A wide variety of resources about the ministry of all baptized (MOAB
Scriptural references and support:
“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” Genesis 2:18
“You will surely wear yourself out, both you and these people with you. For the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.” Exodus 18:18
“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help.” Ecclesiastes 4: 9-10
“Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” Matthew 18:19-20
“You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. . . .” John 15:14-16
“For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.” Romans 12:4-8
“Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. . . . But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.” 1 Corinthians 12:14, 18
“The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-13
“But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.” Ephesians 4:15-16
Several publications that you may find helpful:
Episcopal Church, Task Group on the Theology of Baptismal and Ordained Ministry, Standing Commission on Ministry Development. Toward a Theology of Ministry. 2000. <http://www.episcopalchurch.org/documents/towardtheologymin.pdf>
Farnham, Suzanne G. Listening Hearts: Discerning Call in Community. Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse Pub, 1991.
Kujawa-Holbrook, Sheryl A. and Fredrica Harris Thompsett. Born of Water, Born of Spirit: Supporting the Ministry of the Baptized in Small Congregations. Herndon, Va.: The Alban Institute, 2010. (excellent resource list/bibliography at back)
Maybee, Maylanne. All Who Minister: New Ways of Serving God's People. Toronto: ABC Pub, 2001.
Schuster, John P. Answering Your Call: A Guide to Living Your Deepest Purpose. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler, 2003.
Thew Forrester, Kevin L. I Have Called You Friends: An Invitation to Ministry. New York: Church Publishing, 2003.
For additional sources, you also may wish to look at:
