In youth ministry, we talk a lot about cooperation-about how we're better together. Unity.
But have you ever tried to explain to another youth leader or supporter why unity is so crucial? Why it's more than just a nice idea, but something essential to our mission?
Since joining the Network team, I've had a couple of go-to passages when talking about unity: Ecclesiastes 4 and Jesus' prayer in John 17:20-23. Three times in that prayer, Jesus specifically asked for our unity. That's more than anything else He prayed for! And He made it clear that our unity is directly tied to the fulfillment of the Great Commission.
That's a conversation worth having over coffee.
Or tea... if you're sitting with N.T. Wright.
I'd love to say I recently had the chance to sit down over tea with Wright, and that he looked me in the eye for ten straight minutes, passionately explaining how unity is the church's greatest calling. But let's be real-I just watched a short YouTube video where he said exactly that. Still, it was powerful. (I'll drop the link at the end so you can have "tea with Tom" too.)
What struck me most was how Wright didn't set out to study unity. He was diving into Romans and Galatians, exploring salvation and justification, when unity kept surfacing. It was inescapable.
Here are a few statements that stood out:
"Failure to recognize the transethnic unity of the people of God is a failure to understand the meaning of the Messiah's cross in the first place."
"Unity is the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham to give him a new family."
"The vocation of the church is to model in advance the coming together of all creation... to model in advance that harmony, mutual reconciliation, that coming together on a new basis, which is what the new creation is all about."
Let that sink in.
Unity isn't just an add-on to our faith-it's central to God's plan. It's embedded in the gospel itself.
So What Do We Do with This?
Here are three practical ways we can actively build unity in our ministries:
1. Understand that Unity Isn't Uniformity
One of the biggest misconceptions about unity is that it means we all have to think, act, and minister the same way. But unity isn't about sameness-it's about oneness.
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul describes the body of Christ as having many different parts, each with a unique function, yet all working together.
Diversity in gifts, backgrounds, and approaches isn't a weakness-it's a strength. True unity means embracing those differences while staying anchored in our shared faith and mission. It means valuing each other's perspectives and recognizing that we're stronger together.
2. Build Unity with Intentionality
Hebrews 10:24 says, "...let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds." That phrase "consider how" is worth pausing on. We're supposed to think about how to encourage others-intentionally. When we do, unity grows.
For me, this looks like paying closer attention to those Spirit-prompted moments when someone comes to mind out of the blue. I'm learning to stop, ask God for clarity, and follow the nudge-whether that means sending a text, praying, or checking in.
Almost every time, I find that reaching out was the most meaningful thing I did that day.
3. Contend for Unity with Diligence
Ephesians 4:3 is probably my favorite verse on unity: "Being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Unity isn't automatic-it requires effort. Like vision, unity leaks. If we're not careful, it drifts.
Paul wraps this charge in Ephesians 4:2-6, urging us to fight for unity-but to do it with humility, gentleness, patience, and love.
Last Word: Intentional
So let's be intentional. Let's fight for unity. And let's not forget that this isn't just our calling-it's our testimony to the world.
What about you? How are you intentionally building unity in your ministry? Drop a comment-I'd love to hear your thoughts.