The service of others is a cornerstone of the Christian faith. After all, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

If we are simply following the example of how Christ lived his life here on earth, we see that service to those around him was a huge part of his day to day life. As the Son of Man, King of kings, and Lord of lords, he humbled himself when he didn’t have to. He did the dirty and hard jobs, all to give us an example to live by and to ultimately spread the Love of God.

If Jesus himself spent much of his days serving others, we have no excuse. No human is above serving others, not one of us is too good to be the hands and feet of Christ.

The Importance of Serving In The Church

The unique aspect of serving others is that it will almost always benefit everyone involved. Not only will you make a difference in the people you are serving, but they will likely make a difference in you. And when you invite the Lord into your serving, there is no end to the impact that can be made.

One of the easiest ways to find a spot to serve is to serve within your church. Churches are different from almost any other entity in that they operate best and are successful when they have people serving. You could even say that without volunteers, most churches wouldn’t survive.

Today, churches usually have a wide range of serving opportunities to fit where you feel comfortable or even find ways you can serve that match your gifts and talents. From greeters and ushers to tech and production volunteers, the church needs everyone playing their part to advance the kingdom.

Serving Can Lead to Life Transformation

When serving in the church, you will get a front-row seat to witness God transforming hearts and changing lives.

When you greet at the front door of your church, you are helping newcomers feel welcome and directing their way, immediately taking away the pressure of a first-time visit and instead, welcoming them into a church family.

When you serve coffee at the cafe, you are giving a mom the caffeine boost and comfort she needs to focus during the service and be refreshed by the spirit.

When you pray for those in need of prayer, you are offering encouragement through the Holy Spirit to those seeking a miracle or breakthrough.

When you help operate the lights and video, you are setting the stage for the message of the gospel to be delivered to each individual in the room.

In first Corinthians 12, the Bible talks about how each part of our physical bodies was created differently but for equally important and unique roles. Similarly, each member of the body of Christ is created differently with unique gifts and talents and each one is equally important to the whole.

Any part you play in serving your church, whether you view it as small or large, is important and contributes to the greater call of the church, to expand the kingdom of God.

Serving Can Lead to Community

Serving within your church will also bring you into a community. One of the best ways to make a large church feel small is to serve. As you serve alongside others, you will not only meet other people with similar interests, gifts, or talents but God will align your hearts as you serve together. Community grows strong when it is built on a foundation of service, as God bonds people through what they will experience in him.

Serving Can Lead to Obedience

Serving is an act of obedience, as God calls us to follow Jesus’s example. God is pleased as you step out in faith and obedience to serve within your church. Don’t let the enemy rob you of what God wants to do in and through you within your church body. Your gifts matter, the role he has called you to play is significant no matter what it looks like.

The Importance of Serving In The Community

Just as we need people serving within the church, we need people going out beyond the walls of the church into their local and global communities. We can’t just sit back and wait for those who will walk through the doors but we must go to those who are lost and hurting as God calls us.

“Through the pages of the Gospels, we see Jesus model a “show and tell” life and ministry to His followers—He “showed” them how to serve by healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and caring for the poor—and while He was demonstrating compassion, He taught them, “telling” them of God’s immense love. This is the way to show God’s heart of compassion for the people in our cities and towns, and this is the way to break down barriers so people will listen to the life-changing message of the gospel of grace.”

This “show and tell” method modeled by Jesus as he walked on earth is an excellent playbook for us to follow as we seek to reach our communities. While, yes, we ultimately want people to know and accept the love of Jesus, one of the best ways to introduce this love is to show it.

Meeting physical needs such as volunteering at a food shelf, offering blankets to the homeless, or weeding your neighbors garden is often the first step to meeting the spiritual needs we know we all have.

Serving Opportunities in Your Community

Torchable exists to connect individuals, groups, churches, and communities. Oftentimes we see people hungry and desiring to serve their communities, but believe it or not, it can be hard to know where to start or even find opportunities to serve.

It is disheartening to see God call his people to serve and to see that call go unanswered as people struggle to find ways to use their gifts and talents to serve others and invest in the kingdom.

Torchable serving opportunities will help Christ-followers view serving opportunities within their church and local communities. It is our prayer that connecting these opportunities to YOU, who are ready and willing to serve, will help equip organizations and churches who are serving and advancing our communities to do more than they ever could before!