By Bryan Rollins

 (This blog post on serve is the fourth in a series about LCC’s five core purposes: worship, connect, grow, serve and reach.) 

“Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. – Ephesians 4:11-12 

In the movie “Pearl Harbor,” Alec Baldwin portrays Col. James Doolittle, the pilot who led the first air raid on Japan to avenge the attack on Pearl Harbor. In one scene, Col. Doolittle is asked if they will win this war. Nodding towards some workers, he responded, “We will win this war—because of them. There’s nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer.”

That’s pretty powerful and inspiring stuff. We get emotional about those who volunteer because we know that they serve selflessly. We know there is something in their wiring which compels them to give of their time, talents or their treasure.

Serving God and serving others is what we are called to do. Rick Warren, in his book, “The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?” writes, “You were put on earth to make a contribution. You weren’t created just to consume resources—to eat, breathe, and take up space. God designed you to make a difference with your life … You were created to serve God.”

Jesus even set the example of servanthood for us when He was on earth. In Matthew 20:28, Jesus said, “I didn’t come to be served but to serve.” In Philippians 2:6-7, the apostle Paul writes that Jesus “made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant … ” And John 13 describes the scene in the Upper Room on the night before Jesus’ death, when He humbled himself and washed the disciples’ feet—including Judas, the disciple who would later betray Jesus.

God has given each one of us personalities, interests and skills to use in serving. 1 Corinthians 12:7 says, “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.” In that same chapter, Paul describes believers as members of the body of Christ: one whole being in unity but made up of different parts, with each part having a different job to do. What are you called to do? What skills, abilities and talents has God given to you? Will you use them to help others?

At LCC, volunteering is one of the best ways to discover community and use your God-given talents. There are areas in every ministry where you can use your specific skills to help, connect with, and show love to others. It takes more than 200 volunteers each service to make Sundays happen, and there are also many opportunities during the week for you to get plugged in. Start the process to get plugged by completing a volunteer application at the button below!