When communities gather to serve the world, they often face a fundamental tension: everyone agrees on the need to serve, but they may disagree about what that service should look like. This tension appears in biblical stories like the early Christians in Acts who debated food distribution versus preaching, and Mary and Martha who chose different ways to honor their guest—one through attentive listening, the other through practical service. These stories reveal that conflict in community isn’t failure; it’s evidence that people care enough to engage with one another about their shared purpose.
The question that transforms how we understand mission isn’t about our capabilities, our history, or what others are doing. As organizational consultant Stephen Lewis powerfully articulated, “The question for any organization must not be what can we do because the answer will always be too big to be meaningful. The question for any organization is, what is the work that only we can do?” This question directs us toward the world’s deep needs and our unique gifts, helping us find that intersection where our particular community can make a difference that no one else could.
“Serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.”
This simple instruction from First Peter offers another way to understand our calling—to identify and use our distinctive gifts to serve the world. First Plymouth Church has demonstrated this approach through becoming open and affirming before many churches did so, advocating against gun violence when few religious voices were speaking up, and welcoming migrants when others sought to exploit them.
The congregation’s history shows a propensity for finding places where their work and voice could be most effective, but the discernment process never ends. Every new moment requires us to ask again: What is the work that only we can do?
