The Gift of Bargain Shopping
By Ken Davis
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.I've always prided myself on keeping an open mind about what ministry looks like. The idea that ministry means preaching, speaking, playing a musical instrument, leading a youth group or a Bible study always seemed unnecessarily narrow. Even those churches that take a broad view of ministry can subtly emphasise the "more important" (usually speaking) ministries. During the last month, I encountered two ministries that surprised even me. One fits neatly with a traditional view of spiritual gifts, while the other one is a curve ball from left field.
Summer Blessings
Lets start with the traditional one! Now I realise that 80% of my readers are currently experiencing the joys of winter. If that's you, you're in for a surprise. The day before I wrote this, I experienced the hottest day of my life. It was the hottest day in Sydney since 1939 and the hottest New Years Day ever. The 44.5 degrees C (112.5 F) heat left air conditioners and refrigerators across the country struggling. Our home is not air conditioned, so we did the next best thing and headed for a shady park by the seaside. The light puffs of sea-cooled breeze were balm to our hot bodies and harried spirits.
When we arrived home, we got an even more refreshing surprise. On our answering machine was a message from an old friend, inviting us over to their air-conditioned house in the more upmarket section of Dapto. When we were out shopping today we encountered another friend who told me that they did the same for an elderly neighbour.
Now air conditioning is not one of the ministries, blessings or spiritual gifts mentioned in the Bible. However generosity, hospitality and compassion certainly are. So in a church that sometimes struggles with issues of materialism, this was a cool change, as good as the one that rolled in at 8pm that night.
Sharing an air-conditioned house on a hot day is using an unusual tool as a means of conventional ministry. The next example is a little more surprising. This time my wife Ros was the gifted person, not the recipient.
The bargain basement
When we go on holidays, we often joke about garage sales and antique shops. Her enthusiasm is rarely curbed by my pleas of, "But what can we use it for?" I never honestly thought that the ability to spot a bargain qualified as a spiritual gift. The Chronicles of Narnia was about to prove me wrong.
Each year, our church stages a big "Real Christmas" walk-through, where local kids (and parents) can come in and see our church set up in a completely unreligious form. This year the church was transformed into the magical land of Narnia. Some 600 locals stepped through the wardrobe into an enchanted world. There was a snow machine, animals, live scenes and storytelling form the book, actors playing stone statues, and a series of lovingly crafted, hand built animal sculptures.
These sculptures came to life because of Ros's uncanny ability to spot a bargain - a roll of wonderfully fluffy faux fur - just perfect for recreating an Aslan costume, and skin for the wire framed statues. From this moment of inspiration came a stream of ideas that brought Narnia to life in our drab and boxy auditorium.
Now try as I might, I just can't make the gift of bargain shopping fit into traditional views of ministry and spiritual gifts.
Outside the box
What each of these stories show is that the biggest limit to ministry is our imagination. When we put our antennae out, looking for opportunities and needs, sometimes the most unusual abilities and interests can be a tool for ministry. What's even better is that when church leaders recognise the usefulness of such "strange" gifts the blessing is at least twofold. It's good for the community who get a bigger, clearer picture of our creative and loving God. But it's even better for the person with the weird gift. They feel included, valued, and begin to appreciate their part in God's amazing plan.
1Pet.4:10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.So this month's challenge is simple.
What gifts, abilities and interests do you have that might be a springboard for unorthodox ministries?
If you're a leader, how can you encourage your members to think outside of the ministry box?
If you have a story of unusual gifts or ministries, email ken@insideoutmusic.net
Ken Davis is a songwriter, guitarist and music producer who also sings badly. He has been involved in music ministry since 1977 and currently serves in the music ministry at |
Dapto Anglican Church in Australia. You can get plenty of This article may be reprinted or redistributed freely providing this copyright notice and the author's information box and links remain intact.