LEARNINGS TO SHARE…

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. -1 Peter 4:10 -NIV

I think there are a lot of reasons why!  But probably one of the biggest is because they just don’t understand why they serve.  In other words, there is a disconnect between getting up early on a Sunday or whatever day and to their life’s focus and purpose!

I honestly believe that most people want to make a difference with their life.  So, it’s easy to get them serving on a ministry team.  But after a while, the thing I notice is that “fall-out” begins to occur and people start “bailing” on serving in the greatest environment that has ever existed known to man…the spiritual life of a church.

For me, and for our leaders at Crossroads, we have to constantly remind people “why” they serve.  Let’s face it, human nature is to be self-centered and selfish and because of that we easily fall into the thinking that we don’t want to “have to go…direct cars in the parking lot, pass out programs, be an usher, watch kids, run the sound, set up or take down ministry environments, etc, etc”.  If we are all honest we have thought these kinds of things.

Leaders have to “lead” others into the understanding that they are not “just” doing any of the above or something else I did not mention, but that they are using a ‘gift they received to administer grace’ to someone in the name of Jesus!!

when someone comes on a Sunday morning and are greeted by a friendly smile and a warm handshake or hug, handed a program, helped to a seat, treated with love and kindness, they are not just filling a spot on a serving rotation, they are using the gift they received to administer grace to someone who may or may not have seen or felt kindness or love all week long!!  When that happens, the church shines and really looks like Jesus and a life is touched and an eternal difference is made!!

More importantly, the person serving, becomes a minister, and not just a volunteer!  And even more important than that, God is glorified!!

I honestly believe that if more leaders would connect these dots to those who serve on the ministry teams they lead, less people would “bail” on serving in the church!!

just sayin…MK

This entry was posted on May 3, 2010 at 3:50 pm and is filed under Serving. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.