And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ; so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every joint with which it is supplied, when each part is working properly, makes bodily growth and upbuilds itself in love. Ephesians 4:11–16 (RSV)
I had dreams of being an All-State fullback. I knew I did not have the quickness and speed to be a half-back or an end. I was a back-up fullback for my freshman year and even scored a touchdown. Of course, Grandma Boots could have scored a touchdown against that team.
My line coach pointed out the truth. I wasn't that good. He rightly suggested that I would do much better as a lineman. The rest of my high school career was spent as a guard. Coach was right. I belonged on the line. He also taught me that a lineman was just as important as the best running back. If a lineman doesn't block well, the backs generally don't get far.
St. Paul also pointed out that it takes more than just an apostle for a church to accomplish its mission. It is important to remember that the listing of servants is not the only ministries in the church. A congregation needs musicians, janitors, sextons, council members, acolytes, and a myriad of other servants.
A congregation functions best when those who are called to a particular service fulfill that call. As our congregations approach their annual meetings, it is an excellent time to recognize all those whose efforts support our ministry. Our combined talents and gifts continue to upbuild the Body of Christ.