Training People for Ministry: The work of ministry isn’t just for pastors or church staff only — every Christian is a minister. Many people wonder what their purpose is in life. Using your unique set of spiritual gifts, experiences, knowledge, and passion to minister to others is a huge part of finding your God-given purpose. This is why training people for ministry is one of our core values as a church. Recorded on Jan 15, 2023, on 1 Corinthians 12:4-27 by Pastor David Parks. (apologies for the rough voice)

This message is part of our DNA, a sermon series on our core values that define who we are and what we’re trying to do. Our core values include inviting people to worship, connecting people in community, training people for ministry, and sending people on mission. These values provide a wonderful source of power, meaning, and joy for the Christian life.

Sermon Transcript:

All year, we’re focusing on Learning the way of Jesus. And today, we’re continuing a 4-part sermon series called DNA, focusing on our identity and the core values which define who we are and what we’re trying to do here. Our core values [Values slide] include inviting people to worship, connecting people in community, training people for ministry, which is our topic for today, and sending people on mission. At the most foundational level, worship, community, ministry, and mission are the basic building blocks of the Christian life. When these values are guided and empowered by our mission and vision, which are rooted in the truth of God’s word, they become our DNA, encoding everything we need for life and flourishing as a church. Today, we’re considering the amazing truth that God has given each one of his people (us!) a unique set of spiritual gifts, gifts of his grace, so that we might minister to/serve one another, building up the body of Christ. What we’ll see today is that every Christian is a minister. The work of ministry isn’t just for pastors or church staff or the elders only — every Christian is a minister. So many people wonder why they are here and what the purpose might be for their lives. My friends, our calling to ministry in learning the way of Jesus is a huge part of finding our God-given purpose in life. And this is why we value training people for ministry. Because we want to help you discover and accomplish the beautiful purpose of God for your life. If you have a Bible/app, please open to 1 Corinthians 12:4. And we’re going through almost the whole chapter this morning, so we’ll break it into two somewhat bite-sized pieces. So part one…

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (NIV), “4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,  and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” Ok, let’s pause here. So 1 Corinthians is an epistle or letter from the Apostle Paul to the Christians in and around the Greek city of Corinth in the first century AD. We know from Acts 18 that Paul stayed in Corinth for several years preaching the gospel, making disciples, and helping plant the church there. Eventually,