When you think of serving in the church that you regularly attend, you probably think of the pastor, the teachers, the worship leaders, and others who stand up in front of a crowd and lead the church through preaching, teaching, or music. While those are certainly important roles within your church, it’s important to understand that there are other ways for you to serve. These other options don’t only allow you to feel more connected within your church, but they also place you in a more active role within God’s Kingdom.
“Ask not what your church can do for you but ask what you can do for your church.” That’s not technically the way the original quote was presented, but for the sake of today’s study, that’s the principle that we’re going to look at. How can you serve your church?
If you’re a pastor, a teacher, or a worship leader, you may have already figured your role in your church out. Even if you are not serving in a role that puts you in front of a crowd, you may already be helping your church by serving as a treasurer, a deacon, and elder, or one of the other positions discussed in Scripture. If that’s the case, please know that we (the Church as a whole) appreciates you for the service that you provide for your local church body.
However, since most churches have a small leadership team, it stands to reason that there are billions of Christians around the globe who are trying to figure out the best ways to serve their local churches. Make no mistake about it, you were not called to simply fill a seat on Sunday mornings. God saved you and placed you in the church that you call home so you could play a role in that church’s impact on the community. You have a purpose within your local church.
Perhaps you find yourself not knowing where to begin. After all, it may appear that your church has all the bases covered when it comes to fulfilling the mission that God placed into the heart of your pastor. However, there are plenty of opportunities for you to serve within your church. Even more importantly, when you embrace those opportunities, you become a better disciple by furthering God’s Kingdom. If you’re looking for ways to serve your local church, consider some (or all) of these tips.
Pray for Your Church
Ephesians 1:15-17 (NIV)
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking tht the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father ,may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
One of the most powerful ways for you to help your church further its commitment to the Kingdom of God is to earnestly pray for those who serve in church leadership. Additionally, the things outlined by Paul in this passage are great things for you to pray for the congregation of your church.
The fact that your local church needs people who pray for the leadership and the attendees is great news, especially for those of us who consider ourselves to be introverted. Praying for your church doesn’t require you to stand up on a stage, nor does it require you to talk to anyone but God.
First, Paul prayed that the people in the Ephesian Church would experience the “spirit of wisdom and revelation.” These are two vital traits for your church’s leadership. The spirit of wisdom helps them make the decisions that they must make in order to keep your church operating the way God wants it too. The gift of revelation is crucial for pastors, teachers, deacons, and other leaders who present the Word of God to the congregation, as revelation ensures that they understand what they’re teaching.
Finally, you can pray that God helps your entire home church “knows Him better.” A church that truly knows God is a church that advances the Kingdom and changes lives in your community.
Encourage Others
1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
When Paul wrote his epistles that make up a large portion of the New Testament, they were delivered to church leaders, but they were shared with the entire congregations. That means that when Paul wrote commands like the one given in this passage, he was talking to the entire body of believers in the Thessalonian Church.
As Christians, we are called to encourage one another and to build one another up. Not only is this the Godly approach to your brothers and sisters in Christ, but it is also a great way to serve your church. First of all, the other people who attend your church face the same trials and tribulations that you face. They have weeks where work is stressful, homelife is hard, and everything feels like it’s falling apart. When you make yourself an active part of God’s family within the local Church, encouraging your brothers and sisters is a powerful way to serve.
Also, you should look for opportunities to encourage the people who serve in public leadership roles. Have you ever sat through a church service and felt like your pastor’s sermon was speaking directly to you? If so, let him or her know that. Most pastors, preachers, and teachers spend hours during the week seeking God’s will for the upcoming service and strive to deliver the message that God has placed in their hearts for that week. When they find out that their message made an impact, it encourages them to keep pressing. Simply sharing words of encouragement with others is a great way to serve your church.
Supporting Your Church Financially
2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV)
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
One of the most common reasons that people give for not taking on an active leadership role within their church is that they simply don’t have the time. Work demands, family obligations, and any number of other things can make it impossible for you to spend time preparing a lesson for a Bible study class. You may not have the time to put into learning a musical instrument or attending practice with your church’s worship team. In those moments, we once again fall into the trap of assuming that if we can’t be on a stage, we’re not really serving. That’s not the case.
The topic of financial giving is a topic that makes many people uncomfortable. However, Christ tackled the topic head on. In fact, more than 1/3 of the parables of Christ that are recorded in Scripture discuss the topics of money and possessions.
God provides of His people and in turn, His churches. However, He uses His people as that provision in most cases. Giving financially to your local church is a great way to serve and ensures that the vision that God has given your pastoral leadership for the church can be carried out.
While most of us attend our churches once or twice a week, it’s important to note that the church has bills just like any other entity. The electricity costs money. The water costs money. Everything that goes into the church building costs money. If you find yourself too busy with work to serve in a leadership capacity, helping your church through the giving of money is an important way that you can serve.
A Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the body of believers that I am blessed to be a part of. Help me to recognize opportunities to expand Your Kingdom by serving within my church. Even if I don’t stand up and lead others through preaching, teaching, or worship, I know there are other ways that I can serve You through serving my local church. Help me to recognize these opportunities and to seize them. In Christ’s name, Amen.