| God bestows upon all members of His church in
every age spiritual gifts which each member is to employ in loving ministry for the common
good of the church and of humanity. Given by the agency of the Holy Spirit, who apportions
to each member as He wills, the gifts provide all abilities and ministries needed by the
church to fulfill its divinely ordained functions. According to the Scriptures, these
gifts include such ministries as faith, healing, prophecy, proclamation, teaching,
administration, reconciliation, compassion, and self-sacrificing service and charity for
the help and encouragement of people. Some members are called of God and endowed by the
Spirit for functions recognized by the church in pastoral, evangelistic, apostolic, and
teaching ministries particularly needed to equip the members for service, to build up the
church to spiritual maturity, and to foster unity of the faith and knowledge of God. When
members employ these spiritual gifts as faithful stewards of God's varied grace, the
church is protected from the destructive influence of false doctrine, grows with a growth
that is from God, and is built up in faith and love. |
Rom. 12:4-8.
