Equip Those Saints!

Rory Shiner, formerly of Frankly Mr Shankly, has started a new series of posts on his church website about "Forgotten Ministry Models". His first post captures an idea I've slowly been coming round too these past couple of years, what Rory describes as the "The Clergy-run church service".

The "priesthood of all believers" is a catch cry of those Christians who have had their worldview shaped by the reformation in some shape or form. But is church the place to express that? What if our church services are the place where believers are to be equipped for ministry, so that they can go out there and do it? You'll find Rory's answer here.

Rory ends by reflecting on the Anglican liturgy (the way to my heart...). He says:

"The Anglican service ends with the priest saying to the congregation: “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.” Quite literally, the clergy told the people at the end of church, “now off you go to do ministry”. That is, they didn’t just serve the Lord in church; they came to be equipped at church to go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Their ministry almost began when they left church. And something about that is right. You might even call it missional."