“Faith, hope and especially love.”
All Christians are called to the work of Christian ministry, of bearing witness to the good news of God’s love for us in Christ. We do this by the way we live, the relationships we form, and the service we offer in many various ways in the wider world around us. “Ministry” in this sense is not only what happens inside a church building but involves all aspects of our lives.
Congregational life is meant to form and shape us for our various ministries, whether within the parish itself or in the wider world. Some of the ministries listed here are ongoing opportunities for service (liturgical ministries, for example); others are occasional or one-time moments of engagement (such as Holy Baptism). All of them present occasions encountering the presence of God, deepening our commitment to Christ, and finding ourselves inspired by the Holy Spirit for the work God has given each us to do in unique ways.
“What we know is that God’s intention is to establish a fellowship that includes us all … where there will be wholeness, where there will be physical and spiritual well-being, where all will care for each other … where compassion and caring, peace and sharing, goodness and righteousness, justice and reconciliation, togetherness and fellowship will have prevailed .. life without end…”
— Bishop Desmond Tutu