There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.
There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.
There are different kinds of working, but in all of them
and in everyone it is the same God at work. 

~ 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

Beloved Blueprints

Sunday afternoon at the pumpkin unloading, I watched people in line, passing the pumpkins. As people stood there, ready for the next pumpkin, their palms facing upward, everybody looked like they were ready to pray, while really, they were ready to receive what their neighbor would hand them. We would wait, take the next pumpkin, then pass it to the next person. Over and over again, we placed pumpkins in the next pair of upward-turned hands until finally, at about 3:30 p.m., there was an empty truck and a full patch.

On Sunday morning at the 11 a.m. service, a new couple joined our church family. Michelle and Robin both work in nonprofits and have several gifts to share. After worship, they helped unload at the pumpkin patch. Robin told me, “These pumpkins are from Farmington, New Mexico and I am from Farmington, New Mexico!” What a neat coincidence to discover in the pumpkin passing line.

This Sunday, we will begin a worship series about our individual gifts and how each of us brings something special to the life of the church. God has given each of us gifts, and we all have had different life experiences. With our mission and values to guide us, these unique gifts interfuse into a blueprint for building something amazing together.

While our church building is physically and literally under construction, we will talk about tools that each of us bring to build a church community and support our mission and ministry. Like the variety of tools in a tool chest, there are some areas that I am skilled in and others that you are skilled in, and our individual skillsets are likely different from each other. There are times when I am prayerfully waiting for a ministry opportunity that you might be able to share with me, and there are times I cannot complete a task or calling without your help. During these times, I am grateful that we can each bring our gifts and share the work.

This season in worship, we’ll talk about our own "Beloved Blueprints": what we have to share and what we want to learn about at the church. Throughout the series, we will prayerfully look over a curated list of ministry opportunities at Saint John’s. We'll be asked to consider how our individual skills and interests might contribute to the mission of our church, and indicate those on the skills and interest survey, which we'll then consecrate on Sunday, November 23 (or before if you will be out of town or want to participate online). Piece by piece, these skills and interest forms will set a blueprint for the ministry Saint John’s can do in the coming year. Join us for the next several weeks as we highlight ministry areas and consider what tools we bring to build something great.