I've been working through your material ED201 Empowering God's People for Ministry and have really enjoyed it. I have begun to use parts of it as part of a Bible study at our church. The concept of every member ministry is something I learned in college, but although that is where I want to be I find it difficult to get there in my own church. Today I read the question you presented that could be asked to a church body, “My greatest concern for this church is.…” After reading that question, I pondered it and reflected on times within my Bible study and Sunday School experience when I have asked similar questions to our people. The response that would be given is so clear I can only verbally hear it in my ears. "I want this church to survive" How would you interpret the first response and how would you recommend I guide?

  1. I would interpret this to mean that people see the church as very fragile. It is tenuous. This is certainly not a robust understanding of the nature of the church as God's chosen vehicle to embody His LIFE and extend it to the world. I would do a lot of teaching on the nature of the church as THE Body of Christ.