Annotated Summary of Liberating the Laity

Annotated Summary of Liberating the Laity

with notes from Shane Haffey in italics

p. 7 – the N.T. is a much different model of ecclesiology than the clergy-laity distinction we see today. The N.T. model was a body, with God and Christ the only Head. Clergy was never a separate class in the N.T.

p. 8 – See this page for a ‘sample’ church renewal prayer.

p. 9 – Liberation of the laity is one of the central themes in the N.T. For pastors to be equipping, it is needful to decentralize pastoral care and equipping. This calls for a radical transformation of the whole people of God into a ministering people. Nothing short of this will restore the church to its pioneering role in the kingdom of God. p. 13 – The hard part of the Great Commission is getting people to obey (Mt 28). p. 14 – The N.T. stresses the centrality of equipping—the new covenant makes believers competent to minister.

p. 15 – Diversity of gifts and of levels of spiritual maturity is necessary to equip the body. For the N.T. does not utilize pyramidal forms. This fact sheds light on the problem of ordination, a practice which tends to slight or discount non-professional ministers.

p. 16 – The issue of seeking financial support can work against the N.T. command to go out and work. How many “pastors” who often have accumulated significant debt going to seminary and have in the meantime learned no other trade, are ill-prepared to work to support their families if the congregation didn’t support them. With decades long plunges in attendance what temptations and compromises could potentially arise? p. 17 – Church hyper-structuralism can and does squelch gifts. The professionalization of pastors will tempt them to reason, “If I equip others, will I have a ministry?” Even in the secular world, the best Managers are the ones that vigorously train those entrusted to them in order to replace them. Now in a business there are typically growth incentives, If you want that promotion then you need to “disciple” someone to take your place. Yet with a senior pastor there are no such incentives. Where is he to go, he is already at the top of the pyramid? This demonstrates the problem. When business model churches have already named their CEO, the biblical concept of “shepherdteacher” does not fit CEO model churches. The very ecclesiology that is employed militates against Christ’s goal of an every member ministry through the Great Commission.

p. 19 – To be equipped requires risk in a ‘safe’ environment. In other words, a willingness to see impact without insisting people climb the ecclesiological ladder. How many seminaries dangle the proverbial carrot in order to increase enrollment? With expensive property and buildings to maintain, staff and quality faculty, seminaries have financial quotas to hit. Recruitment, promotion and the courting of young men has given a false understanding of biblical eldership. Classes of Christians are created and prestige’s degrees are printed. Yet, Jesus did not value degrees when he chose the men that would turn the world upside down! The things men honor and value are worthless to Christ. Not only do young seminary grads bring a disillusionment from living in a sub-biblical ecclesiastical bubble, they also bring a hierarchal ecclesiastical system back into the church, perpetuating the cycle.

p. 20 – There is a cost involved in tentmaking ministry (more in future pages). That cost will parlay itself into incredible dividends. This is our Lords program, to forge a man into a selfless, obedient servant.

p. 21 – The present church model has built-in resistance to full liberation of the laity. ‘Lay’ is regarded as descriptive of a second class, whereas in the new covenant each believer is a believer-priest.

p. 22 – Lay workers are required to reach the lost by the gospel and in discipleship. Equipping fits believers for evangelism, and equipping is about formation of character. Forming character requires close quarters. Discipleship is primarily forming through example. I think of Paul’s serious confrontation with Peter in Galatians 2. Peter was not teaching heresy but his behavior was heretical. The example Peter was setting for the believers was leading “even Barnabus astray” (Paul’s companion). When godly examples are not around to emulate the doctrine, we believe then there is little context by which a disciple can learn to apply the truth. Truth thus becomes mere data. p. 23 – There is the serious matter of clergy usurping Christ’s Headship over the body, as if clergy provides the vision, the leading, and the running of ministries—as if the clergy were indispensable. What is missing in that picture? The N.T. pattern is to liberate each lay person for his ministry. In most one-man ministry structures, the laity is enlisted as a group of assistants to carry out the duties of the clerical structure. This is at the heart of hyper structuralism. The great deception is that the institution becomes sacralized. Safeguarding the institution becomes primary. Truth and fidelity to Christ are measured by one’s zealousness for upholding the institutional structure. Unity is measured by adherence to the structure. Ones spiritual life is measured by the institution. What devilish deception! Loyalty to the institution and its structure become highly prized when evaluating positions of leadership. There is a fine line between holding leadership in high esteem and venerating them. What is the difference? In a word it is Christ! He is the Truth, the Way, the Life. He rules His church not through men, but through His Spirit by His Word. In hyper-structuralism, His Word becomes optional, to be obeyed so long as the integrity of the institution is not threatened. This is to turn our Lord into a church mascot and the believer-priest into another brick in the wall of the institution. This is functional heresy. The church has replaced Christ. p. 24 – For a ministering laity, church time should only be a fraction of their ministry week. Because of a hardened, traditional, calcified ecclesiology which favors a professional ministry, tentmaking will be a thorn in the flesh (more in future pages). p. 25 – Equipping is a pastoral, shepherding work. The N.T. Greek word for equip means to put parts in right relation to other parts. Insisting on seeing our ministry usefulness can be a stumbling stone. Don’t demand your reward of recognition before the time. We only really perceive our true usefulness by faith.

