Spiritual Gift Categories: Equipping Gifts, Part 1
The team that wins the Super Bowl is not necessarily the team with the best players. It’s the team that’s the best TEAM – where everyone works together for the common good.
It starts with the team owner who hires the right people and provides them with the necessary resources to get the job done. The head coach and coaching staff must assign players to the right positions and prepare them for the games. Finally, the players must believe in one another and play their assigned positions to the best of their abilities. This is the kind of team that will be successful on the field.
A football team is a good analogy for God’s plan for the Church. God is the “Owner” who selects which believers are on the “team” of a local church. He then chooses the “coaches” that tend to be the pastor and church staff, but also includes lay people. Finally, the “players” are the church members who are trained and positioned by the coaches to do the work of ministry.
The Bible lays out God’s plan for the Church in just three verses. Paul Bucknell1 has developed an excellent diagram of Ephesians 4:11-13:
Let’s take a look at God’s design for the Church as depicted in the above diagram.
Verse 11
God assigns some believers to one of five positions: Apostles; Prophets; Evangelists; Pastors; and Teachers. He also gives them one of five corresponding spiritual gifts: Apostleship; Prophecy; Evangelism; Shepherding; and Teaching.
Verse 12
Believers with any of these five gifts are not better than – or more important than – others in the Church. All spiritual gifts are equally important and necessary in the Church. But in His Sovereignty, God gives these believers a special assignment. They are responsible for preparing [equipping] the rest of God’s people to do the work of ministry. Therefore, these five gifts are sometimes called the “equipping gifts.”
Verse 13
God promises that three outcomes will occur when those with equipping gifts are equipping, and those with the other gifts are doing the work of ministry. First, there will be greater unity in the Church. Next, believers will continually grow in their knowledge of the Bible. Finally, believers will experience greater spiritual maturity; that is, they will become more like Jesus Christ.
How’s the plan working out?
The good news is that God’s plan works; the bad news is most churches aren’t following the plan. We tend to think that ministry should be done by the pastor and church staff. The rest of us will pitch in where needed, but since we pay the church employees, they should do ministry. This is NOT God’s plan for the Church!
What would happen if we actually followed God’s blueprint? What if those with the equipping gifts focused on preparing everyone else for ministry? Suppose those with other gifts found the place in the Church where they could use their gifts to impact others and bring glory to God? If so, today’s Church would look a lot like the 1st century Church. Like the early Church, today’s Church would impact every aspect of society and change the course of world history.
What can you do?
First, if you’re a pastor or a church staff member, spend time in prayer, and then hold staff discussions on how your church could follow the biblical model. Nothing will change without the agreement and support of the pastor and church staff.
Second, if you have one of the equipping gifts, focus your ministry on preparing others for their roles in church ministry. Using your gift, help people discover their spiritual gifts and the best place for them to use their gifts in ministry.
Finally, if you have another spiritual gift, start serving. Notice the times that God works through you to impact others. Whatever you’re doing in those moments are reflections of the spiritual gifts God has given you. Clarify which ones they are.
God gave us a wonderful plan for the Church. For God’s sake, let’s follow His plan!
1 Adapted using NIV from Paul Bucknell, Biblical Foundations for Freedom. Used by permission.
© 2013 Designed to Serve®
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Dr. Steve Lake is a retired educator with over 30 years experience in the American public schools. He has served in a variety of position, including teacher, elementary school principal, junior high principal, Associate Superintendent, retired from public education as Superintendent of Schools in Lincolnwood, IL. He has his Bachelors, Masters and Doctor of Education degrees from Northern Illinois University. For the past 25 years Steve has attended and been a member of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington and Northfield, IL. At Willow Creek Steve has taught adult classes on spiritual gifts, life purpose, and spiritual disciplines. He has ministered overseas in Angola, Zambia, Honduras, Germany, and Russia. Steve is co-founder of Designed to Serve, a ministry that equips Christians to live out their unique God-given calling. Steve is married and has two adult children who are married.
