A Self-ministering Church

"For the nurturing and constant growth of the People of God, Christ instituted in His church a variety of ministries, which work for the good of the whole Body. In a broad sense these ministries are those "services" that are needed to be present and active in the Christian Body for the two basic functions of the Body:

1. That of living and growing: keeping the Body healthy and increasing it with living, new members. This is done through preaching (faith), feeding (Sacraments and liturgy) and community governing.

2. That of witnessing and serving the world. This is assured through Church involvement in the world where it is called to serve as Leaven, Light and Salt of the world and to bring about God's Kingdom in the world.

We can say that in this broad sense all Christians are called to be "ministers" since through Baptism they participate in Christ's own Mediatorship as Prophets, Priests, and Leaders. In this sense there is indeed a great variety of services and ministries, and all members are called to exercise their own "ministries", each one according to their calling.

The local church is self-ministering when all the essential services needed for the life and work of the Church are actively assumed by members. If the Church is not yet self-ministering and this situation dose not change, the Church will feel insecure in facing the future.