Dear Friends,
My experience serving the Church began at a young age when I watched my dad sing in the choir, usher, and teach Sunday School classes. The relationships he made impacted my family directly as many of those people became close family friends that we did life with through my youth. Then, as an adult, it was natural for me to participate in our children’s ministry classes and serve on the hostess committee. Again, I still have relationships with the people I worked alongside and know I can count on them for prayer, intercession, and true Christian guidance in my life decisions. Memories abound of all the people I mentioned who came into our lives through our actions of service, and I can still see the growth in our faith as an outcome.
Serving directly increases our faith and allows us to experience God’s power firsthand.
Through serving, God gives us a front-row seat to how God transforms lives.
Watching God work in someone else’s life increases our faith. In John 2:1-11, Jesus performs His first miracle at a wedding in Cana by turning the water into wine. Other than Mary, Jesus’ mother, only the servers at the wedding witnessed this miracle. The wedding attendees received the benefit of the new wine, and the wedding party saved face because of the miracle, but it was the servers who had the first opportunity to witness Jesus’ power. Serving allows us to experience God’s power firsthand, naturally producing faith in us.
The experience of serving communion here at First Church has most recently grown my personal faith. Being part of that sacred spiritual moment stirs reverent feelings and has drawn me closer to God. Being gifted the task of welcoming guests to First Church has also spiked my faith, as I am renewed each time I see people seeking God through our church.
God has gifted you, and you are incredibly valuable to God and the church.
Using my spiritual gifts of hospitality and faith, I have felt my fullest joy in serving others. Ephesians 2:10 explains why: “… we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do.”
You and your gifts are incredibly valuable to God and the church. Ephesians 4 goes on to explain how important every individual is to the church. God also uses our serving and those we serve with to reveal our gifts to us. 1 Peter 4:10 says, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” When we share our gifts to serve God and others, we experience the joy we were made for!
Serving draws us into authentic community.
If I had to choose one word to describe how serving has affected my life, it would be “friendship.” As I began this post, I shared how relationships formed through church service continue to this day. Truly, these friendships are at the core of my faith and the people I turn to in times of hardship or uncertainty. Knowing they share my faith in God has always encouraged me.
In John 17, Jesus prayed for God to protect us so we would be one as He and God are one. This oneness is best experienced in and through participation in the church — by serving and loving one another well.
Serving requires obedience and redirects our focus to Jesus.
The simplest way to follow Jesus is by doing what He did. In Matthew 20:28, Jesus tells us He came to serve, not be served. By being obedient to follow Jesus in this way, we get to know Him on a new level because we experience firsthand His love for others.
Caring for and serving others redirects our focus.
God redirects our focus when we begin to care for and serve others. We have all experienced the moment we hear of another’s struggles and step in to assist someone through a hardship. God urges us to do all we can for our friends, from intercessory prayer to giving money, a meal, or offering transport, redirecting our focus to them instead of ourselves.
Don’t ever think that the church doesn’t need you; this will rob you of the joys God has planned for you to experience through serving. So begin your faith journey today and see who God has planned for you to meet and learn from as you serve alongside them. Join us at First Church and get involved. God will honor your faith and grow it into blessings and friendship!
Grace and peace,
Angie Parish
Director of Connection and Welcoming
Is serving your next step? Visit the On-Ramp any Sunday following services to learn how or where to serve. Or click here to sign up for an open spot today!
