Plugging into the Five-Fold Ministry

some thoughts by Pastor Charles P. Schmitt

Being a "Five-Fold Ministry" Church has been our Immanuel's vision for years. This vision has been clearly spelled out in our church Strategic Plan. The expression "five-fold ministry" was taken from Paul's words in Ephesians 4:11-12: "It was He [Jesus Himself] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare [all of] God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up." Thus we have believed that God would open up in our midst streams of apostolic grace and prophetic grace and evangelistic grace and pastoral grace and teaching grace! Just recently, when I was praying for our church, it dawned on me that God had indeed heard our cry and abundantly answered us!

AN APOSTOLIC CHURCH

Because Immanuel's Church is so multi-cultural and multi-national, with over 65 nations represented in our congregation, a link has been created to all these 65 different nations, enabling us to be tied to them in God's holy purposes. For example, because of members in our own congregation we are now involved in extensive ministry in India and Nepal, as well as various other nations. In this fashion God has been making us an "apostolic church." (And there is more to come!) How can you be plugged into this apostolic calling? You can become a part of our monthly MISSIONS TASK FORCE. (Our very next meeting is Monday evening, September 17th at 7:30 P.M. in Room 311! Be there!) Also, praying through the weekly ABC's (the canary yellow sheet) and giving generously to missions and yourself considering going on a short term mission - all of these ways plug you practically into our Immanuel's Apostolic calling!

A PROPHETIC CHURCH

God's desire is also to bring forth the prophetic ministry in our church in a powerful way - all the way from prophetic worship and banners and drama and dance to prophetic intercession, to the prophetic word ministry. Friday evening's "Showers of Blessing" is a real seed-bed for the development of this anointing, as are the mid-week body-life cell groups! Also, the second hour IBS class, Life in the Spirit , headed up by Pastor Guy Carey (along with other pastors and Brother Norm Audi) will be a place for further prophetic training and development! Ask the Lord for your part in this vital prophetic flow of the Spirit in Immanuel's! Then plug in !

AN EVANGELISTIC CHURCH

God's passion is for His lost world! He so dearly prized and loved the world that He sent His Son Jesus - "not to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him" (John 3:16, 17).

Evangelism has unfolded in our midst in multiplied ways - all the way from the Alpha Ministry (tonight at 6:30 P.M. in the Fellowship Hall), to the Prison Ministry (see Al), to the Homeless Ministry (see Clemente!), to the Nursing Home Ministry (see Jeanie!), to the new Prayer Stop (see Dennis or Pastor Cecil!), to the Sunday Morning altar calls (please invite your coworkers , your neighbors , your friends to church!) And don't underestimate the Immanuel's Bumper Stickers either - people have come to church because of it and found Christ! (Is there one on your vehicle?) There are a dozen different ways for us all to be plugged into God's great heart to win a lost world! (And undergirding all of our ventures is fervent, believing intercession - Romans 9:1-3; 10:1) How are you plugging in?

A PASTORAL CHURCH

Immanuel's has nearly 30 individual pastors, assistant pastors and elders, to help care for the flock of God among us, besides nearly 30 deacons to assist these presbyters in their tasks. Besides all of these we have nearly as many cell facilitators (around 55) who are there, neighborhood by neighborhood, to tend to the needs of God's people. And yet we ask the great question posed to Jesus, "What are these among so many?" With 3,500 men, women and children to care for, we need more "hands" to care and to tend.

Perhaps the Lord is calling you to open up a neighborhood cell group in your home? (If so, call Jamie Dixson at Immanuel's: extension 1221). You can help "tend the flock of God" in this way. Perhaps you served as an elder or deacon in a previous church, and/or you feel God is calling you to that ministry here at Immanuel's. Please contact me (Pastor Charles) personally! There is a place for you to serve in our Immanuel's pastoral ministry!

A TEACHING CHURCH

In a generation where there is all too often little or no real Biblical training (even in churches), it is our joy to see how God has made us to become a teaching church . We are not into Sunday book reviews (unless it is a book of the Bible!); nor are we into "pop-psychology" or some self-improvement "hype" or any other kind of spiritual Pablum. And we're certainly not into "Mc Church" - to see how fast we can run you through a service, to insure that you can spend enough time on Sundays on the golf course or "watching the game." (Please get a VCR if you fear missing the first quarter!) There are 168 hours in a week. If spending 2-2¼ hours in God's House on a Sunday Morning (about 1½% of your week) is a chore, you probably need a spiritual overhaul. "I was glad when they said unto me, 'Let us go into the house of the Lord'" (Psalm 122:1). Generally speaking, most of our saints don't feel they get enough on a Sunday morning - so we have Friday evenings for more unlimited praise and prayer and the prophetic; and we have Tuesday evenings for more in-depth Word; and we have cell churches for more fellowship and participation.

I am really excited about our Sunday morning studies, "Glimpses of our Glorious God," and also our Tuesday Evening IBS sessions (starting 7 PM, September 11th) on "Things Most Surely Believed" - a practical study in 32 Christian Doctrines. And I really anticipate seeing you there, plugging into the rich Word of our God!

The whole purpose for this "five-fold ministry" in our church is "to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up" (Ephesians 4:12). God wants to use you apostolically, prophetically, evangelistically, pastorally, or as a teacher of His holy Word - right where you are, in this church, at your job, in your home, in your own neighborhood! God has called us all to be "neither barren nor unfruitful," but to be "always abounding in the work of the Lord!" Amen!