Throughout my 23 years of ministry, I have observed that, while all Christians are called to serve, only a few participate. This deviates from God's intention for every believer to utilize their God-given gifts in ministry, regardless of their role. Ephesians 4:7-16 emphasizes this calling, urging the Ephesian church to use their talents to glorify God. This passage, following the discussion of salvation and grace in chapters 1-3, highlights the importance of serving as a response to God's blessings. In this message, I aim to convey to my audience the crucial nature of serving in ministry, emphasizing that it is not limited to pastors or gifted individuals but is an integral part of every Christian's calling.

Why is it important that we join/participate in church ministry?

Life is full of hardship, sorrow, and pain. Some people drown in despair because of that while others try to alleviate the situation by escaping or denying the situation. The former leads to a loss of hope while the latter leads to an unhealthy attachment to pleasure. Is there another solution? Yes, it's called the discipline of celebration.

The discipline of celebration is one of the key disciplines of engagement (i.e., disciplines that we do with other people) that we can learn to practice in the midst of all the sorrow and pain in the world. It is the intentional enjoyment of our life with God by faith together with others. It must be balanced with other spiritual disciplines, especially disciplines of abstinence. Let us learn how we can practice this discipline in our lives.