Wk 1 Humanity is a brotherhood Every person craves a sense of belonging No one “right” race Every race is to be valued Every race sins Every race has uniquenesses The gospel needs to be contextualized to meet the uniquenesses Even in your uniqueness, you belong

Wk 2 God works in broken families God's design for the family is mom, dad and children Many Biblical families, including Jesus' had challenges God works through broken families A healthy family is welcoming and inclusive

Wk 3. God wants to welcome all people to the family of believers Wide to narrow You belong All of us are brothers and sisters in humankind All of us have some type of family in which you find a sense of belonging (some find it in other groups) There is a place for you in God's family

There is a place for you! God uniquely fitted His Church with gifted people. God uniquely fitted His Church with the gifts it needs to do all He has planned for us to do. The Church was never intended to be a spectator event. The Church is an active, moving, organism. The Church is Christ's body

1 Cor 12:4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good...11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body...

...18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be... 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

For the body of Christ to work effeciently, every person must actively use their personal gift. If you have received Jesus, you have received a spiritual gift. What is your gift? Up front? Behind the scenes? Outspoken? Quiet? Leader? Follower? Not “filling slots” Using people's gifts Empowering the body to make a difference

For the body of Christ to work effeciently, every person must actively use their personal gift. Most people want to make a difference Throughout history it has been the people in the church that have helped people Rescue missions for the poor Hospitals for the sick Sunday “schools” for the uneducated Today, social groups are doing good work Churches are sitting in the pew A deception of the evil one; church isn't needed

The Covenant Church believes with Paul that the Holy Spirit endows believers with spiritual gifts, the purpose of which is to serve the Christian community that is the very body of Christ. As a believer’s church the Covenant has valued the Reformation concept of the priesthood of all believers, and sees it rooted in the idea of mutual interdependence expressed in Paul’s notion of the body (1 Corinthians 12:12-31). The Spirit bestows gifts on individual Christians for the benefit of others, not the benefit of the one who has received the gift.

It is the plan of God through the work of the Spirit that within the body of Christ we need one another. Accordingly, while recognizing the legitimacy of all the spiritual gifts, the Covenant Church has historically been unmarked by an emphasis on any one or one type of spiritual gift. This deep trust in the gentle leading of the Spirit has remained true of the Covenant Church through the years. From Covenant Affirmations

We are ALL ministers. Get the Pastor out of the way We are ALL ministers... Get the Pastor out of the way... Wind up the people and let em go! What are you passionate about? What gets to you? Seems Unjust Wrong Someone should do something about that! Not just time filling Really make a difference.

We are ALL ministers. Get the Pastor out of the way We are ALL ministers... Get the Pastor out of the way... Wind up the people and let em go! Has God called you to be an organizer? Has God called you to be a champion for a cause OUTSIDE the church? Has God given you a passion for helping INSIDE the congregation of God's people? Look at your life How much of your time is receiving? How much of your time is giving?

So What? You BELONG! You have a place You belong to the brotherhood of humanity You belong in whatever family God has placed you in You belong to the family of believers You belong to the body of Jesus Christ Here Actively doing

So What? If you find Christianity boring... Stop turning it into a spectator event Stop turning it into a self help strategy Stop going to Bible study after Bible study Do one more study... on spiritual gifts Put your faith into action Improve your “serve” A healthy spiritual life includes Intake excersize