David, along these lines, I had a recent experience. Last Friday in a home bible study meeting, the topic was Ephesians 4. The person conducting the teaching rightly pointed out that this passage emphasized the fact that every believer has spiritual gifts to build up the church. He also explained that the five gifts mentioned were not the ministers, but those whose job was to equip the believers to do the work of the ministry.

The discussion that followed was interesting. Some thoughts went immediately to jobs relating to the maintenance of the church property, or functions in the church meeting, like singing in the choir, ushering, greeting etc. These are all fine and good, but, as you like to remind us, all of life is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever!

We need bible teachers, of course, but Paul said the goal of his instruction was love. (1 Timothy 1:5) The love of God can be shown in so many, many forms of service. If we press people into places that only prop up the organization, I wonder that we are in fact distracting them from the blessing of serving where the Holy Spirit would lead them.