The Ephesians 4:11-13 Mandate

I did some work last month with the staff of a large church that DOES “get” their Ephesians 4:11-13 mandate—individually and culturally. My role was primarily that of Exhortation (one of my gifts and one of my favorites to use!)—to both encourage and challenge them in their work in this season, especially after experiencing the complexities of these past two years.

We began with an exercise of reflective reading of Ephesians 4:11-13, spending time in silent meditation on the words:

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Then, I asked each of the 35 staff members to respond to the question: What word or phrase stood out? They wrote them on sheets of copier paper and posted them around the room. Part of the benefit of doing an exercise that way is that everyone participates.

The most-written words were

·         Body of Christ Built Up/Built Up (9),

·         Equip/Equip His people/gave (us) equip (8),

·         Unity/Unity in the faith (7),

·         Christ Himself/fullness of Christ/to become like Christ (6)

Clearly, as we try to live as God’s people, His Church, we are to rely on Jesus as our empowerer and model, be committed to one another (Body), make unity a priority (not uniformity), and be equippers and equipped. One workshop participant summed it up as “This is our mandate... To Serve People... To Know God.... To Become like Christ.” To that I say, Amen.

(For more on equipping, engagement, and gifts, check out the Resources page at GodGiftsYou.com. Take the free assessment and see what gifts God has bestowed on you to contribute to the whole.)

Shirley Giles Davis, author of the God. Gifts. You. Your Unique Calling and Design workbook, Your Unique Design Class Guide, Your Unique Design Facilitator Guide, and Gifts-Calling-Purpose blog, is a consultant, coach, facilitator who has worked with faith-based organizations, nonprofit agencies, and leaders in a diversity of fields for over 30 years. She has also been Catalyst for Equipping at her 1,200 member church since 1999.

Photo (c) Shirley Giles Davis, all rights reserved.