Ephesians 4:11-12 – 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. (NKJV)

On a recent car trip, my friends and I set out to visit churches which had been built in the mid-1800s by pioneer immigrants. Three of the churches made lasting impressions on me. However, what I remembered had nothing to do with how the buildings looked. For example, it wasn't the ornate beauty of the first church we visited that I remember most, but rather the fact that the grave of the first priest who served it was right under the floor in front of the altar.

What impressed me about the church the guidebook listed as the world's smallest church had nothing to do with its size or austerity, but rather the fact that one of its founders had fought with Napoleon at Waterloo before coming to America.

When we visited a small country church, the pastor told us, "This church is now viewed as a romantic setting for weddings, with as many as nineteen weddings being conducted on a single day." As we were leaving, we were asked to ring the church bell, and we were given the previous Sunday's bulletin. The first line of the staff listing read, "Ministers — Entire Congregation".

Prior to reading that staff listing, I'd never really thought of myself as a minister, but today's Scripture tells us that Christ has given each of us gifts with which to minister and build up the church. Since coming home, I often find myself thinking of those pioneers who brought their faith with them, building up the church while constructing the church buildings. Periodically, I ask myself, "What kind of minister am I?" When I meet with my Christian friends now, I ask them: "What kind of minister are you?"

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You have blessed us in so many ways, and You have given each of us gifts with which to serve You. Help us, we pray, to become better ministers of our faith. In Your holy name, we ask. Amen.

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About the author:

Judith Welch <judithwelch12@gmail.com>
Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
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