What does a 'minister' do?

A congregation  decides to employ a paid staff person. Let's call him or her 'the minister', even though we all always 'minister'.

Unfortunately in most congregations this role is regarded as a 'leadership' role, and not a service one.  

In a fully functional congregation however,  it is a service role to assist the elders as a sort of coach and skills builder for them and with them for the congregation at large.

Most are not, so we get a Hebrews 5:12 situation in too many congregations.

The minister is like the 'head' coach of a team. Not a player, but the one who equips, encourages, coaches and, of course, trains.

The main role would be the monthly equipping seminar/gathering. The "Equip-meet".

One way this could work, is every month, except perhaps December and January, and moved to avoid a clash with Easter an Equip-meet is held.

This might be a Saturday afternoon and evening, with a simple meal.

It could cover Bible topics, a book study overview, apologetics, church history, or other special themes, or specific skills like explaining your faith to typical questions, and so on. It would be programmed to allow people to come and go: perhaps there would be three separable sessions: early afternoon, after coffee, then after dinner...with discussion trailing off into the later evening perhaps.

Its format would be content segments (talks based on or springing from an article or book chapter that had been read beforehand), table-group or open discussion, or Q and A, and opportunities for participants to talk about what they have learnt. When people can put their lesson into their own language, they truly learn.

At other times this minister might help with teaching segments in youth ministry, coach and guide the people who do youth and children's ministry or are learning to do the 'teaching' segments. Hesh (he/she) might also help equip those with pastoral gifts to support newly weds, those with young children, those is difficult circumstances, and those who are becoming frail and dependent, etc.

He or she might also help coach those up and coming teachers/prophets to contribute in the gatherings and work with the elders to conduct coaching sessions with that group, also with supportive discussions so the elders can minister to the 'minister' and discuss the general health and organization of the congregation.

Next time your church wants to hire a minister...discuss this with them.