One Anothering: Everyone Has a Part to Play

Written by: Joe, Life Group Director

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When we think about ministry in the church, we often think first about the pastor, elders, deacons, and staff. But when we open our Bibles, we see a picture of ministry that involves every person in the church. God has called all of us to minister to one another.

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Throughout the New Testament, we repeatedly see what are sometimes called the “one anothers” of Scripture:

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“Love one another.” John 13:34

“Welcome one another.” Romans 15:7

“Bear one another’s burdens." Galatians 6:2

“Encourage one another.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

“Instruct one another.” Romans 15:14

“Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another.” James 5:16

“Forgive one another.” Colossians 3:13

“Comfort one another.” 2 Corinthians 13:11

“Consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” Hebrews 10:24

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When we put all these passages together, we get a pretty amazing picture of what life in the church is supposed to look like. We know one another. We care for one another. We encourage one another. We pray for one another. We carry burdens together. And we help one another to follow Jesus.

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When we’re all working together as a church to practice the “one-anothers” commanded of us in God’s Word, we could call this mutual ministry. Mutual ministry is the body of Christ caring for and ministering to the body of Christ. 

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One Anothering in Life Groups

One of the primary places we want this kind of culture to grow at Gateway Church is in our Life Groups. Life Groups give us a place to build relationships, apply God’s Word together, and learn how to care for one another well. Paul writes, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2. In order to bear someone’s burdens, we have to know what those burdens are. That means we need relationships where we can really know one another. 

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As those relationships grow, we begin to learn where people are struggling, where they need encouragement, what they are celebrating, where God is growing them, and when they need someone to walk alongside them. We also want to learn how to care for people beyond what we can immediately see.

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For instance, sometimes what we see in someone’s life is the fruit of something deeper going on in their heart. Someone might be frustrated, discouraged, fearful, impatient, withdrawn, or overwhelmed. What we want to do is become the type of people who care enough to ask good questions and understand what is going on beneath the surface. You might hear us talk about this as moving from fruit to root. 

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Scripture continually directs our attention to the heart. “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flows the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23). Jesus teaches something similar in Luke 6:43-45 when he explains that our words and actions flow from what is happening in our hearts.

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So when we care for one another, we want to learn how to ask questions that help us understand someone’s thoughts, desires, fears, struggles, and what they are believing about God. From there, we can help point them to the truths of Scripture that speak directly to what they are walking through. This is the kind of purposeful care we want to see growing in our Life Groups.

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And a lot of that care happens throughout the week. It could be sending an encouraging text on a Tuesday. It could be following up on a prayer request. It might mean celebrating an answered prayer, bringing someone a meal, sitting with someone who is hurting, or even just asking, “How are you doing with what you brought up last week?”

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My hope is that if you are part of a Life Group at Gateway, you not only feel this kind of care being offered to you during your trials, but also that you are caring for others who are going through their own situations. And if you’re not in a Life Group, I would encourage you to get plugged in and be a part of the care that is already happening within our church. Just fill out this Life Group Interest Form, and our Life Group team will help to get you connected. 

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But… care extends beyond just Life Groups. God has placed each of us within the body of Christ with different gifts, experiences, resources, skills, and abilities that can be used for the good of our church family. Paul writes, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Peter 4:10).

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Our deacons regularly become aware of practical needs within our church family. One of the ways we can help them care for people well is by helping them know who in our church has the skills and abilities to help when those needs arise.

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If you haven’t filled this out recently, we’d ask that you take a few minutes to complete our Skills & Abilities Survey. Maybe you know carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, automotive repair, landscaping, technology, finances, cooking, sewing, organization.. whatever it might be. Filling out the survey helps our deacons know who they can reach out to when a particular need comes up.

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This is another part of knowing our people well. We want to know the needs within our church family, and we also want to know the people God has equipped to help meet those needs.

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Jesus told his disciples, "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). I would love to see us continue growing into a church that is increasingly marked by this kind of love.