p. 26 – The local church environment described in Ephesians 4 is what is needed to reduce the clergy-laity gap. A church environment mainly of programs is not the Ephesians 4 environment. Why is this? Because programs are pyramidal. They are designed for receivership not mutual edification. Yet, learning is by nature participatory. Learning requires not only instruction but example and active participation. Last year I taught my 9-year-old boys to ride a zero-turn lawn mower to mow our 5 acres of grass around our farm. I gave them 15 min of instruction next to the mower. This is forward, this is backward, this is how you turn, this is the throttle, this engages the blades etc. They listened intently. Then I had Noah sit on the machine and told him to ride out to the barn and back (350ft!). He had the instruction, now it was time to apply it. Dignity, confidence and commitment are forged in such ways. Noah did not know how to ride that mower after I instructed him. It was only theory. After a few trips back and forth to the barn, Noah had experiential knowledge. He “knew” what was involved only after he did it. This natural example though having limitations, maintains the same basic principles as our spiritual life. How will a man ever learn to trust God if he is not living out the truth he claims? How will a man become competent to share the gospel unless he does it? How will we ever have a fully ministering body under pyramidal forms of church government?

p. 27 – The laity will only be liberated when elevated to their true dignity as ministers of Christ. Note the author’s badminton club analogy of visiting a church. “What are the rules and customs of the club, how will I fit in?” “What if I can’t fit in the club?” Such and important idea! Self-worth and confidence is a gift from Christ for faithful practice. How many fathers are living with a marginalized dignity by not fulfilling their discipleship role in the family?

p. 28 – God’s plan for profound unity depends upon the exercise of each part’s role as Paul describes in Ephesians 4. The indicative-imperative relationship is vital here. Gospel/grace realities are the prerequisites for each joint/ligament doing its part. One cannot objectify equipping. It is God’s dynamic, His plan—fashioning each to be a supernatural instrument. Equipping is an indispensable part of God’s plan for oneness. The professionalism of the so called “pastorate” has created an us and them environment. There are those that are viewed as superior and those that are viewed as inferior.

Paul speaks to this very error of the marginalization of Gods plan for body life in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, “For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body (1 Co 12:14–25). To compound the problem, the inferior group represents the vast majority of the body! How many so-called lay people see themselves as inferior to the super Christians that run the church?

p. 29 – Scripturally there are no clergy-laity distinctions. Aspects of Ephesians 4 depict a seven-fold unity—the whole community of saints is the clergy! Biblically, the attaining of unity is the equipping task of building up the body. This honors Christs plan for His church. Unity is only attainable through active full participation. That can only come through a complete reform of how we do church. What we have instead is uniformity. That is a false unity through hype-structuralism.

p. 30 – Each member is indispensable. How are we to communicate this by action and not by word only? Answer: it comes through the diversity of Christ’s body. Every member is prized; each is a minister with a ministry realized through equipping. This goes far beyond job creation. Let us make a parking attendant, coffee kiosk worker, or door monitor. This is not ministry this is job creation to fill the vacuum left by a ministry dominated by paid staff. This is man’s model not Christs. CEO churches are paying a heavy spiritual price for the marginalization of Christs church.

p. 31 – The biblical goal is the upbuilding of the body. This is set in stark contrast to a longstanding traditional ecclesiology which stresses maintaining the institution rather than maintaining the body. To major in upbuilding of the body every member is in contact with other members—unity is lived out as a function of shared life in Christ. In Ephesians 4 and Colossians 2, notice the frequency of the word, together. Ministry is not designated by a clerical class but is instead a byproduct of doing life together – in Christ (communion).

p. 32 – The church gathering is not an event but is a network of relationships. The goal is maturity in Christ. And that goal is only reached if each part does its work. Equipping is the biblical ‘game plan’ for a fully ministering laity.

