There are many Total Ministry experiments underway around the globe. Christians responding to the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ recognize that the task of proclaiming the good news of God's reign is a privilege we all share, not something that is restricted to or delegated to one group of people such as the ordained clergy. 

Through the gospel, God calls all baptized followers of Jesus Christ to identify and use their spiritual gifts to advance God's mission in their local communities and throughout the world. 

To make this ideal a reality, leaders need to learn how to encourage and equip the baptized for the various forms of service they undertake, and individuals need to learn a different paradigm for how ministry is carried out in the world. Formed into missional communities that bring together the spiritual resources God bestows on His people, God's servants are able to creatively engage the world around them and bring about healing, reconciliation, justice, and peace in our local communities and around the globe.

In the Metro New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,  we have been blessed with tremendous resources for carrying out God's mission in what is clearly one of the most dynamic and exciting places in the world. The challenge we face is whether we can identify and employ those resources constructively to move beyond the borders of our local faith communities and make a significant difference in the lives of others who have yet to discover the transforming power of the Gospel in their own lives.

For more information or discussion about this new way of being church, contact Pastor Richard O. Hill (rohill@optonline.net) .