Our Ministries

Clergy

The role of the clergy in the Church is that of being shepherds of God's flock (leading, governing, feeding, protecting), called and anointed by God for priesthood, for governing, and for leadership, which includes both the responsibility and the ability to direct and release every member of the Body into fruitful areas of ministry and service. It is the function of the priest to equip, release, guide, guard, and govern the ministries of the Church so that “all things are done decently and in order.”

Lay Ministry

Ephesians 4 tells us that the function of the clergy's ministry is to equip the saints for the work of service, but the standard view in the pew (and sometimes the pulpit/altar!) is that the clergy are to do the ministry while the laity watch. At CotT we have a different perspective - that of every-member ministry. The people of God are the prime force of ministry to both those within the church and those without, and our people will rise to this challenge. As Douglas Hyde said in the book Dedication and Leadership, "If you make mean little demands upon people, you will get a mean little response which is all you deserve, but, if you make big demands on them, you will get a heroic response."

Every-member ministry is the best way to:

Make the church speedier and more responsive in its ministry;

Lessens the load on any one person (lay or cleric);

Increases the points-of-contact a person in need of ministry can avail himself of, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the church's ministry;

Gives each member involved in ministry a sense of accomplishment in serving Christ, His Church, and His Kingdom.

At CotT, we will make sure that every member is trained, equipped, and organized for effective ministry. We won't simply say, "OK everyone, lets start 'doing ministry' " without giving them the know-how and oversight to do it effectively. Through Christian Education and through small groups (whether they be Community Groups or Mission Groups) we provide the training and oversight the people need in their work of ministry. Furthermore, we don't just plug someone into a position of ministry without finding out if this is a good fit with his or her "divine design", that is the gifts, callings, and burdens that are an essential part of a person's makeup. This makes ministry not only more effective, but also fulfilling for every person who ministers.