p. 33 – Pastors should shape the environment—for the environment changes us more than teaching does. Problem: pastors won’t equip. They guard their professionalism. For example, the environment in the modern church experience is designed to be oriented around the leadership. From the church building, music, classrooms and events, everything is carefully orchestrated to showcase one man or a small group of men. Consider the often-expressed sentiment, “as the preacher goes, so goes the church”. This ought not to be this way! The system is designed to showcase one particular member of the body. This is anti-Christ. For the inference is that Christ dispenses His grace through one particular man. Is it possible that we have created a system that usurps Christs headship with a fallen, powerless, human figure?

p. 34 – Saints are to be equipped for their own ministries, not primarily for the institutional tasks of the church. The Lord is the ultimate disciple-maker. Christ, creates, fits, enables and empowers the church for the work of the ministry. It is all Christ from beginning to end. When leadership takes upon themselves the role of creating, assigning, and designating roles for members the inference is that fallen men, not the Lord of the universe are the distinction makers.

p. 35 – In Christ’s ascension He gave gifts to men. Christ is Conqueror, Lord of the cosmos, Lord of His church. As Head of His church, He sent His Spirit to animate and energize the gifts He has given to His people. He plans to fill the universe with glory. p. 36 – It is a heretical ecclesiology that suggests that the visibility of just one man’s gifts can image Christ’s manifold virtues. For Christ alone, is the true image of God. Our biblical ecclesiology must show Christ as Head—and must image Christ’s virtues corporately so that His relationship to His church is visible by the way its members do church or relate in the body. When is this being talked about from the pulpit?

p. 37 – Christ is the Head, not the elders. Each member is to relate to Christ who is Head of the body. Individual growth depends on a believer’s direct relation to Christ, the Head. The goal of equipping the members is to make the members dependent upon Christ, the Head, not the church leaders.

p. 38 – The nurture of the body by Christ is conditioned upon church leaders relinquishing the throne to Christ so that the environment in the local church says to every member, “We want to discover why God has joined you to this particular local body.”

p. 39 – Ministers are under-equippers under Christ. ‘Spiritual mid-wives’ so to speak who major in strengthening the bond between Christ and the believer, rather than strengthening the believer’s bond to themselves. Apostle was an office given only in the first century. They brought to birth the relationship between Christ and His churches. p. 40 – The N.T. does not exhibit a hierarchy of callings, we are all ‘joints and ligaments’ joined to Christ the Head. We build up the body by building up one another. p. 42 – The environment or atmosphere of the church must be designed to equip all the members for their calling of mutual building up.

p. 46 – Do not discount what is learned in the furnace of life. Most churches err by limiting the selection of trainees to those with or undergoing theological training. Theological training ought to be open to all so that all can contribute. Instead, what we find today is a building up of the pastoral staff and interns only. Very little one on one shepherding is conducted in day-to-day life. We live in a day of influencers. The prevailing idea is that discipleship is only worth my time if I can get a worthwhile attendance. The days of taking a “Timothy” under one’s care is outdated, and not the best use of our modern resources. p. 47 – Two great gifts for sanctification are: marriage and the church. The local church context is the catalyst for maturity IF church life revolves around equipping. By God’s plan, the genius of church life is the relationships and the ministry of the members. Instead, what we find today is that the context for life-on-life care is squeezed out by the prevailing “event as ministry” model. Thus, the lack of context strips meaning from our relationships. People lack the ability to relate within a biblical culture. Relationships are sometimes awkward, superficial and/or gravitate toward horizontal activities such as church softball. The church tends to act as a social club for enjoyment and socialization rather than a place for sanctification.

p. 48 – Church life is not to solely major in knowledge but in maturity. Psalm 1 for example implies that true knowledge IS maturity. Fixing one’s thoughts on God and His Word has a transformative affect, “like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, yielding fruit in do season.”

p. 49 – The inherent weakness of the seminary model is its weakness in practical theology. That problem is manifested in not engaging the layperson in his calling. Our culture places a high premium on classroom instruction, yet Paul did not seem to put a high value on such methods. The qualities of an elder as stated in 1 Timothy 3, do not mention anything specific about schooling or a degree.

p. 50 – Seminaries need to restore practical theology, rather than primarily breeding professionals. A professional may be defined as someone claiming to possess a body of knowledge and repertory skills not shared by others. If seminary’s focused on practical theology, then they would see themselves as replacing the local church, this is why they do not. Yet, this begs the question. If seminaries are here to fill a gap that the local church isn’t but should be doing, then it ought to be the stated goal of the seminary to work itself out of existence. Instead, what we find is the opposite. Seminaries reinforce the necessity of the professional pastorate. In so doing, they self-validate. Yet, should not the local church be fulfilling the elevated training and discipleship that would make the seminary re-evaluate their stated goal? Would it not be better to have seminary’s that equip the equippers for the purpose of those equippers bringing that back to their respective churches? Yet, by in large, this is not happening.

