…we forget to look next to us.
I have an emphasis on building the body of Christ, so my Ministry is on Believers, mostly women, but both individually and as a whole. I believe that everyone should have 7-12 other Christians of their own gender as a ‘core’ group for support, friendship, accountability, and for a variety in Spiritual Gifts and general skills to help one another.
My belief comes from experience in churches where, though there is a lot of love for God, there was not a lot of love for each other. We didn’t even know each other and there was little effort to do so besides an occasional friendly shake of the hand during service. The nuclear family somehow bleeds out into the church, and it is never as wonderful and God-filled as it could be. Imagine how wonderful it would be if you had a small group, each one with a different Spiritual Skill! The glory we could bring to God together would be amazing!
My belief also comes from the Bible. It is written ALL throughout the Bible that we saints must come together because Jesus says point-blank that we are the body of Christ. (See verses below) Christ had all 21 Spiritual Gifts wrapped in one, which is why he was perfect. But we are not close to perfect. We are just one little fingernail of the body of Christ and NEED other Christian gifts if we plan to even make a dent in the continuation of the work that Christ did while He was here on earth. We can’t go all Lone Ranger with one gift and expect to really get anywhere without people of other gifts in the group. This is where ministries to bring the members of your church together are key. Especially in this day and age, we not only need to know how to function as a whole church, but how to help each other in times of need. Knowing other’s skills and gifts can really help the church in times of tribulation as well. Here are some activities you can start to bring your church people in closer relationship with each other. Find out what their Spiritual Gifts are if they are not obvious!
- Arrange an outdoor activity: Hiking, kayaking, photography, camping, etc.
- Arrange an indoor activity: art, cooking, mini golf, etc.
- Write a retreat!
- Arrange a weekly Small Group at your house over Scripture or a Christian Book. .
- Arrange a Christian Karaoke night in your yard.
- Have a weekly Spaghetti Feed in your yard all summer.
- Have a good skill? Contact The Ark and put on a class!
- Are you a Proclaimer? Find other Proclaimers that wants to go visit the Prison or Old Folks Home to Spread the Good News.
- Guess Who is Coming to Dinner: Arrange 3 couples (or 6 singles) to meet at someones house for dinner. Rotate each month at each other’s house (or host on location).
- Get a group to take the Spiritual Skills Test. Find out who loves to do what!
If you don’t know how to arrange anything, find someone who has the Spiritual Gift of Exhorter or Ruler in the group. They will be glad to help with bells on!
- 1 Corinthians 12:12-27
For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit, we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.
- Ephesians 1:22-23
And He put all things under His feet and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
- Ephesians 4:11-13
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
- Ephesians 4:15-16
but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
- Ephesians 2:14-16
For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.
- Ephesians 4:4
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling.
- 1 Corinthians 11:29
For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
- Romans 12:4-5
For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
- 1 Corinthians 1:13
Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
- 1 Corinthians 10:16-17
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.
- 1 Corinthians 11:23-24
For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
- Ephesians 5:23
For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.
- Ephesians 5:30
For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.
- Colossians 3:15
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
- 1 Corinthians 11:18-19
For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you.
- 1 Corinthians 12:8-10
for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
- 1 Corinthians 12:28
And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.
- John 13:35
By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
- Romans 12:6
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith.
- 1 Corinthians 12:1
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: