A few of the guys from my football team occasionally asked me, “So what does a pastor actually do?”. It’s a reasonable question. The Sunday is clear enough, but what about the rest of the week? Do I just play golf? I usually reply by saying something like, “I help Christians to follow Jesus”.

Of course, the answer to that question is more detailed (… and it doesn’t involve golf). One of my main roles as a pastor is to equip God’s people for works of service, so that the body may be built up (Eph. 4:12). It’s to teach and train you to serve, using the gifts and time that God has given you. Pastors don’t do all the ministry. Rather, they equip Christians to be involved in ministry.

Last Sunday, I shared how St Andrew’s mission isn’t just for a selected dedicated few people. It’s for everyone who comes to St Andrew’s who follows Jesus. We’re all about knowing Jesus and making him known; we’re disciples making disciples. So, we want to encourage everyone in our community to prayerfully consider how they can use their time and gifts for this purpose. The church staff are keen to guide and equip you to do this. If you want to talk more about opportunities to serve, contact one of the pastors, or email volunteer@standrews.org.hk.

On a related matter, last Sunday we elected a new Council to serve the church in the coming ministry year. The Council is made up of twelve Council Members, two Trustees, and the Vicar. The Council has a delegated authority relating specifically to the care of church property and the provision of the administration and finances of the church. Aside from giving their expertise for the proper functioning of the church’s operations, they also give a voice to congregational matters and provide lay-pastoral leadership. The Council meets monthly.

I want to warmly encourage you to pray for Council and get to know its members. You can speak with them about matters that you want raised at Council.

The Council members and the services that they attend are Ronny To and David Chui (Trustees. 9.30am service); Suzanne Tong (8.30am service); Charlotte Chan, Daniel Chow, Meg Cheung, Michelle Kwok, Terrance Leung, James Mak, Matthew Shing (9.30am); Algie Ko, Derrick Wee (11.30am); Mona Leung (11.30am Putonghua); and Jonathan Heritage (5pm).