WHY DO WE Have ministry time?

Getting the most out of corporate worship requires you to do more than show up. We are called into worship in order that we participate in the act of worship in all of its forms. You are not an observer, but a worshiper. The only observer is the Father Himself who receives our offering with delight through His Son, Jesus Christ.

We minister to one another. We treat every Sunday like Christmas. We come bearing spiritual gifts to build up one another (see lists of gifts in Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 1 Peter 4:7-11). We come prayed up and prepared to seek out others and build them up with the gifts the Spirit has given us. We ask meaningful questions like, “What was the last thing you repented of to the Lord?” instead of, “How are you doing?”. We seek to deepen friendships during ministry time.

We call this ministry time. We all get to the corporate gathering early looking for people to connect with and serve. And after we are blessed by the benediction at the end we look again for people we can minister to (e.g. pray for, encourage, comfort, help, be hospitable, share a word, etc) before we get in our cars. This is a big deal. We are built up as a body as each part uses their gifts. This is every member ministry for our joint maturation. This is about our collective discipleship and sanctification!

Read 1 Corinthians 12, and know this is the reality for the gathered New Testament church in the first century, and today. Let’s be filled by the Spirit and led by the Spirit to build one another up throughout the week and every Sunday!