Resources for “The Ministry of the Baptized”
In today’s Alban Weekly (“The Ministry of the Baptized“), Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook and Fredrica Harris Thompsett introduce readers to “baptismal ministry” and site it as an instrument of transformation in congregations.
This article, excerpted from the recently published Born of Water, Born of Spirit, asserts that in baptismal ministry, “all baptized share in Christ’s identity and mission as the priesthood of all believers,” with each person’s ministry gifts being received through the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, all gifts and callings are deemed equally worthy and equally essential to the church’s mission.
The authors survey the history of this kind of ministry, emphasizing that in ancient Christian communities, behaving and belonging preceded believing as key components of discipleship. Today, the recovery of baptismal ministry focuses on “baptismal living,” whereby worship and formation are sources of empowerment for the work of proclamation, service, and justice.
What resources can best support baptismal ministry, particularly in small congregations? In addition to the excellent resources listed at the end of the article, an online piece by Diana Butler Bass, “Process, Not Program: Adult Faith Formation for Vital Churches,” is available through the Congregational Resource Guide. You might also consider Craig Dykstra’s Growing in the Life of Faith.
What are your thoughts on this topic? And what resources do you suggest? We look forward to hearing from you!
Thank you for introducing me to Bishop Kelsey’s quote on change. When programs take on a life of their own we risk being an institution rather than a congregation ministering outside the walls. My husband occasionally moved the baptismal fount to the narthex at the center aisle where we could confront our redemption as we greet each other. God’s work in our lives is a communal starting point for worship and the impetus for joyful program change as the local context around our congregation changes.
I find great meaning in the phrase used in the article and book… baptismal living… I journey with three very different small congregations in small towns, and we are trying to discover the depth of our ministry in every aspect of life, in every bit of giftedness that we can uncover in each other, and in the fullest understanding of our vocations in all of life. And yet, we find that we must unlearn a great deal of our church culture that blocks our creativity, fills up our time with busy work and distracts us from doing what the Spirit is actually leading us to do and to be… it is tricky to let go of some of the very things that have given us a sense of identity and comfort in order to grab onto a new future.
My interest in the book is somewhat piqued. Yet the church has been struggling with “the priesthood of all believers” since the beginning. Pre-retirement, my 38 years in active ministry was an effort to move the people I served from observers to participants in ministry. Well, oops! Baptism was more an annual “pastor’s class” walk through the baptismal pool (so-called believer’s baptism which needs to to retitled perhaps to something like baptismal praxis) and out the exit door of the church into a life of a “worldling” rather than a follower of the risen Christ. No wonder the church is on the ropes. We’ve churchified Christianity and lost the center it seems to me.
Aah, but the book holds the key to resolving all this so I best reserve judgment until I’ve read of and attempted the “cure.”
The literary style of the article indicates part of the problem. It seems to be written in a style that would make the author sound sophisticated, insightful and academic. It sounds bureaucratic and legalistic as if the issue were being argued in one of the chambers of Congress. If, as a member of a local church, I thought I might want to contribute something or enroll in a class, the type of atmosphere evident in the this article would make me clam up and sit on my hands. I think the closest I can come to saying this, is what Stuart Carothers said in his post. People who want church to be high church or to go in their own direction work to “qwell the creative minority”. My experience is that there seems to be more identity these days in being Lutheran than in being Christian, and that fact is driving me from church to do my own studying.
This article has already raised a number of corollary questions from readers. Another one: How do we facilitate a paradigm shift and maintain a sense of security for numerous members whose attraction to the church is the very tradition that is stagnating the institution? Mainstream denominations are full of people who are happy to be sheep, uncomfortable with responsibility for initiative, and intimidated by others who voice strong negative opinions about change. In a congregation 300 years old, proponents of the status quo can always find plenty of vocal support to quickly quell the creative minority. These days, it’s not hard for those creative thinkers to find other churches more accepting of their imagination.
I found the article written by Fredrica Thompsett and Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook very timely and look forward to reading their book upon which it was based. I agree with their call for a broader understanding of the ministry of the Baptized as being beyond the institutional Church. Clutching to the old top down paradigm in which authority to lead is vested in only a few is not only impractical; it is theologically unsound. The persistent status demarcations between the clergy and laity in many parishes and dioceses have led to a pernicious dependency and an erosion of responsibility on the part of laity. The spiritual seeking that I observe is for meaningful participation and experiences in which the soul is fed and vigorously equipped to serve Christ both in the worshiping community and in the wider world. The primary responsibility of clergy is to create a religious culture in which the values and beliefs about shared ministry are not just preached but authentically lived. The role of laity is to co-create such a culture by claiming the authority given in Baptism.
As pastor of a church of just under 60 members (we added 3 yeaterday!) I am very interested in thoughts and any experiences churches have with this concept. While I would proceed very slowly and with much caution in my church, I see a possible path for the as yet undefined emerging church. Will there be something more on this? I may contact Andover Newton and see if there are possibilities there as well. And yes, Bob, as a UCC church we do baptize infants, so we would need to add definition and dare I say guidelines?
boy it must be too early on Mon after Easter. I meant to say a focus on baptismal vows. Not sure where the other came from.
I am a bit confused here as many want to be part of the church without committing to membership and membership is required to make decisions etc. How can we move to a non membership type of organization with a focus on bapizmal voes assuming we can jump the hurdle Bob proposes. I am open to something new as the old system is failing and is a boat sinking that no one will get out of.
I thoroughly agree with the basic premise but continue to be puzzled by an emphasis on claiming and living out baptismal vows in a context where the majority are baptized as infants. Parental vows? Confirmation vows? The thrust of the article works well in “believer’s baptism” churches. How does it “translate” in infant baptism churches without exercising hermeneutical gymnastics?