A Body Functioning Together

I had two great meetings today. One was in regard to Spiritual Development and the other was a men's connect group study of John 12:12-27. It once again got me thinking about what "doing church" looks like. I'm seeing a model of mothering (Paul called himself a nurse maid to the new believers at Corinth), managing (giving people direction and instruction), mentoring (getting them serving alongside someone), and ministering (serving in their God designed role and mentoring others). This led me to one of the core church model passages found in Ephesians 4:11-16. Think through this with me. What do you think?

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

NOTE: THE GOAL OF LEADERSHIP AND TRAINING IS TO EQUIP PEOPLE TO SERVE. SERVICE IS WHERE WE MATURE.

As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;

NOTE: MATURITY BRINGS ABOUT STABILITY AND DISCERNMENT.

but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

NOTE: COULD IT MEAN THAT LEADERS FUNCTION LIKE OUR JOINTS BY SUPPLYING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE MEMBERS OF THE BODY (FITTED AND HELD TOGETHER)?

NOTE: THE PROPER WORKING OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL PART DOESN'T SEEM TO FIT THE 20% DOING THE WORK STATISTIC WE OFTEN HEAR.

NOTE: THE VERSE DOES NOT STOP AT GROWTH BUT GOES ON TO SAY THAT A LOVING, SELF-FEEDING (EDIFYING) CHURCH IS THE ULTIMATE GOAL.

ULTIMATELY A CHURCH'S STRENGTH AND HEALTH COMES FROM ITS DEPENDENCY ON CHRIST AND ONE-ANOTHER NOT THE PASTOR AND A FEW LEADERS. MY ELBOW IS IMPORTANT BUT IT IS ONLY THERE TO HELP MY ARM TO FUNCTION. THUS LEADERSHIP IS IMPORTANT AS IT HELPS OTHERS TO FUNCTION.

Just thinking.