In a small group my husband and I visited, the topic of “serving the church” came up.
Tim and I both began thinking about the people the Lord had brought into our lives, listening to their stories, talking to them about the goodness of God, helping them with day-to-day needs, and reaching out to them in the down and dirty places of life.
But discussion in the group took a different direction. They began talking about being parking lot attendants, ushers, and instrument-players.
None of those things are bad; in fact they may be good. But Tim and I both realized that the people in the group were thinking of the church only as an organizational structure on a certain piece of property, and that in their minds “serving the church” had to be defined in those parameters.
I’m not sure why I was surprised, but I was.
But for Tim and me and for many people I know, much of “serving the church” takes place outside the scope of the physical, organizational building and meetings called “church.”
I know the people of that small group would have agreed that taking a meal to someone in the church for whom a meal list has been created is “serving the church.”
But isn’t it every bit as much serving the church to take a meal to a Christian who isn’t on the church’s radar? It is serving the church to help people who go to another church or don’t go to church.
It can even be serving the church to go hiking with your children.
Not long ago I met with someone for whom “serving the church” almost destroyed their family because it had become a tool of spiritual abuse.
In churches that manipulate and control, a person’s spiritual maturity is measured by his “faithfulness” or “loyalty,” which is defined as “serving the church,” which is defined as advancing the organization that meets on a certain physical piece of property, with a certain important person at the helm.
“Leadership” in the family can become simply delivering orders to the children, because the parents are seldom there, being so busy “serving the church,” which if they don’t do will become a source of shame and guilt.
In some church organizations, a person’s spiritual merits are determined by such things, and their qualifications as future leaders may hang in the balance of their performance.
But that’s not the way of Christ.
His Church is His people, scattered all over creation, meeting in various bodies (or sometimes, sadly, not). For us to “serve His Church,” His Church, the Church of our Lord Jesus, we are delighting to “do good to everyone, especially to those who are of the household of faith,” as Galatians 6:10 says, wherever they may be.
Some of us are called to wash feet, some to rescue lambs, some to feed the poor, some to expound the truth of the Word of God. There are myriads of possibilities, as many as there are needs and ideas for ways to fulfill them. Volunteering for scheduled church events on the church property can be included, but this is only one of many ways.
The overriding characteristic that brings all these types of service together is Love.
If we’re helping other Christians with the eternal in view, we’re serving the Church.
If we do it with joy from the power of the Spirit, God is pleased, This is not because we need to earn points with Him, but because helping others is a natural outpouring of the love and power He has poured into us, and He loves to see the fruit of His work.
This is a way of freedom. This is a way of joy.
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This is great. I have a question though – I notice you kept putting “serve the church” in quotes. Where does this command originally come from? Isn’t it something the men inside the four walls made up to keep their organizations running? Or is there a scriptural command to “serve the church” that I’m not aware of? I’m wondering why we are even trying to define a man made command in the first place, if that makes sense?
> In churches that manipulate and control, a person’s spiritual maturity is measured by his “faithfulness” or “loyalty,” which is defined as “serving the church,” which is defined as advancing the organization that meets on a certain physical piece of property, with a certain important person at the helm.<
Well put. Thanks for helping your readers connect the dots on how the church too often measures "biblical faithfulness." Honestly, in a way I sympathize with people running institutional churches. Everybody wants metrics, but undocumented acts of loving service that don't benefit the organization can't be measured. New member rolls, community outreach projects (documented with cameras and blog posts) and the like are a much more comfortable fit for the IC.
Borrowing from the "if a tree falls in the forest" conundrum, is it really ministry if no one observes it?
Sigh.
ST, the post was prompted because of talking with the person who had been religiously abused and also because of the small group discussion. After I wrote it, though, I looked up the term and found out it was a man-made term. Maybe I could write an addendum, something along the lines of how we’re just supposed to serve people. But a thought worth considering, I think, is the response of those outside the church in the early days of Christianity, who said about the Christians (the church), “Behold, how they love one another.”
This means those in the church were loving each other in an observable way that I think we could conclude was some form of “service.” But I believe that “service” was focused acts of kindness and love from individual to individual rather than from individual to institution.
