Let’s face it: Sometimes it’s easier to do things on our own. It’s more expedient. We can do it in our own time frame, which might be the night before or the hour before.
I’m speaking from experience, as well as confessing.
Often, it does seem easier to go it alone, but when you seriously consider Scripture’s strong urges to work with others and work in unity, you are left with the thought that not to do so actually may be sinful.
The Text
Scripture passages abound that instruct, encourage and command unity: from Psalms to Ecclesiastes, from Jesus’ prayer in John 17 to Paul’s teaching in Ephesians 4. Because Ephesians 4 provides the most detail, let’s hone in on that passage.
As you read the verses below:
1. Notice the diverse giftedness and offices.
2. Notice what happens when this diversity is unified.
“So Christ Himself gave the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, to equip His people for works of service, so the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we no longer will be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Eph. 4:11-16).
Think About It
We back ourselves into corners when we think of the body of Christ as solely the ministry or church with which we work. Imagine your city or community as the body of Christ. Imagine each youth ministry being uniquely gifted. Imagine your youth ministry operating out of its giftedness and then working with other youth ministries that are also operating out of their unique giftedness.
With high-level collaboration, a mutual dependence develops, which gives our ministries opportunities to reach unity in the faith. When we experience this unity, we then open a floodgate of faith-building benefits as outlined in Ephesians 4:14-16, benefits that we long for in the spiritual formation of our teens.
Apply It
Every community has its unique set of needs. Any single youth ministry or church will not be able to meet all those needs; but if youth ministries were to evaluate their giftedness, each would see how they are uniquely equipped to meet a particular need.
To uber paraphrase Ephesians 4: He gave some to be visionaries, some to be implementers, some to be seed-planters, some to be harvesters, some to deliver mercy, and some to bring teaching, to some the ability to organize, and some the ability to promote.
We need each other. Take a long look at Ephesians 4:14-16. These are the benefits our teens can enjoy when they belong to a body of believers desperately dependent on each other’s giftedness. Picture each benefit manifesting in the lives of your teens. Ponder the last phrase of verse 16; don’t leave it until encouragement and motivation well up in your heart and ideas enter your mind about how you can be a part of this work or, in other words, how you can collaborate. As you see, collaboration is not overrated.
Barry Shafer has been in youth ministry for more than 25 years and is the author of Unleashing God’s Word in Youth Ministry (Youth Specialties/Zondervan). As director of InWord Resources (InWord.org), he has written many small-group Bible studies and devotionals. He lives in Middletown, Ohio, with his wife, Jessica, their toddler son, Reade, and newborn daughter, Rachel.
