The Glory of a Fertilizer Spreader

How futile it would be for a man to salt the icy church parking lot using a small kitchen funnel. As the salt slowly trickled out and eventually clogged, the man would freeze, and the parking lot would remain a skating rink. With the fertilizer spreader, however, the salt flies freely and widely through the multiple openings in the spreader.

Christ’s design for His Church: free-flowing love and ministry to and through the entire Body. Oh, that our church would be a fertilizer spreader, not a funnel!

There is a saying that most churches operate on the 80/20 rule: 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people. Like a funnel, all ministry flows through a few, and much goes undone. Perhaps because we have heard of this “rule” so often, we kind of shrug it off and accept a lame Body.

Christ desires more!

A blockage of ministry is a blockage of faith and knowledge of the love of our Head for His Body (Ephesians 4:13). Every ministry of the church is to build up the Body of Christ into His love (Ephesians 4:15-16). If few are ministering, few are growing. Grow us, O Lord!

The temptation of a shepherd in the church is to do, do, do the work of the ministry. Jesus’ design is for shepherds to equip, equip, equip the saints to do the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:12). A funnel of a shepherd is gripped with pride and people-pleasing motivations:

“If I ask Saint A to do this, it will be such a bother to them.”

“I can’t ask Saint B to do this ministry; I can do it so better myself.”

“I get so much of my identity and praise for doing the work; where would that go if I pass some on?”

The futile thoughts of a funnel.  

There can also be the expectations of the saints that the pastor is to be a funnel. After all, “isn’t that what we pay him for?” A shepherd can try to pass on love-building ministry to the saints and be met with closed hearts:

“Don’t you know we have to learn to say no more often at church so we can say yes to Netflix and youth sports?”

“How will I keep up with my Facebook timeline if I have to speak the truth in love in person?”

Some want a funnel church so they can spread their love elsewhere.

Oh, the glory of a fertilizer spreader—Christ’s love-building ministry flowing freely and widely throughout the Body and into our love-starved world! Resistance to His design is resistance to His love. As we walk as a “spreader,” we begin to experience new joy to see Christ’s love and ministry multiplied. A funnel barely adds.

What a thrill to grow towards being a 100/100 church: 100% of the church doing 100% of the work! Open our hearts, O Lord, make us receptive to your leading, equipping, and ministry growth. Give us the faith that we need and the knowledge of your Son that we desire (Ephesians 4:13). Grant us the time and space to speak the truth in love. Open our hearts. Open our homes. Break open any funnels. May your glory fill the earth!