Own your Church!

Good morning all.  Wow what a busy weekend it was at my church!  Saturday was our annual Trustees Cleanup Day.  Mulching, weeding, lawn maintenance, building maintenance; all of the odds and ends to get the church ready for Easter and outdoor activities this summer.  Sunday followed that up with a very full worship service with instrumentalists, choir, and dramatic readings in the morning.  The afternoon held a very large confirmation service with over 20 kids participating in their confirmation.  I was fully involved for both of the days.  It gave me an opportunity to really test my new knee!  Although I was very tired at the end of each day, my knee feels fine this morning.  (No pain meds either!)  It feels good to walk away from such a busy weekend serving the church.  We had a large number of people pitching in to get all of this work done and to host such a meaningful set of services.  The next 2 weekends will be just as busy and I will walk away with a “good tired.”

The past 2 years many people were away from the physical church building.  Fortunately, we had a small team that maintained the building and grounds for us.  We did have a large team last year for the Trustee’s Day, but we had an even larger team this year.  The sanctuary was packed with people for all our services this weekend.  People were smiling, talking with one another, and genuinely happy to be together.  The church works better when people are together in person.  This weekend demonstrated the power of individuals coming together to Own The Church.

The work of the church isn’t defined by pastors and staff alone; it comes from each member actively participating in the life of Jesus Christ. Claim ownership of your church’s mission, programs, and property. Each is an expression of how God is working among us! Support others. Be informed. Volunteer for a new role. Live like you are the church – because you are!

“All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12: 27)

“This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.” (1 Corinthians 12: 26)

Ideas for Action: Spend a few minutes on your church website or app to learn about some aspect of our ministry or mission that’s new or unknown to you. Ask your pastor or someone on your hospitality team about a ministry you are not familiar with.  Is there a ministry you would like to start?  Fuel your curiosity and consider getting involved in an area of ministry that brings you joy!