Ministry Handbook

Serving Together Well

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Serving Together Well

"Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matt. 20:28) Serving God’s people is a wonderful privilege and a high calling. We take it seriously because God does.

The following qualities operate within the framework of grace. Not only are we saved by grace (Eph. 2:8), but we stand in grace now (Romans 5:1-2). Further, it the grace of God that teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives as we wait for the appearing of our Lord (Titus 2:12-13).

Everything we do as His servants is about grace.

  • Our ministry is given to us by grace (1 Cor. 15:10, 2 Cor 4:1).
  • Our gifts are an expression of God’s grace (2 Thess. 1:3, Rom 12:6-8).
  • Any ministry ‘successes’ are by God’s grace (1 Cor. 3:5-7) as are ministry ‘failures’. The later teaches us to depend on him (2 Cor. 1:8-10). This helps us not to despair when things aren’t going well and will stop us from being proud when things are going well.

1. Character

We are committed to being servants who are "above reproach" (1 Tim. 3:2, Tit 1:6). This is does not mean sinless perfection (only Jesus managed that!). Rather, we want to be servants who cannot be accused of a serious sin as we recognise such a sin has the potential to damage the reputation of Jesus.

In your Commitment Form at the end of this handbook, we’ve identified specific areas of what being above reproach looks like

2. Teamwork

No one individual has all the gifts, time and capacity to get the job done. That’s why we, not only need God, but we need each another! That’s the power of teams. Serving together in our teams is a wonderful blessing. Together, the body of Christ "grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work" (Eph. 4:16)

Teamwork will involve (but is not limited to):

  • Serving alongside others, aiming to build them up and support them.
  • Valuing the input, contribution and feedback of others
  • Communicating if you’re unable to make it and organising a replacement)
  • Being on time, being at team meetings/rehearsals
  • Submitting to leaders in authority over you (Heb. 13:17)

3. Encouragement

Encouragement involves speaking the truth in love. Sometimes that will involve saying nice things, but it’s more than that. There’ll be words of challenge; words of correction; words of loving rebuke too. We can encourage with our body language - a smile, an attentive posture can go a long way!

As we serve together in teams, there will inevitably be times where we’ll step on each other’s toes. Encouragement means that we’ll do our best to express Romans 12:18: If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. This means dealing and resolving conflict and tension in a healthy way for the sake of relationships.

The great thing about encouragement is that it can happen anytime, anywhere. A phone call or text. A catch-up over coffee. A meaningful conversation before or after church.

4. Excellence

God gave us his best, He deserves our best. That’s the lesson from Malachi 1:6 - 2:9 when Israel were offering injured, lame, diseased animals as sacrifices to God. When it comes to serving God’s people together, we value preparation AND presentation. It brings a smile to the face of God when we are well-prepared and give Him and His people our best. As Colossians 3:23-24 says: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving".

We are committed to doing whatever it takes - for our good, the good of others, and most importantly, the glory of God.

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