how large are you?

Many years ago, when I was serving as minister of a different church, I went to a conference for ministers of larger churches (not larger ministers of churches). There was a lot that was good and interesting, and a few things that bothered me (such as the lack of any female ministers) and a sense that some people were there to show how successful they were.

One minister wanted to know how large the church I served was, but knew that this was not a good thing to ask directly because the success of a church is nothing to do with the size of a church. He thought he had come up with a clever way of finding out how big my church was without actually asking the question. Instead he asked me how many full-time workers the church had.

Sneaky, eh? A larger church could support a larger staff team.

I thought for a moment and then said, “About 160!”

He looked surprised, paused while he thought, and then smiled as he realised I had seen through his sneakiness.

In a church everyone is a full-time worker. Very few are called to roles where they directly serve the organisation of the church. Most are called to be full-time workers for Jesus in their homes, hospitals, businesses, schools, social activities or wherever they spend their day. We’re as much church when we are dispersed during the week as we are when we are gathered in our buildings on a Sunday.

Yesterday I wrote about ‘discerning the body’, and I wonder whether that also applies to ways in which we can remember that we’re church together during the week. It’s probably easier for me as the Minister of the church because I am around all week and engaged in church activities, but while I am sabbatical leave I don’t have that privilege so I have fallen back on a couple of other things that help me remember the amazing people to whom I belong.

One of the things I do is try to remember where the people who are Mutley Baptist Church live or work, and if I travel past those places during the week I offer a quick ‘bless them’ prayer. At our church we have a set of seven daily prayers based on our values and I try to pray them each day as a reminder that we’re church together even when we are apart. I also created a set of daily Bible readings for my sabbatical (available from the front page of our website) which I have shared with the church and it’s encouraging to know that we are praying and reading the same things.

Any other suggestions?

Be blessed, be a blessing.