Baptism is the full incorporation of an individual into the Body of Christ – the Church – the Incarnation/embodiment of God’s reconciling love in the world. All baptized people are called to embody their faith in all aspects of their lives. When we do this intentionally, we call it “ministry.” All baptized people are called to be ministers both in the Church and in the world. The Church gathers to feed and form all of us as ministers on Christ’s behalf – primarily by
joining together to hear God’s Word and share in God’s holy meal as full and equal Christians. Because we are forever growing into the ministries God gives us, we are committed to lifelong Christian formation.
How, then, can baptized Christians grow into the people God calls them to be? Intentional ministry development can be key to our lifelong formation as the people of God.
And what then, is ministry development?” This phrase means literally what it says: the development of ministry. Thus, ministry development engages the people of our congregations in the discernment of gifts for their baptismal ministry and the formation of all people for the ministries to which God calls them.
The Ministry Development Task Force recommended in its 2006 Report on Ministry Development that the Diocese emphasize, encourage, and enable lifelong Christian formation in a manner that pays particular attention to identifying, affirming, and equipping every person’s unique gifts for ministry, serving Christ both in the church and the world. It is the ongoing charge and challenge for the Diocese to continue to explore and implement formation opportunities that are suited to the diversity of the Diocese of Spokane.