p. 51 – The weak and less appreciated brother ought to be regarded as making contribution to the heart of body unity. It is a poor kind of delegation that reduces lay ministry to tasks to assist the professional minister. Equipping the saints is how ministers are ‘de-professionalized’. It is how the clergy laity gap is bridged. Amen! p. 52 – Making theology practical is the in-breaking of God’s Kingdom i.e. equipping the saints for a testimonial life in the world. Diaspora: equip the laity for dispersion. But what do we see? Church members are not trained to engage the world.

p. 53 – Life-centered learning is the best real theology—it will require informal equipping structures which cultivate participation, as opposed to a representative model in which the one who is best at everything (a professional) is instructing. Relational structures ought to trump organizational structures. So good. p. 54 – Situational equipping addresses current cultural worldview challenges like gender, sexuality, courtship, marriage, etc. This approach recalls William Tennett’s ‘Log College’, a ‘seminary’ in a log home. Note also Deuteronomy dads (Deut 6). Men insist that this “specialized” form of practical ministry is best handled by those with a certificate or degree (ex:biblical counseling). In so doing they 1. Discourage the congregation from participation by requiring lengthy, non-contextual training (training without life-context is less motivating). 2. Helps widen the gap between the professional minister and the lay by implying that real ministry requires that it be defined, qualified and legitimized by men. Your ministry is not recognized unless it is approved by a board of elders. What a farce.

p. 55-56 – The N.T. model is a ‘walking seminary’ of mobile equipping; a portable one including retreats as opposed to static scholastic brick and mortar professionals. If day to day theologizing replaced half of the mundane dinner table and coffee shop discourse, then we would find a church that is discipling one another and growing in the knowledge of God.

p. 59 – Wesley set the standard for highly intentional maturity through discipleship. His redemptive model featured growth, flexibility of structure, and deliberate maturity. p. 61 – Structures that facilitate equipping will utilize new wineskins, not old, cracked ones of heretical ecclesiology. Wineskins are the point where contact is made between the wine (the word of life and people of God) and the world. So good! The old system of temple (church building), priest (prof. pastor), alter (pulpit) and sacrifice (Lords table), found in the “new and living way” is to put new wine into old wineskins. The Lord said, “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth (Jn 4:23)”. Heretical ecclesiology’s imply that worship is an event conducted through a service. When shameless tactics of guilting congregants to attend are employed, then attendance becomes a dutiful sacrifice (“If you’re a Christian nobody should have to beg you to come to church” – John Kruk). p. 62 – The church is a monarchy where Christ is Head. It is essential that every member is connected to the Head—i.e. each member in a personal responsive relationship with the living Christ. The elders’ primary ministry is not to administrate Christ’s Headship, but to get each member into that responsive relationship with Christ. By His Word, Christ and His Spirit speak directly to the members of the body, and not through a ruling court. Elders do not administrate the Headship of Jesus. A house group structure can more easily present every member of the fellowship as personally connected with Christ. This unity through diversity means that Christ’s person and work is magnified on earth through His body. No finite man displays the offices of King, Priest and Prophet yet through the body, Christ’s offices are routinely perceived through the church. The love, mercy, grace, wisdom, righteousness, proclamation and zeal of God are realized in His body. To see our Lord through the activity of the whole church is a miraculous scene that has the power to bring a bystander to his knees in repentance. “If all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you (1 Co 14:24–25)”. The church was fitted by God to be an every member ministry. An end user mentality in the church veils the glory of God.

p. 63 – Small groups are also essential /crucial in the development of a person’s gift. As long as they are not harnessed by an overbearing authoritarian church government (much more to say here).

p. 64 – Decentralized church models aim at drawing out further gifts that are missed by our normal life.

p. 65 – Leadership ought to endeavor to create a church environment where the Lord’s voice may be heard, i.e. His relation to His body. Equippers need to be relational engineers. Note that the hierarchy model is efficient at everything but equipping. In CEO model churches, equipping is mostly the function of the pulpit. Yet, interestingly, “sermons” are not found in the NT (there is no Greek word translated sermon), and “preaching” is never associated with an activity of the assembly. Preaching is only found in the NT to be an activity done in the presence of unbelievers. NOTE: (The scripture continuously connects hirelings to vain glory). It takes a true shepherd to resist the temptation to take the power the congregation willingly offers. Only a man that ongoingly dies to self is fit to provide Christ’s example to the flock.

