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We are to work together in ministry and not apart. We value communications with one another and being accountable to our brothers and sisters in Christ. We understand that the actions of individual congregations do affect the ministries of us all.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.—Romans 12:21-26
As the body of Christ, we are called to be in relationship to other members of the Body who have their own unique gifts and functions. Just as our own body parts exist to serve other body parts and the function of the body as a whole, we are called to serve other members of the Body and to serve the function of the church as the Body of Christ as a whole. As one preacher put it “There is no such thing as an individual Christian.” To be a follower of Christ means that we are in relationship with other Christians.
 Even more, being in relationship is more than just acknowledging the presence of others, but it is being so related that we feel the pain that others experience, we bear one another’s burdens and we share the joys of others as well. It is to be linked to one another, to take responsibility for one another, to serve another, to be as one.
Paul was painting a picture of the local church, but that can be expanded then to the relationship of one church to another as well. Just as the church at Corinth was urged to share in the financial struggles of the church at Jerusalem, we are to share in the struggles and rejoice in the victories of our related congregations as well. We are to be connected. We are to understand that our individual actions impact the group and we are to behave accordingly, not just as individuals, but as independent, autonomous local churches that have covenanted to work together to be the Hands and Feet of Christ in the Rocky Mountain Region, The US and the world.
In honor of our connectedness, we attend the celebrations of our related congregations, we pray for one another in difficult times and we minister to one another as we are gifted. Our stronger congregations stand ready to serve our weaker ones and together we work for the success of Christ’s Kingdom here on earth.
Rev. Steve Van Ostran, D. Min.
Executive Minister
ABCRM
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