Vicki S., I assume “IC” means “institutional church”? You made me laugh with your “tree falls” analogy. I assume the person who is being ministered to will observe it! And even if they don’t, if it’s ministry done in secret, of course God observes it, but His pleasure in it comes not because it’s one more tick on our “merit card,” but because it is the good fruit being born out naturally of a life lived out of the vine, and what husbandman wouldn’t be pleased with that?
I think a lot of us are seeing that much of the institutional church is getting really far afield from what God sees as His church and what He desires of His church.
“Serving the church” is what leaders use as a tool if you do not do things just the way they like it. They will take away those service areas you are involved in as punishment. It does not have to be a consequence of your sin. It is more likely that you bothered a leader or even became better at what you did than a leader… Since they encourage people to get involved to be part of the community, taking away serving also takes away community in thatmodel of church! Such a tragedy. The one needing help for whatever reason is further isolated from community. And, the ones being served lose out on being loved.
That’s difficult, of course, but if we don’t limit ‘serving the church’ to what the church leaders can control, then it there will be fewer possibilities of this happening.
I know this article was from a while ago but it still applies for sure. I do not want to serve in my Church and in part left due to it and I know others who avoid the Church because of not wanting to serve or fear of being fried from it. I do serve out of the Church. I deal with the homeless, give money, speak the WORD to them, buy them food, etc. But for me serving in my church would bring great sadness, Just getting there is tough for me. Never mind getting there early and serving. Back issues, etc. getting older. Feel like I am performing more than doing it out of joy. So I now am at another one and if they want me to serve, more likely not, but if they do I will not. I feel it ruins my Church experience. I know someone who served for a bit and he was so tired from it. It was too much so he stopped going to it on Sunday. I think serving drives people to leave Churches. Not all obviously but if the pressure is applied, they will leave. Others dive into it.
This is why home Churches are a good alternative. Get some folks together and that is that. The serving is just doing normal things and not over the top, get there early and stay around long. It’s just too long and drains the experience for me and others. Hey, I am just “keeping it real” as they say. This is also why folks like Catholic Churches. Yes, there is serving but it’s nothing like at Christian Churches. Not nearly as many are needed.
Thanks for your thoughts, Bob. There are so many ways to “serve the church” other than just what’s done in the context of the church property or the church schedule!
Amen.The fellow I was speaking of, he literally gets afraid because a new Church is being built and he was like, Oh boy that means more calls to serve as in crack the whip to do it. lol. Thus he stopped going. It’s long. People need to be honest. No doubt some people are called to it the way I am the homeless.
The Apostles met everyday or extremely often. How many do that today? Very few. The Bible in Isaiah says to take the homeless in your homes. How many do that today? And you cannot blame them. It’s fear. I know some do it but I am sure it’s more people they know in tough times.
Yet obviously, Churches, as they grow, need folks to serve. The issue is how long or get the ones who love doing it. Or streamline it as much as possible. Some Churches seem to have many working there while others not so much.
I also think simply the love of the Church plays a role. If you love something or someone, you will go all out or darn close. If you have a kind of ” I have to do this” attitude, it gets played out fast.
I definitely do not think a ton of ushers are needed at Church. Some? Yes. But with the collection so much internet donated now, that has take a huge hit on collecting right there in the Church. Plus many Churches also have slots to put your tithe/offering in.. Seating? I mean people know how to sit, right? lol.. But of course I understand the need for some ushers.
I do think a Pastor should push people to serve in the world, obviously. But it is an individual thing. One may love Church serving and as you say there are many ways to serve. Yet another may quietly work in a food pantry nothing to do with the Church. Or giving money to people,etc.
I think may folks stay home now and watch on the net, too, because they don’t want to go to the building for fear of having to do stuff. The net is great but being in the building is far better. You feel the body of Worshippers and the SPIRIT moving more.
I will for sure read your site more. You helped me blow off steam. lol.. It’s an issue people fear talking about.. Thank you.
Yes to these things–there are so many ways to serve the body of Christ. The needs are very great, and the opportunities are many.