Ministry is Personal
Tonight, our Leadership Team will hold a virtual meeting to address how we should pursue the mission Christ gave us in this traumatic time of upheaval. While the call of ministry remains unchanged, the way we must pursue it has changed dramatically. The most noticeable difference is the transition from onsite to online worship services. Instead of a packed parking lot and busy building, a mere handful of people team up to preach the good news of Jesus Christ and lead a response of worship. Due to Monday’s state-wide stay home order, the stream team this Sunday will number no more than four.
We are committed to continue improving these worship services so that they are as Christ-honoring and member-edifying as they can possibly be. We will also be urging our people to do all they can to maximize the benefit, such as praying beforehand, having Bibles at the ready, minimizing distractions, engaging the heart and sharing responses afterward.
But one thing that has not changed is that the bulk of gospel ministry happens one person at a time. We cannot mass produce it. The gospel can be preached to thousands at one time, and God is faithful to germinate those seeds and cause growth. But he calls his people to enter his garden and participate in his work by watering, tending and weeding. In practical terms, that means caring for people individually, one at a time. This has always been the foundation of gospel ministry – the coronavirus crisis simply forces us to embrace it more fully.
The staff and leadership of Evergreen Bible Church will be taking the lead on this personal work of ministry. In coming weeks, we will be working to make sure everyone who calls EBC home is contacted and cared for, not just once, but on an ongoing basis. We will be relying on our Life Groups to do this work for their members, and other ministry teams to do the same. We have been contacted by members who are eager to help do this contacting work. Together, we will do all we can to make sure no one is overlooked. After all, ministry is not business, it’s personal.
We look forward to talking with you soon.
Pastor Toby
Categories: Evergreen Connection