“The sabbath was made for human beings, not human beings for the sabbath” (Mark 2:27)

Changing structure does not guarantee spiritual balance and purpose; but, sometimes, our structure can get in the way of the flow of ministry.

She stood up in worship during the announcement time and expressed that she had observed a need in the community. She spoke with passion about her belief that God might be calling the church to provide sack lunches to youth in the community on Wednesdays during the summer. The congregation discussed and discerned this perceived ministry need and decided together that, indeed, this was a ministry God was calling them to embrace. Without a single committee meeting several people agreed to help out and for the summer. This has become a ministry of Mitchellville Christian Church.

Many times I have heard stories like the one above in which ministries arise from someone noticing a need and sharing it with others to help discern God’s calling. These ministries are often the ones that congregation members talk about with passion and energy.

What if we in the region had a structure that encouraged this same way of being church together? What if, when we made decisions about the ministry we do together, every church had a representative at the table? What if our board/gatherings always included time to listen for perceived needs and we spent time in discernment about what and where God might be calling us?

These are only some of the ideas I continue to hear bubbling up from the congregations as we all strive passionately to faithfully be church in this world. Let me know about what you think by sending me an email at bsdumw@gmail.com.