Dear friends,

The Christian Church has organised itself in a variety of ways over the centuries.
Jesus, of course, had trained and commissioned the apostles. Their prime
responsibility was to be witnesses to the truth about Jesus. After all, they were the
ones who had shared his life, seen his death and met him alive after the
resurrection. But the apostles were joined by others: deacons who handled
administration, prophets who spoke God's word with startling boldness and
insight, and pastors and teachers who deepened people's understanding of the
faith and built them up to be more effective servants of God.

When Paul wrote to the Christian Church at Ephesus he listed some of the various
departments of church leadership: 'apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors
and teachers'. These were not 'jobs to be done' in the church. In each case they
were callings for which people had been equipped by the Holy Spirit of God.
Elsewhere a number of other gifts were listed - as varied as gifts in healing,
administration and simply an ability to help others. Spiritual gifts were given by
God for the benefit of others and vital for the vitality of the church.

A thought provoking aspect of the New Testament church was the absence of
any professional clergy! The old priestly system of sacrifices had gone. All
believers were called to be priests... and every member of the Christian church
had a part to play, a talent to use, a service to give, a contribution to make.
The bad old days of looking to professional ministers to do everything
were still in the future!

By the time you read this we will have had our annual meetings and appointed
new Churchwardens and PCC members. Does that let everyone else off the hook
for another year? Far from it! God's plans go far beyond church structures!

Think of things from God's perspective. If God has given you an ability or talent,
what does He want you to do with it? If he has given you an income, how does
He want you to share it? If you have a home, how can it be open for His use? If
you have friends, how can those friendships be valuable for Him? And
how does what God has given you or your family improve the life and vitality of
the church? For this comes not from formal structures but from us all working
together for Him.

The challenge is very simple - to consider what God has given and do with it
whatever He asks! That way the life of the church will be transformed — and
through His people the life of the world will be touched in a new way.

      Best wishes,

Duncan

The Revd Duncan Carter