Can Christian service be done outside of the church? What opportunities are there for
Christian service?
Opportunities to serve Christ are not limited to what takes place among gatherings of Christians.
God calls us to serve Him in many ways. As Colossians 3:17 teaches, "And whatever you do, in
word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father
through him."
In fact, in Mark 9:41 Jesus taught, "For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to
drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward." No act of service is too
small. The woman who anointed Jesus with oil was ridiculed by others. Jesus said to leave her
alone; "she has done what she could" (Mark 14:8).
In addition to a wide variety of ministry opportunities within the local church, God offers many
examples of service beyond the local congregation. Of great importance is missionary activity
that takes the gospel message to those who have yet to hear (Acts 13:1-5; Matthew 28:18-20;
Acts 1:8).
Further, many forms of humanitarian service can offer tremendous help to others while opening
opportunities to share faith. These can include the areas mentioned in Matthew 25 in which Jesus
calls people to serve the "least of these" that include: "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I
was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you
clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me" (vv. 35-36).
Related ministries today could include service to the hungry, providing clean water for those
without, homeless outreach, urban ministry, services to immigrants or refugees, anti-trafficking
work, providing clothing for people, engaging in fair trade, employment assistance/micro-
enterprise, medical ministry, hospice care, prison ministry, or service to law enforcement as a
minister or chaplain.
The Bible also often emphasizes the importance of education, caring for children, and service to
widows. James 1:27 even teaches, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is
this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the
world." Personal purity and service to those in need are considered high priorities for the
believer.
A final example can be seen in the account of the Good Samaritan. The man who stopped to help
was considered the one who was a neighbor to the man in need. Jesus said, "You go, and do
likewise" (Luke 10:37). The application is that believers are to find those in need and make an
effort to serve based on those needs. Many roles exist for Christians to serve beyond the church's
internal ministries. Scripture offers numerous examples, yet God often places needs right in front
of us where we can use our gifts, abilities, and resources to help those in need.
Serving allows us to experience miracles
In John 2, Jesus was at a wedding and the couple was running out of wine for its guests. He tells
the servants to fill several big jars to the brim. When they served the water to the guests, it was
wine! The guests never knew what happened. The servants were the ones that witnessed the
miracle. The same is true for us when we serve.
• Serving allows us to experience the joy and peace that comes from obedience.
1 Peter 4:10-11 says, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as
faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms… so that in all things God may be praised
through Jesus Christ.” Serving is a form of worship, a way to express gratitude for what Jesus
has done for us, and to share the love and grace we’ve been given.
• Serving helps us to be more like Jesus.
We shift our focus off of ourselves onto others through serving. We begin to see others as Jesus
sees them. And we see Jesus IN others (Matthew 25:40).
• Serving surrounds us with other Christians, who can help us follow Jesus.
When we’re working side by side with other people, a bond inevitably forms. This was part of
God’s plan for how the church is supposed to work. That’s why Hebrews 10:24-25 instructs us to
“spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together… but
encouraging one another.”
• Serving increases our faith.
As we move out of our comfort zones, God increases our faith by revealing new potential — in
ourselves and in His Church. When we see what He can do, when His power is at work within
us, we begin looking for the doors He’s opening, rather than pushing our way through the one’s
He’s closed (Ephesians 3:20).
• Serving allows us to experience God’s presence in new ways.
Encouragement and healing go hand-in-hand. As we encourage others and they find healing,
we’re encouraged. It’s the reason so many people that go on mission trips say they came home
feeling like they got more than they gave.
We make all sorts of rational explanations for not serving:
I don’t have time.
I don’t know what I would do.
I don’t have any special skills to contribute.
They don’t need me.
But the reality is the Lord doesn’t call the equipped; He equips the called. God used men and
women with similar doubts to change the course of history. Moses didn’t think he was a leader or
speaker, but God worked through Moses to bring Israel out of slavery. David was the youngest
(and therefore most insignificant) of all his brothers, but God worked through David to defeat a
giant and eventually made him a king. Paul used to kill Christians before he met Jesus, but he
went on to become one of the most highly-regarded and prolific writers/church planters in
history.
Purpose of a Worship Service
The worship service is less like servants entering the throne room to wait on the king’s needs and
more like a father joining his family around the dining room table. Why go to church? What’s
the purpose of participating in a worship service? For many, the answer might be, “Because it’s
the right thing to do.” For others, the answer could be, “Well, that’s what we’ve always done on
Sundays.” Still, others might answer, “To glorify God.”
While some of these answers have kept some people participating in and attending worship,
decades of dwindling church attendance show that these are not sustainable reasons to participate
in a church worship service regularly. So let’s look at three good reasons from Scripture.
The first reason is to meet with the creator of all things in a sure and knowable way. How can we
be sure God is there? He promises to be. He promises to be there most assuredly in his Word and
sacraments. That Word that is synonymous with his presence is his name. We worship in the
name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit because, as Jesus says, “where two or three are gathered
in my name, there am I among them” (Matt. 18:20).
This brings us to the second reason and an important distinction. Paul writes in Galatians 3:14,
“that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles so that we might
receive the promised Spirit through faith.” The second reason to participate in a worship service
is to receive the Holy Spirit and the faith we need to believe in God. By that faith, we receive the
forgiveness of our sin through his Word and sacraments.
