Snapshots: How I Try to Serve My Church Monday Through Saturday
Kaycie Berthelson
Getting coffee with a member of my church family is one of my greatest joys. Ok, it would be fair to say that this does feel self-serving but I believe there are mutual benefits. Sunday mornings trying to catch up with close friends, good friends, new friends, and guests at our church sometimes feels impossible. Monday through Saturday however, with a cup of coffee, that is the best time. Spending time with a church friend where we can talk about our lives, testimonies, greatest struggles, joys, good reads, verses to memorize, and all the rest is how I get to live life with my church family. In my Monday through Saturday, I hope to echo the sentiments of Paul in Romans 1:11-12: “For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.” I desperately need the faith of my friends to encourage me throughout the week.
No it doesn’t have to be coffee, or even a great meal, or anything of the like. The key part of it all is who is involved. Sisters or brothers in Christ getting to share in life together. That is a great blessing. It is often easy for me to feel that much of my week is perfunctory. But this part of my week, spending time with a dear member of my church, is a blessed sort of sanctification. I get to share my life with other believers and they get to share theirs with me. We get to know each other. Not in a shallow way that can feel tempting as it is low risk and avoids the mess of deeply knowing someone. But instead as a church body we can share sin strug gles, our burdens, prayers, and ultimately point each other to the cross of Christ where we can dwell on the gospel together.
In order to do all these things well, the main thing that benefits my 59 friends Monday through Saturday is the time I spend with my Savior. My time with Christ benefits my church family directly. If you as my friend need encouragement would you like some of my thoughts or would you like the truth I have gleaned from God’s Word? During your shared struggle would you like me to say “that’s tough” and move on or would it benefit us both greatly to stop and pray together? Faithful practice of time with God, praying through the membership directory, consistently reading and studying His Word, and memorizing Scripture all directly benefit the people I get to meet with throughout the week. And when all of those things are hard, those friends I get to meet with during the week directly help encourage me to try again. The time all of you spend with Christ has grown me and encouraged me Monday through Saturday to love my Savior more. My quiet time is not mine alone. Loving God’s Word and praying regularly directly benefit my quiet time, and yours benefits mine.
Tria Vasquez
The Lord has been extremely faithful in helping me understand what it means to truly serve. As a new believer, I was surrounded by a loving, church body that emphasized faithfulness in service. Everyone served, everyone discipled, everyone was committed. It was a way of life that was natural and beautiful. Immediately that environment spurred me on to start doing the same. Right away I started helping out with the children’s ministry and joined the youth staff. I was also being discipled by an older woman in the church and soon after became involved in discipling others. I began hosting ladies’ dinners, leading women’s book studies, and coordinating home school park days and field trips. It was during these early years that my desire to encourage others was developed and fostered. Since then, my understanding and heart for serving the church body have both evolved dramatically over the last decade. By God’s grace, He has allowed me to see so many more opportunities to love and care for my brothers and sisters in Christ.
I am in a very unique season of life and I am thankful for the ways the Lord has allowed me to serve Him and His kingdom. Ephesians 2:8-10 are verses I hold dear to my heart as they remind us of three amazing truths – God’s amazing gift of salvation to us, that He will shape and grow us to be more like Christ, and that He has already planned out each of our ministry opportunities for us as well. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” It amazes and excites me to know that God has ordained and planned everything that I do for Him and others. What an amazing God we have!
During the week I work as an administrative assistant helping with planning, coordinating, and supporting the normal things that are need ed week to week for the church. Being in this position has allowed me to understand and appreciate all that goes into the background logistics for a church to run well. Outside of that, I also serve the entire church body in another capacity. Alongside Amanda Kipfer, we coordinate and over see the children’s ministry. It has been so encouraging to see the church growing and changing through an increase of children, but to also see the volunteers’ hearts in serving and caring for the kids each week.
