Serve

Who are the ministers?
We often think of ministers as the paid professionals, a small group of experts who run the church. God has a different idea. The dream from the beginning was that we would all be “priests” (Exodus 19: 6), that we would all be (as the Hebrew word means) servants or ministers. That’s where some great theologians came up with the idea of “the priesthood of all believers,” which simply means every member is a minister. We highly value every member using his or her gifts and talents in some kind of ministry. It may happen in the church, in the surrounding community or around the world. The gifts God gives and the way we use them to serve are unique to each one of us. The blessing comes when we actually unwrap those gifts and use them to be a blessing to the world.

How do we serve?
There are as many ways to serve as there are people, and an endless array of gifts God gives for service. One way to discover your spiritual gifts for ministry is to take an “inventory” of them, as our leaders and new members often do. Another way is to just dive in: Ask yourself, what is one talent God has given me that could build up this community of faith? It could be anything: From greeting people on Sunday morning to caring for the church grounds, to going on a mission trip to Africa. What is your passion? What are your gifts and talents? Your pastors and staff would love to speak with you about the many opportunities to serve, and the ways in which God would like to do something new through you.

How can I participate?
The following is a list of ways to serve and people to contact to get involved. It’s not an exhaustive list, but it does offer some ways to serve that meet real needs in our community of faith. As you begin to use your gifts in ministry, we may be soon be adding your ministry to the list!

Gifts and Talents Discovery
Elder and Deacons
Operations
Worship Leadership
Mission and Outreach Task
Children and Youth
Building and Grounds
Greeting and Ushering
Campus Security (Sunday morning)
Food Preparation and Service (Sunday morning)
Musical Ensemble
Multi-Media Support
Homeless Shelter (Wednesday evening)
New Life Community