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Serve Like Jesus

Serve Like Jesus

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If you were given a multiple-choice test with this one question, how would you honestly answer it?

“How would you describe your involvement in your local church?”

A.) I don’t feel like I have much to offer. I feel unqualified.

B.) I am hesitant to get involved because of past hurt.

C.) I recognize the importance of serving and I feel I am adequately involved.

D.) I don’t really want to serve. Honestly, I want to come and be lazy.

Recently I read an article in Christianity Today that discussed some of the reasons many church members remain perpetually uninvolved. If you most identify with answer “A” from the question above, I would like to encourage you, as Pastor Duane did a few weeks ago to take a spiritual gifts inventory and look into the gifting God has given you. In 1 Peter 4:10, we are reminded “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.”

Maybe you find yourself at Hope because you were hurt by someone, maybe even your previous church or its church leaders. If you best resonate with answer “B”, than we want to love you and extend grace to you. A time to serve will come, but first we want to serve you; come along side of you and spur you on as Hebrews 10:24 says “to acts of love and good works.”

Each week I am amazed at the number of people who thanklessly serve our church and enable us to effectively minister in our church and community.

  • Sunday school teachers, nursery attendants, youth coaches, worship team, tech team, creative arts team, coffee cart, greeters, landscape crew, building corps, care team, prayer team, altar team, women’s ministry, men’s ministry team, grow group leaders – just to name a few.

Two Sundays ago we welcomed 10 gifted individuals as new members of our church body. Pastor Brandon gave each of them a great little book called “I Am a Church Member.” In this short read, author Tom Rainer discusses what it means to be a healthy, functioning part of the body of Christ. This past Sunday we caught a glimpse of what our Vacation Bible School looked like each Wednesday evening in June. If you were around to participate in the excitement, I trust you were encouraged to see so many of our youth and adults volunteering together. As people lived out choice “C” from the question above, it was one of those times when I saw a glimpse of the church functioning at its best. What a blessing!

Finally, I am not usually a tail kicker, but if you answered “D” above, then maybe it is time to get off of the sidelines and get in the game. Perhaps you simply do not want to serve. It certainly is easier to be an object of the churches ministry than to be a partner in it. Charles Spurgeon said, “Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter.” I tend to agree and think that laziness is contagious; on the flip side, I have seen something equally as infectious about serving together. We function at our best when all parts of the body are working in sync. If you have been attending Hope and have been looking for a way to be more involved, I urge you to consider serving in one of the ministries listed above.

Hope Covenant Church has a vision to see people connect with God and others, grow in faith, and serve in love. The church was commissioned by Jesus to make disciples and the only way that task can be accomplished outside our walls is to have engaged, active and involved disciples within our walls.

God Bless,

Ryan Formal-cropped

 

Pastor Ryan

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