Did you ever notice that every Sunday the bulletin lists the "Ministers" of the United Church of Colchester as "All God's People"? Think about it, God called the Church into being to minister to all the world. All the people who make up the church are, therefore, called to ministry. Everyone is a minister!
There are many different types of ministry. After our commissioning service last week someone brought up the fact that the commissioned leaders of the church--those individuals that are voted on by the congregation at our annual meeting-- were not the only ones doing ministry. Of course that is right. In fact, it turns out that we say so every time we hand out a bulletin!
So, we decided to be a bit more intentional about our ministries for four reasons.
To remind us of the varied ways the church family we call the United Church of Colchester ministers to each other and to the world,
To recognize and thank those who accept God's call to these various ministries.
To spur us to consider which of these ministries might need to be strengthened.
To imagine what new ministries we might pursue and make them happen.
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:16-20 - The Great Commisison)
There is always a danger of making lists because we can often inadvertently leave something or someone out. So, though the following list is expansive, it is certainly not complete. Accept it as a way for us as a church family to understand and support the United Church of Colchester, the Church of Jesus Christ in this place, Also note that there is no order to this list.
Ministries of the United Church of Colchester
American Baptist Women (ABW—all they do!)
Christmas Craft Fair
Garden of Eatin’
Collecting food for the Colchester Food Shelf
Delivering food to the Colchester Food Shelf
Purchasing Christmas gifts for COTS
Leading and singing in the Choir
Playing the piano or organ (or other instruments)
Church Tag Sale
Filling Baby Bottles for Aspire Together
Teaching Sunday School
Leading and participating in Bible Studies
Hosting/leading fireside chats and other youth activities
Maintaining & contributing to the website
Choosing banners for the front lawn
Hosting and participating in Church Family (Movie Night, Game Night, Hockey Night, etc.)
Mowing the lawn
Trimming the shrubs
Planting and maintaining flower gardens
Clearing snow and ice
Setting up the sanctuary for seasonal worship
Cleaning the church facilities
Repairing the church facilities
Bringing and serving food and eating food, and cleaning up
afterward (Potlucks, BBQs, Easter Breakfast, etc)
Greeting
Ushering
Helping lead worship (read, lead prayer, etc.)
Bookkeeping, auditing, collecting $
Streaming services on YouTube
Making and sending cards
Painting and distributing message rocks
Maintaining & contributing to “Love Wins!
Leading and participating in the Men’s Breakfasts
Visitation
All the other ministries we forgot!
I hope all of you recognized yourself in this list. Thank you to all those who serve in ministry at the United Church of Colchester. Never hesitate to follow your passions, to answer God's call, by recommending a new ministry or new ways to pursue current ministries.
Grace to you, and peace!
Pastor Russ
Comentarios