I was recently talking to someone who attends our church about their need to serve. They faithfully come to church every Sunday, but don’t serve anywhere. They were very reluctant, citing that they would love to serve, but they were “too busy.”
The conversation prompted me to reflect on my own experience in the church just before making the decision to follow Christ and just after.
Back in 1998 my wife and I began to attend a church regularly for the first time. We loved it! It met in a movie theater, the music was awesome, and the speaking wasn’t bad either. After about a year, we attended a “Ministry Fair.” The Fair was an event that highlighted all the ways attendees could serve in the church. Being a “gadget guy” I was drawn to the Technical Arts booth, immediately connecting with the leader of the Tech Team. I said, sign me up! The following Sunday I began training on the soundboard, and it wasn’t long before I was running sound once a month. I also began to show up when I wasn’t on the schedule, knowing that they needed help … lots of setup and teardown!
Relative to my conversation the other day, I too was “busy.” I was a product line director for a major instrumentation manufacturer. My job included many 60+ hour weeks and lots of travel. But, I somehow found a way to be at church almost every Sunday to help out. Hmmm … I wasn’t even a Christ follower at that point. Being so busy working all the time, taking care of my family, etc. how (or why?) was I somehow able to serve my church?
Two years later in June of 2000, my wife and I made the decision to follow Christ and were baptized the last Sunday at that church before moving to Pennsylvania. I was moving my family in pursuit of a significant promotion to Vice President. This position not only offered me lots more money; it meant even more hours per week and much more travel. So, I would now be even more “busy.”
Shortly after our move, being Christ followers and all, we found this new church that was about to begin having public services that fall. I remember showing up for the first night at Brian’s (our Senior Pastor) house for a Bible study/launch meeting. My wife and I walked into the house, got some food, met a bunch of new people, and immediately connected with the leader of the ministry in which we knew we would be serving. I remember finding the worship leader and asking, “So, do you have a sound guy yet?” He said that he had one other guy interested but that was it. I said, “I’m your guy, sign me up!” I told him that as long as I was around he wouldn’t have to worry about having the soundboard covered … that I would be there every Sunday to serve.
We had our first public service in the movie theater on Sunday, October 1, 2000. Since that time, I’ve been there every Sunday one way or another (busy life or not).
As a Christ follower I know as Bill Hybels puts it, “the local church is the hope of the world.” Knowing that, you couldn’t keep me from serving even if you tried. How did I come to know that? Aside from reading the Bible, really believing what I say I believe, and looking around on Sunday and seeing that there is much to be done, I guess I really don’t know.
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September 17th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Justin,
Good stuff! I agree completely that God uses one’s involvement in serving along the way toward becoming a follower.
Thanks for visiting!
September 16th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
I love this post. There are a few things I would like to comment on.
1) The fact that you say you were not a follower of Christ but still served within the Church body shows the importance of getting people involved. Do you think you would have committed to Christ if it was not for finding a place to get involved? I know people get saved without serving but I think serving helps draw people to Christ. This is why it is important for ministry leaders to reach out to regular attendees and new comers and ask them to get involved. As ministry leaders we need to realize we are doing them a favor in getting them involved not them do us a favor.
2) People but especially men need to have ownership of something. I think that the more we can get men involved in serving the body the more they feel like they are a part of the church. They take ownership, they belong to something and it becomes important to them. I was one of those men that would go to a church but not get involved and eventually I would leave that church. It was not until I decided to get involve and serve that my church became my home.
3) We all need to realize that we are all parts of the body. We all have our part to do and if we do not do our part something is missing and the body suffers. I know people say they are to busy but how many lives would be changed if they would do their part. The pastor and staff of a church cannot do everything, as attendees of a church body we are just as important in fulfilling the Great Commission. Sometimes it talking to people, sometimes it is cleaning the church, greeting, children’s or as in your case running the soundboard. We all have our part and we all need to step up and stop making accuses. One day we will stand before God and he will say, “I called you to do ,_____, with in your church body” what will we say. I was too busy.
September 8th, 2009 at 11:51 am
David,
I see your point! I guess my use of the “title” requires a little definition. Since only God knows a person’s heart, I am referring to those who have come, attended for a while, gotten baptized, and in some cases signed a membership covenant.
They continue to come back, occupying a seat and doing little else.
September 4th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Reading through this post I was drawn to your title statement. What’s Up with Christ Followers Who Don’t Serve in the Church? The two words which you used to identify the group was Christ Followers.
Those that have surrendered to the Loving Grace of a Risen Lord, so serve, and give. Why would you assume that those that do not serve, and do not give, are Followers of Christ, and not just people who attend church. I do believe their is a difference.