Way back when I was a teenager, in the dark ages, my family went to a small Presbyterian church. Not far away was a much larger Presbyterian church. I remember that we went to this larger church one day for some special service they were having. That was when I found out that the pastor of this larger church and my father were friends.  I asked my father why we didn’t go to this church, it was bigger, had better facilities, had more to offer in the way of programs and his friend was the pastor. It seemed like a perfect fit to me. But my father didn’t hesitate for a moment, “Because they don’t need me, “  he said. I think that was the first time it ever occurred to me to think of a church in terms of what I can give to it, rather than what it can offer me.

In our consumer culture, it is only natural to think in terms of what a church offers us. We all have different ideas of what would make the “perfect” church, but the truth is, there is no “perfect” church because all churches are made up of imperfect people. I am not saying there aren’t some very important things to look for in a church. Is the teaching really Biblical is a big one and can I expect to meet God here. But one of the most important things to look for that we frequently miss is, can I serve God here?

1 Corinthians 12 says that we are all given spiritual gifts and that those gifts are for the building up of the church. So whenever we sit back and don’t use our gifts, the church is lacking something God intended it to have. Maybe you think your gift isn’t that big and it won’t be missed but there is no such thing as a small gift or a small ministry.

Not long ago I was visiting another church. It was a church I know and I know they are a caring and loving community. But on the day I was there, the young man who was suppose to be greeting and opening the door, had his back to the door and was talking to a young lady. I had to open the door myself, no big thing of course, but he never even turned his head or gave me a glance. Then I went over to the coffee bar. The woman there was deep in conversation with another member of the conversation and never even acknowledged my presence. When I went into the auditorium, the woman handing out bulletins was equally engaged. Any one of these alone would have been no big deal, but all together they gave the felling of a very unfriendly place and if I had been a new person in the neighborhood looking for a church home I am sure I would have never returned.

Every ministry in the church if done well has the potential to have a major impact on someone’s live. If you are currently involved in a ministry at this church or any other church, God bless you and your ministry. If you aren’t, I urge you to prayerfully consider getting involved in one. To God, the important thing is not the job, it’s your heart.