p. 66 – The church is failing to create a true brotherhood (see Charles Jefferson, The Building of the Church). The institutional church becomes a collective rather than a spiritual fellowship or brotherhood. A biblical aim in N.T. ecclesiology is for the church leaders to relax in the leadership of Jesus. Motivation comes through ownership, i.e. when it is affirmed that lay folks are called to their own ministries. “Motivation through ownership” such a key concept. This is found to be true in every area of life. God has built this into the telos of man. “You will owe nothing, own nothing and be happy” - Klaus Schwab – Statist and Founder of the World Economic Forum. What kind of productivity would we have without private ownership?

p. 67 – Arriving at ownership starts with peoples’ gifts and visions more than starting with the pragmatic needs of the organization. Ownership has an inherently good risk factor associated with it, namely letting people own their ministries. God has made us owners in Christ and has given each individual a gift (1 Cor 12:11). It is not the purview of elders to dictate who ministers and where. The task of leadership is to find what each individual’s gift is and help position that individual to exercise it.

p. 68 – Flexibility acknowledges the value of the risk factor—that value being a fresh leading of the Spirit versus a tight grip on the rigid and predictable. Strive for a balance between order and freedom—leaving room for spontaneity. There are all kinds of objections raised at this juncture. When freedom is given, sin can certainly be an obstacle. The church needs to be equipped to deal with sin decisively and openly as required – instituting biblical church discipline. The best way to have a culture of freedom is to be clear about what sin is and the need to mortify the flesh. As Christ grows his body, maturity unto holiness is the result. Do we not believe that Christ is capable of bringing holiness to completion in a church that is fully ministering? p. 69 – Prayerfully lay down the agenda before our creative Lord. Let Him tell what He wanted; we have one Leader, Jesus, not a fallible titular head of the church. Don’t protectively fence leadership too tightly. A willingness to share leadership, a visibly shared public ministry guards the health of the church. It is a bane on the church today to have elders which lack spirituality. Many if not most need to be ministered to. p. 71 – The church is to move forward to the goal of the ‘full measure of Christ’ (Eph 4:13). The N.T. sets forth the normalcy of tentmaking leadership. Ephesians 4 establishes the metric of equipping all the members for ministry. Conformity to Christ is our present goal and our final destiny which the saints share. There is a great need for leaders in equipping, for there is service of all kinds which requires some training. p. 72 – The quality of church life is its depth of community, its environment, its love and mutual support. Clinging to the wrong structures prevents renewal.

p. 73 – The elements needed for substantive change; what to do: pray, teach, proclaim, find historic parallels, admonish, recover the value of church discipline.

p. 74 – Allow people to move into new structures at their own pace.

p. 77 – Equipping the church is the work of ministry. Ecclesia, the work of ministry. Diaspora, the ministry of work.

pp. 77-78 – The patriarch Joseph is a model of ecclesia and diaspora. Don’t succumb to a sacred-secular split, your job, vocation, career is divinely ordained and significant. God has written His will for you into your very being—quite literally, your gifts are you. Thus, uncovering your gifts and essential motivations becomes one of your most important tasks—for it is a task which answers, ‘how will you build up the body?’ p. 80 – Discern the sovereignty of God in your gifts, makeup, background, and growth in grace. There are many things you can do for God’s glory.

pp. 81-82 – Joseph was equipped in the ‘furnace of life’. His life was one of balance between work and ministry. Don’t yield to the sacred-secular split trap, the N.T. tentmaker model shows the integration between the two.

p. 85 – ‘Going into ministry’ is a misnomer. It can evince a pernicious dualism—of a sacred-secular divide of two callings, viewed as antithetical.

p. 86 – Seminaries prepare men to be professionals, but not to equip which leads to the potential problem of seeking to be supported by others (and not by one’s tentmaking). pp. 88-89 – Restlessness can tempt one to compromise righteousness for the sake of security (i.e. to follow the money and not the gifting/vision and biblical pattern). What would I do to support my family if I was not the pastor of this church? Who would you know for certain would be able to teach and disciple men if the economy collapsed? Faithful laymen who are already doing it for free! Preachers who have not picked up another valuable trade are utterly dependent on donations. Yet Paul directly warns against being dependent upon others for their own financial well-being. “..seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, so that you may walk properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone (1 Th 4:11–13). Yet, for some reason, staff pastors seem to think they are exempt from this command.

