The Beauty of God’s Design

The other night, we had our first small group gathering. As we wrapped up dinner, I asked everyone to share a real-life “superpower” or skill they possessed.

One person said they enjoy fixing things. Another person said they have the gift of synthesizing a variety of ideas and identifying patterns in group discussions. Someone said they enjoy cleaning and setting a beautiful table. One person said they had good business acumen. And another said they are a good teacher.

As I looked around, I knew each person well enough to confirm the truth of everything they were saying. I had seen almost all of them put their gifts to good use, and at times, personally benefited from their gifting.

But it wasn’t just our gifts that distinguished us from one another. I observed that our group was composed of no fewer than eight distinct ethnicities! During our second gathering, we shared culturally distinct prayer practices that simultaneously challenged and encouraged each of our own.

These were special moments when the Lord opened my eyes to confirm the beauty and power of his good design for the church.

Differently gifted but the same gift of the Father (1 Cor 12:4, Acts 1:4).

Different genders, but the same Lord (Gal 3:27-28).

Different ethnicities, mother-tongues, and cultures, but one Body (Eph 2:14).

Jesus does not delight in uniformity. He delights in unity in diversity.

The Spirit breaks down barriers of hostility, comprehension, and division. But he does not force uniformity. The building up of the Body will be accomplished, not through identical Christians doing the same things in the same way, but through the complementary partnership of differentiated gifts and persons. As the Apostle Paul writes, the Body of Christ will grow in love only when “each part is working properly” (Eph 4:16).

And that is what we just celebrated in the Ministry Showcase. Nineteen unique ministries, staffed by a beautiful army of volunteers who love the Lord and love His Bride. I hope you had a chance to talk to some of our wonderful leaders.

And all this is possible because—wonder of wonders—Christ Jesus, the Lord of creation, became a servant for our sake, pouring out his life even to the point of a humiliating death on a cross. It is because of His sacrificial service that you and I have the awesome privilege of serving Him and pouring out our lives for His Kingdom.

Because of Christ, we get to make a unique contribution to the growth of His Body. Because of Christ, we have a unique set of gifts and resource to advance His kingdom. What a privilege!

So, friends, how is God calling you to serve Him? Have a look at the ministries below and let us know what piques your interest!

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Introducing the New City Discipleship Pathway!