Synergy Resources

Identifying Your Role in the Church and the Kingdom

When you think about church multiplication — whether it’s church planting, re-planting, or revitalization — there are some clear truths:

1. A church planter cannot plant, re-plant, or revitalize a church by himself.
2. A church planter can’t plant a church with one or two other elders.

Who Is Needed?

There needs to be a core team of regular Christians who recognize the vision for churches and want to come alongside pastors. Individuals come to Christ, are established in the faith, get equipped for ministry, and engage in various ways within the church. But what if there’s more?

Believers must recognize that some are called to plant new churches or breathe new life into existing ones. While it's natural to prefer comfort and routine, what if your calling is to catch the vision for church multiplication — and to faithfully step into your role in that mission?

Spiritual Gifts

Various chapters of the Bible tell us that Christians have been gifted by the Holy Spirit, including Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4.

We discover our gifts by serving, receiving input from others, and seeing where our service bears fruit and is genuinely enjoyable. If you don’t know how you are gifted, start serving at your church and let others speak into your life!

Team Unity

A church is one body comprised of many body parts. Everyone is different, and each person brings different gifts and perspectives to the local church — and this is a good thing! But be mindful that you are not coming in with your own agenda, as this is especially damaging in new, small churches. Rather, we must seek to serve, to humble ourselves as Christ did, and to do what we do for the glory of God for the good of the church!

Various Roles

There are a wide variety of roles that will need to be filled in a new church by a wide variety of faithful, humble people. These roles include, but aren’t limited to:

• Men who are going to pastor, preach, and shepherd as elders
• Prayer advocates who will encourage others
• Worship leaders who lead others in song and prayer
• Discipleship directors who direct individuals and help them disciple others
• Outreach coordinators who help others think through sharing the Gospel
• Children’s ministry leaders who organize and minister to kids
• Student’s ministry leaders who minister to teens in their pivotal years
• Service coordinators who help others serve in their giftings
• Treasurers who manage a church’s financial health
• Small group coordinators who help others find community

Practical Application and Action Steps

Pastors — equip your people! Model what ministry looks like, assist the congregation as they engage in ministry, and keep them accountable.

Church members — strive for maturity and seek to serve! Don’t just look to be served — look to give, serve, and care. See how you can fill in the gaps and engage in the work of God for the glory of His name!

Dr. Jeremy Kimble, Professor of Theology and Director of the Synergy Initiative at Cedarville University, is passionate about teaching college and graduate students the truth of God’s Word. He is committed to teaching in the classroom, mentoring students, and speaking in church, camp, and conference settings. He served in pastoral ministry for eight years and is currently an active member and minister at University Baptist Church. Dr. Kimble's academic interests include biblical and systematic theology, ecclesiology, preaching and teaching, and the mission of the Church.

Synergy is the combined power of a group working together that is greater than the power of individuals working separately. The Synergy Initiative aims to help students plan strategically to graduate from Cedarville, go together with others from this place, and invest their energies, talents, and efforts in planting, revitalizing, and multiplying churches. As Cedarville graduates join up with other church members who are equipped to do the work of ministry, the combined effect of their efforts will accomplish, by God’s grace, abundantly more than only a couple of pastors in a church doing all of the work on their own. Thus, the goal is to equip students to leave Cedarville University ready to help establish and strengthen local churches throughout the nation and around the world.