p. 90 – God is the Architect of our identity—He radically identified us with Christ. He contemplates us in Christ; we are accepted in Christ; we are complete in Christ; we have our access to God in Christ. Thus, we find our story in His story, for He is the Architect of the new man (Col 3), and the Builder of His church (Mt 16).

pp. 92-93 – The church does not have a mission; the church is a mission (see Zahl). The church’s mission is to give its life for the world. This casts light on the redemptive seriousness and value of our sufferings.

p. 94 – Our two mandates are: the dominion mandate and the Great Commission mandate.

p. 95 – The two mandates are not in antithetical tension but are dynamically kept together. Thus, divorcing the two mandates tears apart holistic living and generates the distortion of private piety. Tentmakers are not second-class citizens in the kingdom. pp. 96-97 – Our own neighborhood is our first mission field—prove your mission with your neighborhood. Isolation breeds legalism. Diversity of gifts and callings is essential to the health of the body of Christ.

p. 98 – In a body with a common vision, mission will emerge organically with a degree of spontaneity. Caution, come structures, can work against go structures. Everything tends to revolve around leadership. There is a gravitational pull to make leadership the focal point. The structure says, “come and make disciples” versus “go and make disciples”. Squeaky wheel gets the oil. Often staff pastors are busy putting out fires and devoting the vast majority of their time to chronic counseling issues and those looking to have some of their glory rub off. Meanwhile, the average congregant is rarely sought ought, often neglected and little known.

p. 99 – The agenda of the church’s mission is the result of the gifts and vision of the body. Rigid church programs and structures can obscure mission and be time thieves of mission. Elders have become upbeat managers. Majoring in organization, marketing (catchy program slogans and hype) sin management, attrition management, that which could put the institution at risk (bad PR). Choking out the New Covenant mandate. Growth becomes a matter of numerics and spiritual maturity optional.

pp. 101-102 – Equipping involves diakonia, koinonia, and kerygma—service, spiritual fellowship, proclamation of the Word. By way of example, note that there were itinerate preachers during the Great Awakening. They were despised, but they became catalysts of revival. Many of which were anti-institution and pushed out by the establishment. p. 103 – The ‘new man’ ‘one body’ miracle of Jew and Gentile is the wonder of the formation of a new humanity (Eph 2). pp. 104-105 – The church is to be equipped to serve the world because it does not belong to the world—works of righteousness and deeds of charity brand us. But if you start with the world, the church will lose its mission. For the largest and deepest reference of the gospel is not to the world and its social problems, but to eternity and its social obligations (P. T. Forsyth).

pp. 109-110 – The author illustrates the solo ministry trap with this analogy: the top turtle is supported on the backs of the stack of turtles beneath, but the pile collapses, why because one of the supporting turtles coughed. How to beat the solo ministry trap: it is by equipping. For each of us is called to ministry with the gift we have received for ministry. Thus, equipping is not a peripheral issue, equipping is the calling of the whole body. Equip, katartizo (Grk.) to make ready for competent service or action, to order, restore, and prepare (Eph 4:12).

p. 111 – In the ‘turtles’ structure, the backs of the turtles support a professional ministry, the contributions of the laity are skillfully ignored. Gifted laity are often viewed as a threat to the establishment because of their ability to influence, this is seen as gumming up production. Be careful of blanket accusations of: disunity, pride, insubordination. “Shunning” members that don’t comply is an effective.

pp. 112-124 – The Great Commission is about training in obedience. Steep people in
the Word of God so that they are equipped for every good work (2 Tim 3). Equipping is
a process in which people are fashioned to image and imitate Christ. There is no ‘superequipper’ who can competently do all six of these aspects of equipping. The six
equipping metaphors are:
Physician, pastoral ministry
Fisherman, personal ministry
Stonemason, structural ministry
Potter, instructional ministry
Parent, modeling ministry
Project Person, orienting ministry

Sadly, because the modern church is wedded to a traditional, unbiblical ecclesiology, it is stuck concerning equipping—it thinks there is only one way to exercise gifts or express leadership. So true! I like the metaphors. Also, institutional churches are dead set that only approved contexts are legitimate. The pulpit, elder initiated events, elder designated small groups, approved curriculum etc.

p. 125 – Tentmaking commonly receives this unfortunate definition: giving oneself primarily to ministry while supporting oneself by other work.

p. 126 – There is a great need to think about leadership transformation in the modern church. To do so will require looking at the most common arguments against tentmaking—here are the arguments commonly lodged against it. 1) the professional is entirely available for the work of ministry. 2) those who have received less training are more vulnerable to false ideas and heresies. 3) a salaried professional implies accountability and control. 4) tentmaking better suits someone single rather than he who raises a family. I might add, Tentmaking means you haven’t had the mystical “call” thus your desire and commitment to serve Christ is not at the level of staff pastors. pp. 127-128 – What about the Pauline model of a volunteer ministry (unpaid)? Problem: most churches will not ordain people earning their own livelihood.