There are also practical ways I serve the church with my family. After morning or evening service, when someone shares a struggle, we talk through things and pray together. When a new baby is born, we bring the family dinner. Sometimes we will babysit for a family so they can have a date night or attend an appointment. When a family is moving, we help them pack and unpack. There are lots of ways to care for and support each other. One of my favorite ways to serve is by having people over to our house for a meal. During these one-on-one times, we are able to really get to know others better. These opportunities help us to encourage and love our church family well (Romans 12:13 & 15).
My heart’s desire and biggest burden is to disciple and counsel others. I also meet regularly with several ladies regarding different areas of life – marriage, parenting, dating, community within the church body, and how to care for and disciple others well. It has been such a blessing and privilege to be able to study God’s word and grow alongside others. To see God’s truths come alive and change a person’s heart and perspec tive is something I will never get tired of experiencing. God’s word is tru ly sufficient for all things. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profit able for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). I am in awe and humbled each time God uses me to help others know Him more intimately and remind them of the hope they have in Christ and the access they have to God’s strength and power (2 Pet. 1:3).
Chris Alten
As members of God’s church, we are commanded to love and care for one another, as well as our neighbors, in a Christ-like fashion. Taking a personal inventory of our God-given individual gifts and then using them to serve others helps fulfill this requirement (1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 1 Peter 4:10-11). Through our caring hearts, speech, and time, we can serve in faithful ways that glorify God throughout the week.
The first thing that comes to mind in serving well during the week is prayer. I do my daily devotions and prayer time in the morning because it suits me best but the important thing is doing it daily. Praying daily for our church staff and members in the directory, along with non-members is a primary way to serve God’s church throughout the week.
Another important area is contacting each other either through texting, a phone call, or a personal visit to offer comfort, prayer, or a word of encouragement, especially when needs have been made known. It is a viable and tangible way to make a big difference in someone’s day, especially with cell phone technology at our fingertips.
Serving God’s church through works is another excellent way to serve during the week. I try to use my talents to help others with small chores that are easy to do and they mean a great deal to those on the receiving end. Taking a meal, cleaning, doing yard work, or doing odd jobs are all simple, meaningful ways to help each other out and provide a strong witness of our faith to our community neighbors as well. A past example is when one of our members requested help for simple tasks that they could no longer do and numerous church members came to her aid. Her neighbors were astounded when they saw so many different people coming to help (James. 2:14-18).
Making time may seem a major obstacle with our busy schedules but if you plan ahead and set aside time for a specific work or ministry you will see it’s not that hard. Be prepared for unforeseen ways and opportunities to serve one another and our unsaved neighbors, especially in an emergency. God richly blesses us in secret ways when you put others’ needs above your own.
Aaron Sison
Being able to serve the Church has taken many forms over the past couple of years. One practical way is with the sound ministry. Countless days, either during the week or weekend, enjoying time alongside others outside the normal Sunday church setting. Sometimes I spend an evening after work installing or changing speakers, running cables, crawling around the attic, and getting more intimately familiar with the church building than I ever thought possible. I thank God for the opportunity to serve in such a way and I enjoy seeing so many reap the benefits. There is so much done behind the scenes to make Sundays more enjoyable and it’s a privilege to serve this way.
One other way, which has been humbling, is with the youth ministry. I have been blessed with the opportunity to develop friendships with the next generation of youth that, Lord willing, will be leaders in the church. I have been able to spend every other Wednesday, and four to five days straight during both winter and summer camp, serving with other youth leaders to constantly care for the youth by sharing the gospel and en couraging them or rebuking them when necessary. I can serve the youth through thought provoking small groups after a session or long con versations during meals. I can even do this during small or giant group games that consist of either just our local church or multiple churches. I could easily go on with how much of a blessing this ministry is and how awesome it is to serve in such a capacity by God’s grace.
The Lord has been abundantly gracious to place me in this church and the various ministries, shaping and growing me through them. All the while He shows that He can take broken ordinary people and use them as glorious instruments.