For the Church should be our service

For the Church should be our service,
  ’Tis the perfect will of God;
’Tis the only way of working
  Which the Lord’s apostles trod.

For ’tis God’s eternal purpose
  That the Church His vessel be;
He intends that all our service
  Build His Church continually.

All the gifted persons given
  To the Body by the Head
Are to aid the Church’s building,
  That to fulness she be led.

All the gifts and all the functions,
  All the spirit’s power shown,
All the ministries are given
  For the Church and that alone.

All the preaching of the Gospel,
  All the teaching ministry,
Every other kind of service
  For the church alone should be.

Ministry is for the Churches,
  Not the Church for ministry;
All the lampstands are the Churches,
  Not a form of ministry.

This will keep the Church’s oneness,
  Saving us from every sect;
This will ever test our motives,
  And our aim will thus correct.

Lord, deliver us from our work,
  From the work of any sect;
For Thy Church alone we’d labor
  And its building up effect.