291. Become A Contributing Partner
Many years ago, I saw a video of a pastor highlighting the difference between a host and a guest. I thought it was a helpful illustration for us to evaluate our church life.
When you are at a party, at first, you might not notice who the hosts or guests are, but soon you realize there is a huge difference between how the two engages.
Hosts are ready to serve. Hosts come early to prepare. Hosts are often the last ones to leave. On the other hand, guests expect to be served. Guests expect the host to be present and early. Guests come late and leave early. We see these differences in a church setting as well.
Everyone begins from a guest. That is perfectly fine. If you are still unsure about where you stand regarding Christian faith, please keep visiting. But if you are a follower of Jesus, remaining as a guest is not normal. Followers of Jesus host because Jesus came to serve.
Deciding to follow Jesus involves changing the way we engage in church, which is His body. (1 Cor 12:27) It means we have chosen to become a functioning body part of Christ.
I’m genuinely grateful that our church has many hosts. We have many people already actively serving in many capacities on Sunday. And if you have been our guests, we are glad you’ve joined us. But we encourage you to start looking for ways to “host”. We believe that growth happens while moving from a satisfied participant to a contributing partner. All of us started our faith journey because we realized we needed God. However, as we grow, we need to realize that God needs us as well for his mission. From setting up of our Sunday service to cleaning, the church needs many people to fulfill its God-given mission.
October is Ministry Month. This is the perfect time to pray and think about your roles in this church. We encourage everyone to have at least one role in Sunday Worship and in their house church. The reason is not to push you to serve. It is because having a role gives you a sense of belonging and provides energy into your church life. But most importantly, it is because contributors are always happier than participants.
Jesus made that point clear when he said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive”. (Acts 20:35)
