“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the
church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing,
forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues.” – I Corinthians 12:27-28

If you are reading this by email and before June 2, Connie and I are on our way home from a
quick trip to Seattle (if you are reading this on or after June 2, you will have seen us at morning
worship!). Although we will catch up with our kids and some friends on this journey, its primary
purpose is attendance at the memorial service for Lynn Melby.

“Melby,” as he preferred to be known, was one of the pillars of the church where I served as
pastor for over 16 years, Good Shepherd Baptist Church, in Lynnwood. He was a big, burly,
bearded man who often presented a gruff persona to the world. He was, in fact, a teddy bear –
kind, loving, thoughtful, and highly intelligent. He was a talented guitar player and singer, an
adept stand-up comic, and drenched in the spiritual gifts of leadership or, as some versions of the
Bible translate the same word, administration. He made his living, during the time that we knew
him, as the CEO of a non-profit that provided administrative leadership to other non-profits,
specifically to professional associations.

If it were not for Melby and his wife, Joye, I might never have been the pastor of Good
Shepherd. It was Melby who spearheaded the strategic planning process which the church
engaged in at the denomination’s suggestion when their previous pastor resigned to move back to
the Midwest. That process resulted in a Vision and Strategy Plan for GSBC which included
building affordable housing for senior citizens, continuation of the church’s longstanding
community gardens, partnering with a daycare or preschool in the small GSBC building, and, (a
part of the vision still unrealized) creation of a meditation and wedding garden. Once the church
had adopted this plan, they realized they needed a pastor with non-profit management
experience. Joye Melby headed the Search Committee and, through personal connections, found
me: an aspiring pastor with a long resume of non-profit management gigs.

You may not think of “administration” being a spiritual gift, but it is! A local church needs all
sorts of gifted people in order to function well, to pursue its calling from God, and to spread the
Good News of God’s love through Jesus. The list of gifts Paul gives in I Corinthians 12 is hardly
exhaustive. In fact, Paul listed other spiritual gifts in Romans and Ephesians, as well as
elsewhere in I Corinthians. Yet more lists can be found in I Timothy and I Peter.

Have you thought about how your gifts might be used in service of St. Andrew’s UMC? We are
approaching the time of year in which the Nominating Committee will be working to fill
vacancies on our various committees. Our work will be helped enormously by those who are
willing to step up and say, “Hey, I think I could do…” Please give prayerful thought to how God
might be calling you to use your special gifts.

Pastor Chris