I admit the topic of this blogpost might not quickly grab your attention – but I challenge you to keep reading. The world needs us to have this discussion. In fact, our basic Christian obedience is at stake if we ignore this topic.
An older pastor once told me that at Christmas, the Christian and secular cultures sync to embrace the joy of the season. But I have also learned another factor has power to bring these communities together and even open gospel doors—tragedy.
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Recently our church completed a renovation project of our sanctuary and surrounding education space. This portion of our campus had not been updated for more than 30 years. It was a huge endeavor. The whole process, from the planning stage to completion, took the better part of a year.
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Early in my first pastorate, I was advised to avoid favoritism by treating all my church members exactly the same. It took me several years to root this ministry myth out of my system.
At the end of the day, don’t make this more complicated than it should be. Serving others in the name of Christ is about love and meeting real needs. Think about Jesus’ ministry. He came to demonstrate the love of God primarily through His sacrificial death upon the cross. His goal was to glorify His Father and reconcile sinners to Himself. Your acts of service should serve that same purpose.
My first vocational ministry position paid $14,000 per year. I was the Director of Children and Youth Ministries at a small Baptist church in Indiana. I can assure you, the church got their money’s worth out of me.
It was communion Sunday. I finished my sermon and began to prepare the congregation to meet one another at the Lord’s Table. I communicated the meaning and significance of the bread and cup (Mark 14:22-25). I then invited all baptized believers to take the Lord’s Supper and remember the Lord’s sacrifice.