p. 129 – It is mostly young adults who are ordained. But how did the church come to depend on the clergy system? Consider that the stipend system was a huge hindrance to expansion through the establishment of new churches. The stipend system opposes church planting.

p. 130 – The origin of the professional ministry; ministerial vocation unto service has been made a profession. Consequently, we have ceased to believe that God calls lay people to serve in the ministry of the church. In other words, we have ceased to ordain the type of person described in Scripture. Today’s ordination opposes ordaining the bi-vocational servant. The spirit of biblical ordination is public character approval and personal encouragement. Today, ordination has largely become a baptism into a fraternity of managers and privilege.

p. 131 – 1 Timothy 3 lists the spiritual, moral, and social qualifications of an elder. They, as with every believer, are to hold fast to the faith in the furnace of life.

p. 132 – There are countless small groups needing pastors who can’t support them. It can be a mistake to ordain weakness—i.e. young, inexperienced men who are to be supported full time. They lack the kind of equipping that comes by the furnace of life. “School of Christ” – T Austin Sparks.

pp. 133-134 – There are many advantages to ordaining the bi-vocational. In the second and third Century Christianity, this was normal. The norm was to be a tentmaker; to labor with one’s own hands (see examples from church history, this page). Abundance and pragmatics have made the modern church decadent and lacking in heart – Hyper-structuralism has syphoned out the will of the layman for he has been reduced to a mascot for the institution – an AI door monitor. “Hi, welcome to church” Consumerism has no heart.

p. 136 – The supreme value of homegrown elders. There is no substitute for an elder being a member of the flock, and who has a record of care for the flock. How inferior to appoint a shepherd who is a stranger to the flock. Biblically the bond between the elders and those to whom they minister is extremely close.

p. 137 – The one-man pastorate system is far from ideal. All authority concentrated in one person is too narrow a spectrum, and it obfuscates Christ’s presence and Headship. One man cannot concentrate in himself with equal efficiency the various qualities necessary for the manifold activities of the church.

p. 138 – In prognosticating about how technological ideas might further erode the brotherhood of the church, one visionary said, ‘someday there might be satellite church campuses with remote services.’ Well, that has become a reality. p. 139 – Paul stayed out of the professional ministry—he gave up his right to be supported by those whom he was sent. Paul refused the right for himself to be supported, but he defended the right of others to be supported (1 Cor 9:3-12, 18). p. 141 – Paul was self-supported because it was expedient (Acts 20:33; 1 Cor 9:12). The gospel reach to our largely pagan nation will be greater if there are fewer supported ministers and more self-supported ministers. It is no sacrifice to preach the gospel (1 Cor 9:16-17). In a world of professional religionists and T.V. evangelists, an unpaid preacher is a powerful witness to the world. Ministry is a function of grace not privilege. It is an honor to labor for Christ.

pp. 142-143 – Paul’s model of work and tentmaking was 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 9. The inwardness of the tentmaker-minister is a lovely complexity—they have a natural oscillating rhythm between work and ministry. Thus, the tentmaker will be far less likely to suffer burnout. He is not yoked to a structure of personal achievement and human recognition. He lives in the real world, interacting with unbelievers and the worlds system thus he is better prepared for ministry.

p. 144 – Regarding the inward health balance of the tentmaker (family, work, ministry), he can develop patterns of family, ministry, work. sabbath rest, personal spiritual disciplines, hobbies, and leisure time. The real problem in ministry today is not burnout but fear of getting really involved with people.

p. 145 – Shared leadership happens by deliberately making room at the top. Sharing the pulpit with an unpaid minister must be considered as significant as giving the pulpit to one who is remunerated. The problem is, it won’t happen if the clergy reserve the influential positions of the pulpit and chairmanship for themselves. The public ministry of the church at every level and in every way must be shared by tentmakers and paid staff. ‘Pulpit amateur hour’ can demonstrate that there is room at the top for tentmakers. There must be visible equality so that tentmakers are seen to be of equal importance. If there is a tiny pool of men that can bring an edifying message on Sundays, what does that say about the establishment?

p. 146 – Equality equals shared sacrifice, resulting in mutual appreciation in leadership between paid and unpaid ministers. In this way the legitimacy of tentmakers is affirmed. Tentmakers must be included in clerical privileges. Non-seminary training for ministry is possible—there are both public and private models of training.

p. 147 – Tentmakers are called to a sacrificial lifestyle, not to lifestyle of wealth and leisure.

