There are probably a handful of reasons people resist serving in a particular area of their church, but one of the reasons is because they don’t know where to serve.
Maybe this is you: You aren’t sure what’s available to you, or of the options available, you’re not sure any of them suit you.
You don’t really want to be on stage …
You’re not sure you’re qualified to teach Sunday School …
You can’t picture yourself waving the traffic wand in the parking lot …
You don’t even know how to make coffee …
In the many years of being a pastor, I’ve walked hundreds of people through this process of discovering where they are best suited to contribute—and been a witness as they’ve discovered the true joy of serving their community.
Here are the five questions I ask to help a newcomer (or long-time attender) discover where they are best suited to serve.
1. What is suitable for you?
What best fits your gifts, skills and seasons of life? If you’re apprehensive about working with babies, chances are the nursery isn’t the right place for you. If you have social anxiety, it might not be right for you to become a greeter. If you travel often for work, it might be good for you to find a task that doesn’t require you be at service every weekend.
Finding a task that is suitable for you is important because serving should be a natural contribution of your gifts to your community.
When this is the case, service becomes a joy.
2. What is strengthening?
Although your task should be suitable for your gifts, don’t be afraid to stretch yourself a little bit. Only you can know what this looks like.
If being a greeter feels terrifying, maybe consider other places you could invest your time. But if it simply feels a little nerve-wracking, this could be God’s way of inviting you to try something that will help you grow in Him.
The growth and strength we gain from serving others is part of how serving becomes satisfying. We really do get as much as we give.
