MentorNet #11
Pastoral Ministries Required by the New
Testament
George Patterson and Galen Currah-
Use the chart on the next page as checklist, for
ministry development in new, or renewing, churches. Cell groups also should
practice these ministries or network with others who do so.
The first task of the pastoral mentor is to
listen to his apprentices, then to help them make plans and select studies
that meet the immediate needs of their churches and cells. However, needs that we perceive may not include all the activities
that the New Testament presents as normal for churches. Therefore, this chart
alerts us to opportunities to help our apprentices introduce and develop a
gamut of ministries in their churches, and the churches of those that the
apprentices train, including in different social and cultural groups.
When Paul urged Timothy to maintain a training
ministry (2 Tim. 2:2) with multiple levels, he qualified the subject areas as
the "things which you heard from me among many witnesses." We
understand that Paul meant to major on the majors, that is, to train new
pastors to lead their flocks into ministries that were common in the early
churches. To this day, biblically informed followers of Jesus return to the
apostolic epistles to find guidelines for their life and practice. In the
following table, we have tried to provide a summary of the kinds of ministries
that God requires in the New Testament.
Use the chart on the next page, or, better, make
your own, to help you and your apprentices to review areas of needed growth
in their churches and cells. Place a check or tick mark beside those
ministries that are already being done by their church. Secondly, help them
to decide which of the remaining ministries they will start now to introduce
into their church. Then go to the Train & Multiply™ menu for find
training activities and study materials that will help. We recommend that you
keep a copy of the chart for each church and cell that the apprentices
oversees, so that you can track each one’s development.
An alternative to the single tick box is to use a
scale. You can copy the following line and paste it above each item in the
"Pastoral Ministries Chart."
o Need recognized, o
Plan made, o Action initiated, o Workers trained, o
Work sustained.
Such a scale helps track ministry development and
encourages your apprentices. They see each action as progress, even though
their people do the new ministry without great skill or finesse.
The Pastoral
Ministries Chart appears on the next page.
To find mentoring tools and sites, visit <http://www.MentorAndMultiply.com>.
We invite those who use Train & Multiply™ to write to George Patterson at
<[email protected]>.
For information on T&M™, visit <http://www.TrainAndMultiply.com>.
For information on Paul & Timothy Training, visit <http://www.Paul-Timothy.net>.
For information on "Come, Let Us Disciple the Nations" (CD-ROM)
<http://www.AcquireWisdom.com>.
Order the Church Multiplication Guide from http://www.acquirewisdom.com/products.html.
PASTORAL MINISTRIES CHART
Ministries Required by the New Testament
To chart the progress of a church or cell, mark ministries being done by them.
Develop ministries in the order that best fits the immediate
needs of your people or trainee.
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SHEPHERDING MINISTRIES
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o Watch over the spiritual life of the flock that God has given
you to tend
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o Counsel and correct the unruly firmly
but without condemning, 1 Cor. 5
o Restore unruly or limping lambs, Titus
3:10-11; Gal. 6:1-2
o Counsel people with personal or family
problems, as Paul did, Philemon
o Ward off wolves, Acts 20:17-38
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o Agree as a body on goals, practices and
general plans, Acts 15: 22-31; 2 Cor. 13:11
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o Strengthen marriage and family life, Ephesians 5:21 - 6:4
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BODY BUILDING MINISTRIES
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o Pray
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o All members of the flock develop daily
personal and family devotions, 1 Thess. 5:17
o Wage spiritual warfare and intercede
for those who need God's help, Eph. 6:10-18; Romans 12:12
o Pray for the sick and needy, Gen.
18:20-33; James 5:14-15
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o Serve one another with in and between churches or
cells, 1 Cor. 12; Eph. 4:11-16; Rom. 12:4-16
o Give. Be stewards of all God has given us: our treasure,
talents and time, Luke 6:38; Matt. 25:14-30
o Organize and oversee so that all serve with their spiritual
gifts, in harmony in the body, 1 Cor. 12
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o Oversee as servant leaders, not as
power-hungry commanders, Matt. 20:25-28
o Evaluate periodically all these
ministries, 1 Peter 5:1-4; Eph. 4:11-16
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o Serve
the needy within the
church body, Acts 6:1-6; Gal. 6:10
o Cultivate
loving fellowship among members of the flock, Rom. 12:3-21; 1 Cor. 13
o Worship as a church or cell body, including the Lord's Supper,
Matthew 26:26-28, Heb. 10:25; Acts 2:46; 20:7
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MINISTRIES TO PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE BODY OF CHRIST
o Witness for Christ, Luke 24:46-48; Acts 1:8; 2
Timothy 4:5
o Care
for the needy outside the church body, Matt.
25:31-46; Luke 10:25-37
o Start
new churches and cells (tiny
churches within a larger one), Acts chapters 13 - 14
o Prepare, commission and send
missionaries to neglected, receptive peoples, Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 13:1-3
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TRAINING MINISTRIES
o Make disciples the way Jesus said
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o Teach your disciples do exactly what Jesus
commands us to do, Matthew 28:18-20
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o Teach, preach and apply the Word, 1 Tim.
3:16-172 Timothy 4:2; James 1:22-26
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o Equip the believers for the work of
the ministry, Eph. 4-11-12
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o Train
elders, pastors, evangelists and missionaries
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o Leaders mentor apprentices or trainees
to help lead or to lead other churches or cells, Mark 3:14; Titus 1:5
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o Give new pastoral leaders full
responsibility to lead, including for new churches or cells, 1 Pet. 5:1-4
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o Workers pass on ministry skills to
others to extend the work, or start new churches or cells, 2 Tim. 2:2
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