Effective ministries arise from spiritual giftedness and individual passion. At St. Timothy’s, we grow most ministries from grass roots. They grow organically. An individual has an idea and engages others with similar interests to work as part of the new ministry team. As the ministry grows, more people are brought in to meet the needs of the growing activity, often through personal invitation. Ministries, from Fishes and Loaves to the St.Tim’s Rummage Sale to the Oktoberfest fund raiser, have been formed and led by lay leaders and “the person with the passion” with minimal overhead and formal process, while observing the Canons and financial discipline of the church.
Despite this strong base and many passionate people with great ideas, simply publicizing the need for help with a new ministry rarely brings people forward. Our leaders, especially the rector, play a critical role in identifying those with appropriate gifts and helping to recruit them to a ministry. Sometimes our gifts are not well developed. We need someone else to recognize them, invite us to use them, and then encourage us as we encounter the inevitable obstacles that most ministries face at some time. We try to engage people in ministries where they will grow spiritually through their service and at the same time develop their gifts for the service of others. Experienced leaders are key to making the ministries successful with mentoring and team building. People with passion become experienced leaders thorough mentoring and by having their ministries picked up and carried forward by the others in the community.
Incorporating others in ministry, through invitation and by matching those with gifts and time to opportunities to serve, is a critical part of nurturing and supporting new ministries, both through their initial growth and through the transition phase when the ministry champion moves on. Our openness to new ideas, our streamlined process for forming a new ministry, and a talented pool of lay leadership make it easy for members of St. Tim’s to share their gifts of ministry. While we have had some success in sustaining and transitioning ministries through multiple generations of leadership, this is also an area where we need to grow, with help and guidance from our new rector.