Equip the Saints for Ministry

I talk a lot on the EquipCast about the need for church leaders to equip the lay faithful for ministry. This view isn’t something that I came up with on my own. St. Paul himself gives a beautiful vision for ministry in Ephesians:
“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” (Eph 4:11-12)
Today, I invited an old friend and biblical scholar to unpack it’s meaning. Here are just a few of his gems of wisdom:
  • Our leaders, the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers should not be doing all of the church ministries. These are gifts are for leaders of the Church to equip and call out all of the other gifts.
  • Every believer has a Christ given charism, a ministry gift – something that Christ gives us and enables us to offer to His body, the Church, in order to make it fuller of Him and so more effective at filling the universe with His glorious presence. If the Church isn’t all that it should be…perhaps my ministry is what’s missing.

Resources

The Emmaus Institute

Continue the Conversation

Get EquipCast in your podcast app

Host

Jim Jansen – Director of Pastoral Services, Archdiocese of Omaha

Fr. Jeff Lorig – Pastor at St. Joan of Arc and St. Thomas More

Guests

Dr. Vern Steiner – President of The Emmaus Institute

Leave a Reply