Unleashing the Church

Hi

I am currently reading the book Unleashing the Church: getting people out of the fortress and into ministry by Frank Tillapaugh. It's not a new release by any means but it is a really good read.

It talks about ways of empowering lay people so they can fulfill their call to ministry, in what ever area they are passionate about.

It's a real challenge pastors to be a change catalyst in the congregations they minister with.

This book has really impacted me in how I do ministry and how I encourage others to engage in ministry as well. We live in a culture where the mindset of "what can you give me" is prevalent, instead of asking "what can I give". This mindset is also in churches with the concept of "pew sitters". Come, get your fill and leave until next week.

This does nothing to fulfill the great commission in Matthew, it wasn't only those who were ministers or leaders that were told to go and make disciples, it was everyone. The church generally has taken this power away from members of the congregation. The fear that they may do it wrong, or may suddenly become a heretic or worse do it better than the minister, has often lead ministers and churches to place so many restrictions around ministry, that congregation members think it's better to leave it up to the experts.

How do we change this mindset in the churches, so people can begin to feel free to follow the call on their lives and start impacting the people around them?

Imagine what it would be like to be part of a church where everyone felt a call to ministry and were empowered to fulfill that call. What an amazing impact we would have!

Blessings

Em