We Serve the church and the world as ministers of Jesus Christ. The ministers of the church are not only those of us who are ordained. When the Bishop was here for Confirmation, I asked those in the class who wanted to be ministers for Jesus Christ to stand. They all stood! Each of us is gifted by the Holy Spirit for a particular ministry (I Corinthians 12). Each of us serves as a minister of Jesus Christ by first identifying our deepest passion and our gifts. Next we pray for discernment to know where God calls us to apply our passion and gifts. Then we begin to minister in the name of Jesus. And don't worry if you don't get it exactly right the first time - neither did Saint Paul! God calls us to be both faithful and successful, so patience, perspective and persistence are part of the call to serve.