Your Church Needs You
Abandoning the consumer mindset regarding church
This is a recycled post from awhile back, but thought it would be a good refresher, as I need to hear it again as well. I didn’t have much time to write the latter part of this week because of an event for the organization I work for, plus my oldest daughter’s kindergarten graduation and dance recital. Enjoy!
The church was instituted by God for the mutual encouragement of those in Christ, to name one reason. Therefore, it’s always a disservice when a Christian decides he or she doesn’t need the church. That attitude by itself is dangerous, as we all very clearly need the local church. However, have we ever considered the other side of this? Don’t ask the question of Do I really need the church? You must ask the question, Does the local church need me?
The answer is unequivocally Yes. Your local church needs you. Church isn’t meant to be a mere consumer product, but a place where believers come together for mutual edification, correction, and other important things. Since the pandemic, many professing Christians used online “church” as a crutch to simply stay home — and they never came back. Not only is that detrimental to their own spiritual walk, but also to the local body of believers.
Again: the church needs you. And not in the sense of showing up late to service and bolting for the door at 12. I have been guilty, many times, of leaving for the door right when service is over. That’s not what we should do. So don’t ask, How can the church serve me? but ask, How can I serve the church?
Mingle after the service. Although I don’t make a good habit of doing this—and realize I need to be more consistent—the thing I appreciate most about my local church is we mingle. Before service, people are chatting. After service, people keep chatting. There’s no running for doors or leaving early if the pastor goes over time. People genuinely want to stay and talk with others because we love one another’s company.
All Christians should make the effort to connect with others before and after the service. Be intentional. Many Christians, including myself unfortunately, make a habit of leaving directly after service. When that happens, we do a disservice to others who may or may not need encouragement.
Use your gifts. Are you called to teach or preach? Has God given you the gift of encouragement or hospitality? We must remember that God has given a gift to all Christians (1 Corinthians 12:12-31).
A devotional in Ligonier’s Tabletalk Magazine observed:
All Christians have the Spirit and gifts for ministry. We must use our gifts to edify one another, for the church cannot function well without our gifts just as our bodies cannot function in their fullness unless every organ is working.
We do a massive disservice to the church when we don’t utilize our gifts. Are you unsure about what your gift is? Pray, but also be around others enough to where they can point it out for you. No one will ever be able to say, “Hey, you’re really good in this area,” if you choose to not put yourself out there.
Lend an ear. Listen to your fellow church members. Let them know you’re there to listen. Make sure they know you care and love them. Sometimes that’s all someone needs—a listening ear.
When you treat church as a consumer product, you’re not merely hurting yourself, but also the one who needs someone to talk to. Go out of your way to listen to someone — even if that someone may or may not annoy you. Your listening ear, you will find, will go a long way in helping that person get through a tough season.
Be open and honest. Transparency is vital to a flourishing church. When you’re open, honest—and even vulnerable—with fellow church members, that creates an atmosphere of transparency, which will ultimately lead to sanctification. Your church needs you to be open and honest.
Of course, the flip side of this is the church needs to create an environment for its congregants to feel like they can be transparent. That’s part of what it means to build a culture of grace. When members aren’t open and honest with each other—and the pastor(s)—that leaves the door open for all kinds of mischief.
Friend, your church needs you. Get to know your fellow church members. Use the gifts God has given you to serve the church. Lend an ear to others when they need someone to talk to—sometimes that’s all it takes to encourage them. Finally, be transparent. For a church to thrive, the church must be made up of individuals who are open and honest.
Excellent article. The Church doesn't belong to the priests. It belongs to all those who are faithful to Jesus Christ 🙏