Acts 16: The Every Member Gospel Ministry

Tim Keller, in his book Center Church, talks about what he calls "every-member gospel ministry"(p. 280). We want every member of our churches to be ministers, but we also tend to place rather severe limitations of what that ministry can look like and still be "ministry". When we think to "equip his [Jesus'] people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up" (Eph. 4:12) we imagine better Sunday services, outreach campaigns, childrens' programs or Bible studies.

But consider my 24/6 life. That's the life I spend outside of church functions. What if my ministry exists there? Is the church equipping me to extend the kingdom of God in and through my job, family and community? And what does ministry look like there?

Keller notes four characteristics typical of this every-member gospel ministry:

• Organic. It happens spontaneously, outside of the church's organized programs (even though it occasionally makes use of formal programs).
• Relational. It is done in the context of informal personal relationships.
• Word deploying. It prayerfully brings the Bible and gospel into connection with people's lives.
• Active, not passive. Each person assumes personal responsibility for being a producer rather than just a consumer of ministry; 

The church is the enabler for such gospel ministry, giving truth and direction and resources (what I call air/food/water) and networking (aka fellowship). Some of my previous blog articles have reflected on the church as a ministry incubator. These ministries are gospel-targeted, and designed to welcome people into some form of community where they have regular, sustained contacts with multiple believers so they "come to understand the character of God, sin and grace. Many of their objections are answered through this process. Because they are 'on the inside' and involved in ongoing relationships with Christians, they can imagine themselves as Christians and see how faith fleshes out in real life" (p. 281)

The book of Acts contains numerous examples of ministry sprouting gospel wings from the household (oikos) of new believers. Most of these examples have been used to justify house churches (in my experience), but Keller here uses them as a model for churches to consult in enabling every-member gospel ministry. In Acts 16, Lydia's home and the jailer's home become became a "ministry center in which the gospel was taught to all the household's members and neighbors." (p. 278) Likewise in Acts 17:5, Acts 18:7, Acts 21:8 and 1 Corinthians 1:16, 16:15.

So my 24/6 life is ministry. It is active, not passive. It is Word [truth] deploying. It is relational. And it happens mostly outside of my church's organized program.  Does it replace church? No, church is huddle, the respite where we take a breath and get our next play. Life is where we carry out that play to advance to the goal.