God. We must not sacrifice ministry outside the church to create non-essential ministries within the church. Ministry – true ministry where needs are being met – is the most important activity of the church. When God places prosperity into our hands, we are called to be faithful stewards of His resources. To be faithful, we must first seek His kingdom, His righteousness and minister to those He has placed in our community.
Reference:
Acts 2:44-47
Acts 4:34-37
James 1:27
Isaiah 58:6-12
Psalm 41:1-3
Matthew 25:35-40
Matthew 5:46
Luke 14:14
Luke 6:35
Matthew 6:33
Matthew 28:18-20
Matthew 22:8-9
Galatians 6:10
Proverbs 21:13