P 151 – A professional clergy will be threatened by tentmaking equippers. And to train pastoral staff members to work as equipping servants is very threatening to traditional structures and to pastoral identity for the following reasons. 1) there is a fear of developing the gifts of others because it may forfeit the use of their own. 2) supported workers may feel insecure about their status because they are paid to do what others are doing in the church for free. 3) in their understanding, it creates a tug-o-war between lay service and leadership. This is a structure built on pride, envy, fear and insecurity. These are characteristics of the hireling.

p. 152 – The ‘perceived’ tug-o-war is between those who are doing ministry and those who want to facilitate every one else’s ministry. The real spiritual issue beneath this is pastors are called to a deep relationship with God. Their identity is not in doing, but in being. And, having renounced the authority of titles, and positions of influence; they are left with the only authority that really counts, life in God. Superficiality is a curse on a church—a symptom of laziness. A counterfeit spirituality reigns today in much of Evangelicalism—the pernicious attitude is: since ‘Christ has done it all’ there is nothing left for us to do. This carnal mindset produces weak and flabby church bodies.

p. 153 – The transformative experience of God is lost today—it can be recovered in equipping in which disciples are trained in developing first-hand convictions. A bane on the church is second-hand convictions, which produce little energy and consecration. p. 154 – There is a spate of shallow evangelicals today in part because most do not have any ‘soul friends’ who, as Spurgeon says, regularly give their friends’ souls a visit. p. 155 – The spiritual principle of true treasure produces single-mindedness—that is possessing a clear eye, as Jesus said. For the eye is the lamp of the body (Lu 11:34). A single-minded focus.

pp. 156-157 – As per Wadsworth, the early church services were more for building up the brethren than they were for worship. Ministers must assiduously avoid these four traps: 1) obsession with money. 2) illicit sex. 3) hunger for fame. 4) unbridled ambition. More subtle versions of these traps are, 1) vexation over unappreciation. 2) self-pity over broken expectations. 3) acceptance of the power one is offered. Jesus chose the way of the cross and self-denial (Gal 6:14).

p. 158 – Brokenness is par for the ministry. Brokenness is what transpires when one is unconditionally committed to the church as it is.

p. 159 – There is a hazard in making your ministry your identity. Closely associated with this is the danger of making your ministry your relationship with God, i.e. my ministry is ‘who I am’ and ‘what I produce’. It is a huge tarpit that traps many—the codependency trap, i.e. the overwhelming need to be needed. Titles are symptoms of ‘ministry as identity’. The bible goes out of its way to not give titles – “for you are all brothers”. God is our father, we are his children. Men that attach their identity to their vocation will assume a false identity and false expectations. It creates a rank and file culture of classes. Uniformity.

p. 160 – The idol of wanting your reward now for your ministry can exert a magnetic pull for many. Ministers must mortify that pull and cease to demand to see all the result of their equipping now. Take caution, do not obsess by dwelling upon, am I useful? Or “Am I useful enough?” Protection from these tendencies is found in the discipline of true spirituality. Be about the business of Scripture meditation, prayer, and loving God with your whole being, heart and soul. Only that affection can supplant that persistent parasite of self-love. Amen! pp. 161-162 – See the book by Lovelace on grace and sanctification. Note the necessity of solitude in cultivating spiritual disciplines and time with the Lord. It is essential that one spends significant time in Scripture meditation. You cannot know yourself truly without knowing God. Note Calvin on the relationship between knowing God and knowing oneself. The prodigal ‘came to himself’ (Lu 15:17). The prodigal realized his true identity and embraced it.

p. 163 – The balanced Christian life faces three directions: upward in seeking His face in devotion to the Lord. Inward in facing the brethren in spiritual fellowship in the body. And outward in taking the message of life in Christ to the world.

p. 164 – How can equippers get the time for these three faces? Do they ‘steal it’ from work, play, and sleep? No, when you put Him first, the Lord will enable you to budget your time. For your spiritual survival depends upon seeking the Father’s presence—you can’t afford to be away from His presence for long if you are an equipper. Keep finding your identity not in what you do, but in who you are in Christ. The goal of the Christian life is to be the child of God in the Father’s presence.

p. 168 – No one person can model, instruct, counsel, serve, shepherd, share, proclaim. None of us is an adequate model alone. But together as the body of Christ, we are. p. 169 – God makes ministers, we don’t. God does not waste the gifts He has given by His Spirit. When the laity are liberated, you will see God ‘thaw His assets’ and put them to work.