The privilege of serving the Church through literature

It’s a scriptural truth that all of us who are born again and know the Lord Jesus as our personal Savior are part of the Church, the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12, 13). The fact that OMF Literature is considered a “parachurch” organization does not make it any less a ministry to the Church than if it were housed within the walls of a building that had a sign out front declaring the building a “Church,” or if it were part of a denomination within the Church. 

“The broad concept of parachurch ministry is wonderful. Para in Greek means to come ‘alongside.’ By definition and design, then, parachurch groups ought to come alongside churches to provide ministries those churches cannot fulfill alone…. They assist, they don’t replace.”[1]

What, then, is the role of those who write and produce Christian literature for the Church? It is to serve the members of the Body, the institution that Christ Himself founded and purchased with His own blood.

Each of us who is an author has the responsibility to use his or her gift to minister to the Body in such a way that the Church is built up into maturity. Perhaps the ability to write is part of the gift of teaching—whether we use it to reach children, teens or adults. I, for one, feel that my calling is to write primarily for women, and it has been a great joy to hear back from readers that God has used the message of a book to touch their lives exactly at their point of need. 

What a privilege it is to serve the church, the Body of Christ, in Asia through OMF Literature! Women whom I will never meet during my lifetime can be blessed by the written word. Whether these women live in the mountain tribes of Papua New Guinea or the high-rise condos of Makati, God can reach them with a printed message when it is not possible for me to contact them personally. Thank you, OMF Lit, for making this possible. Together we serve the Church, the Body of Christ, and endeavor to spread the Good News of salvation and encouragement.

You can check out my books at OMF Lit Bookshops or online at shop.omflit.com.

Darlene Sala has had an active ministry role as pastor’s wife, counselor, Bible teacher, missionary, author and leader of Guidelines International Ministries, which creates and shares messages of life-transforming hope in Christ through radio, print and conferences.

[1] Jon Saunders, “The Place and Purpose of Parachurch Ministries,” https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/parachurch-ministry, August 31, 2015, accessed January 22, 2021.