EQUIPPING FOR MINISTRY
What makes for a healthy church? Paul’s answer in Ephesians 4:11-16 is that maturity comes when the whole body is built up, with every believer playing their part, because leaders have equipped the saints for the work of ministry. Well-equipped believers will no longer be tossed about by false teaching, but will be unified in faith and truth spoken in love. This foundational equipping work yields fruit in stronger disciples, more eager and effective outreach, and a ready supply of emerging leaders. Yet many leaders (whether lay or ordained) experience a gap between our good intentions to equip the saints for the work of ministry and the space and energy actually given to that equipping.
This edition of Essentials aims to help us bridge that gap by featuring a range of resources and encouragements for us to equip the saints for various forms of ministry. There is an interview with Sally Sims, author of Together Through the Storm on strengthening care ministries in local churches. Rowena McNicol, from the Bridge Church in Sydney shares her own experiences of cultivating a deeper prayer life through establishing a prayer room and small prayer groups. Tim Johnson shares a framework he has used to train those who will lead public prayers in church. Julie-anne Laird reveals a number of blockages and ways to break through them when training people for evangelism. Also on the theme of evangelism, Wayne Schuller reviews the new Christianity Explored course, and I review the 5 Thresholds evangelism framework from Intervarsity.
Turning to leadership development, we hear from Sam Oldland, who gives us four factors that Gen Z Christians need to take the step into vocational ministry. Our Bible Study for this edition comes from Russell Smidt who explores the relational shape of ministry as seen in 2 Timothy 1. Equipping young and emerging leaders is a proven engine-room for growth and youth engagement.
This edition is rounded out with book reviews of a new Leviticus commentary, a biography of indigenous Christian pioneers James and Angelina Nobel, and N.T. Wright’s book on creation’s renewal. I trust these articles will equip you to equip the saints in your context, to the glory of God.
MARK SIMON