Ever wondered what needs to happen before you step into church every week? How nice it would be if things could just magically fall in place. The reality though is that every week before the first member even steps into the church, a team of staff and volunteers are already hard at work readying the ground for everyone. The chairs and tables need to be decked out, snacks and beverages need to be prepared, and audio and visual systems readied.
And just as the work is tiring, it is often thankless. Our staff and volunteers are limited frail human beings after all and can do better for themselves by sleeping in rather than being up early and setting things up. Why should we time-poor overloaded Singaporeans do any more acts of service when life is already so busy?
Thankfully we have Jesus the ultimate servant as the reason. Jesus the Servant King entered into our broken world not to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45). He emptied himself by taking the form of a servant and calls us not only to look out for our own interests but also the interests of others (Philippians 2). The entire shape of service is to reflect Jesus.
Thank God for the many staff and volunteers who serve tirelessly and steadily behind the scenes in big and small ways. Many times unseen; unnoticed; unappreciated. This note encourages our volunteers that the Lord cares about how we love one another in his church. Such acts of service also complement those who are preaching and teaching God’s word, making it possible to move people toward King Jesus together with greater ease!
Everyone in the church has a part to play. Ministry is doing the Lord’s work. God has called every one of us into service and he gives different tasks to people to do. What counts is faithful service with joy and kindness!
Will you come alongside? Even when we don’t feel like it, do we look for ways to serve? We don’t need to wait for our lives to be in complete order and then start to come along to serve. As the song lyrics from “Servants of the Gospel” aptly write:
Marked with His Holy Spirit
And guided by His word
Christ gathers us together
Prepares us for good works
And so with grace apportioned
We serve each others needs
Sharing in each blessing
And helping in our grief
May God help us to love and serve one another until He returns!
In Christ’s love and mine,
Jiamin, Executive Manager