The important distinction to be made is how we “participate” in the worship service. We are not
the primary actors in a worship service. God is. We are recipients of God’s mercy and grace. He
always makes the first move. He calls us to worship in his presence and gives us what we need:
faith to believe him and the words to say back to him in petition and praise.
While we meet with the creator of all things to offer praise and thanksgiving and to pray for
others, we don’t do those things to bring God down or to serve him in some way. The worship
service is less like servants entering the throne room to wait on the king’s needs and more like a
father joining his family around the dining room table. He comes to us to be with us, to serve us
by giving us his gifts in Word and sacrament.
This brings us to our third reason. Because we are primarily passive receivers, any of our active
participation, our response to God first loving us, is for our neighbors. God does not need our
praise to validate himself. Rather, as we sing the hymns, speak the words of the liturgy, and
receive the sacraments, we are doing what Paul urges the Colossians to do: “Let the word of
Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Col. 3:16).
By participating in worship, we teach and encourage our neighbors, who teach and encourage us.
We proclaim the truth of the Gospel to one another. We stand alongside each other as confessors
of the Christian faith. Together we receive forgiveness as fellow sinners dining with the author
and perfecter of our faith at the communion table.
The Benefits of Serving God in Your Youth
When kids serve at church, they are doing God's work. God doesn't care about their age or stage
of life. He cares that His children are reflecting the body of Christ and serving others before
themselves. The benefits of serving God in your youth are plentiful! This time spent serving
others truly lays a solid Biblical foundation for them as they enter into adulthood (and the
problems and obstacles they'll face there).
While it is important that kids go to church, just going isn't enough! By getting them involved
and serving on Sundays (or other times), they will get so much more of a spiritual fill than
simply sitting in service on Sunday morning! If they aren't serving, they are really missing out on
so much more!
I have seen my daughter and her friends grow in so many ways over the last few years through
their serving. I see them alongside some of the friends that don't serve and it is a noticeable
difference! They just have this confidence (some like to call it “God-fidence”) about them. They
take more pride in themselves and the things they do and how they act. And they are more
grounded in their faith!
L
Here are 11 specific benefits of serving God in your youth that my daughter and I came up
with:
Responsibility and Accountability – When youth serve at church, they are learning
responsibility. Even if they have chores at home, it is important for them to learn
responsibility in a variety of ways. Whether they are simply tasked with holding a door
open for church visitors or prepping the coffee area, they are learning that their help is an
important part of making church happen. My daughter loves that she is given greater
responsibility each year. She takes such ownership in “I'm in charge of ….” each Sunday
and makes it a point to get their early so she can get prepared.
Problem-solving skills – Just because it is church doesn't mean there won't be
problems! How to get a cranky toddler to cheer up? Several volunteers didn't show up so
who is going to do their duties? My daughter is always letting me know about the
problems they had and how they figured them out.
Confidence – When kids serve at church, it builds their confidence. Kids need to be
given things to do so they can feel needed and important. When they do something well
and are thanked or acknowledged by church staff or other leadership volunteers, this
significantly builds their self-esteem into believing they can do more.
Healthy Relationships – When youth serve at church, they are surrounded by other
Godly people treating each other with respect. Many kids today just don't have this at
home. They don't know how a Godly man or woman acts or behaves because they don't
have anyone like that in their life to model after. By serving at church, they can observe
others interacting and treating each other. They can see healthy ways to deal with issues
or stressful situations.
Find mentors – Every child needs a mentor of some kind. By serving at church, they
will be serving alongside Godly men and women who can pour into them, encourage
them, and even take them under their wing. This is especially true for kids that don't have
the best home life. Our youth pastor (or one of the college mentors) brings this one kid to
church every Sunday (and Wednesday). He hangs out and serves for all 4 services on
Sunday. Apparently, his home life isn't the best and our youth pastor realized this.
Because they make a point to go pick up this kid, he is being surrounded by and mentored
by so many loving adults for the better part of his Sunday every single week!
Bible Verses About Serving God in Your Youth
The Bible speaks often about the importance of serving God and serving others before ourselves.
These particular verses really drive home the importance of kids serving God in their youth and
how it impacts them in so many ways. When you get your kids connected to and engaged by
serving at church, you are laying the foundation for them to understand the importance of serving
God so they won't be so easily swayed away from their faith as they grow older and are exposed
to more temptation.
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the
believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12 NIV
When kids serve God, they are no longer just silly kids. They are now providing an example for
their non-believer friends to see. We need more youth who are willing to be bold in their faith so
their lost friends will have the opportunity to know Jesus!
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for
building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians
4:19 NIV
The more time our youth spend surrounded by others who speak life into each other, the more
that becomes the norm for their own speech. They'll know their true value in Christ and only
want the same for their friends.
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do
not give up.” Galatians 6:9 NIV
By serving from an early age, we are teaching our youth about the reward that awaits them in
Heaven. This mindset will carry over into the time they have here on Earth and create a strong
work ethic for them which is so important as they transition into adulthood.
How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
By living according to your word.” Psalm 119:9 NIV
The more time kids spend surrounded by other Godly people, the less they'll stray from God's
word. For teenagers, being surrounded by other Godly teens can help fight the normal
temptations that teens face and they'll face.
