820 Sebago Road Route 114 North Sebago, Maine 04029 207-787-3309 Worship 9:00 AM

Total Human Care...

The concept of "Total Human Care" is an attempt to update and enable the "Priesthood of All Believers" conceived by Martin Luther during the Sixteenth Century Reformation. In studying Luther's intent for a "Priesthood of All Believers" it is clear that he did not mean to make all believers professional administrators of the institution. He saw the potential for one caring person filled with the Spirit of God reaching out to another in Christian love. This service (the Greek word being Diakonia which will be discussed later) in the world was to be performed by the entire "people of God" (the “Laos” which will also be defined and explained below). There is functional but not essential difference between the clergy and the laity as is generally understood in most Protestant denominations. Ordination is required to maintain the order and Sacraments of the church, but “ministry” is rooted in one human being caring for another human being with the love and spirit of God abiding within that relationship.

This effort began as an experiment in the mid 1970’s designed to train and equip lay (not ordained) folks to do ministry wherever they are present in this world at any given time. As early as 1979 the Princeton Religion Research Center in conjunction with the Gallup Poll created the "Religion in America Survey 1979-80 and saw the failure of the saw the need for the creation of a "Paracleric" program, similar to the "paramedic" program in the medical field. This suggests that they desire to be trained and enabled to engage in ministry, but not in a professional way.

My own observations I have found many people who have felt a call to ministry yet when exposed to the reality of administrative tasks have backed away, often feeling guilty for not following through. Here the church has failed these people by not providing them with a model to enable them in ministry as the People of God. They do not desire participation in the "machinery" of the church yet all that is offered to them is a role in plant maintenance or some symbolic role in helping the pastor do his or her job. My own calling to the ministry is rooted in freeing and enabling people to be alive, vital and effective in ministry to the world.