“How we can Encourage Others to Dedicate Their Giftedness in Serving Others.” It is my personal belief that we all have been born with gifts and talents. Some of us have the ability to sing, dance or play an instrument. Some of us are gifted with a natural instinct to help and encourage people through tuff times. Others are gifted with the natural ability to light up a room with charisma or cause people to burst with laughter at an instant. Regardless of background, pedigree or age I believe we all have gifts from God. These gifts were given to us to use for the exhortation of God and the building of his kingdom. Unfortunately we still have a major problem with getting people to lend their gifts to the house of God. Many people just don’t have an interest, or feel compelled to serve. They often times come to church year after year and do nothing. They have no interest what-so-ever to serve or assist in any capacity or manner within the ministry. No matter how many times we announce the need for ushers, greeters, children’s church teachers, camp counselors or choir members they have no desire to serve, even though they thoroughly enjoy the benefits of those ministries themselves. Someone once said people come to church with a SERVE-US mentality instead of a SERVICE mentality. This statement is truly echoed and brought to life when people are selecting churches in this modern day climate. People are no longer concerned about the mission of the church, the goals or the church or the history of the church they are only concerned about what that particular church can do for them personally. Rarely do you see people who wonder what they can do for the church. This paper will discuss how people can be encouraged to dedicate their gifting to God and use it in the local church. We will discuss “understanding you are gifted”, “compelling to serve”, and “serving with an attitude of gratitude”. These are the principles I believe that will compel men and women to serve in the local assembly. The first thing one must do to get someone to serve is convenience them they have something to offer. Many people simply don’t believe they have anything to offer to house of God. In many cases, especially in the African American community we come from broken homes where fathers were not around and mom was too busy affirming her single self and rarely had time to affirm you. This usually causes low self-esteem which prevents people from feel adequate to do anything other than come and clap on cue. They don’t see “gifted” when they look in the mirror; it’s like they take themselves for nothing. They see filthy, dirty, undeserving and sinfulness when they look in the mirror. People truly don’t see “fearfully and wonderfully made” they often see nothing. I have learned that so many people lack confidence period. Usually it’s because something happened during their life time or no one was around to affirm them and now they are an adult whom lacks confidence. I have also considered that many people lack self-initiative period. They don’t naturally try to do things on their own, someone always has to ask or probe them to do something new and better. Regardless of reason, many people don’t see how they can benefit the church by serving. Church leaders have to speak into people and remind them they are gifted, empowered and headed somewhere. This takes constant reassurance from the pulpit and while casually speaking with them. We must also take the time to see the gifts they possess and encourage them to use them in the church. Church leaders have a terrible habit of only seeing the “Big Gifts”; singing, playing an instrument or preaching. However, I feel that we often overlook the gift of helps, encouragement, prayer and hospitality. What about the people who are simply anointed to hug and greet people, or work with children? We often look over them and fail to speak into them because their gift is not one that feel our churches can become noted for, however, I have taken the stance that many people are losing membership because of the lack of great music, choirs and preaching. Churches are losing people because of the smaller details that we often overlook; like unfriendly environments and cliquish mentalities. Convincing someone they have something to give and offer is a vital step in getting them to serve in the church. After all, if you don’t believe you can do something you most likely won’t even try. Fear kills more dreams than failure. After convincing someone they have something to give, we must now compel them to serve. One may believe that after you have empowered them they would automatically sign up to serve. However, this is rarely the case. We must now give them a reason to serve. They need a reason to get to church an hour before it starts, stay an hour after it ends, work with unruly germ infested children and greet people who don’t speak to them. That reason is for the love of God’s people and the flourishing of His kingdom. This has to be made very important to the people in an effort to compel them to serve. The serving of God’s people must become important to them. Notice I said the serving of God’s people and not the serving of the pastor. Too many times we have people serving because of their loyalty to the pastor only for them to have conflict with the pastor and then they conveniently decide not to serve. This is truly an epidemic that has plagued the black church and has caused countless casualties. We must begin to teach people the importance and the call to serve the people of God. If they understand the concept of serving as unto God they will naturally wish to serve the people. They will do it as unto God and not as a favor to the pastor. When servitude comes from a pure place, it tends to be more effective “transforming and lasting”. Even if they leave the church for whatever reason they will wish to serve wherever they end up. This is because serving will become engrained in them and will become synonymous with their Christian experience. The final thing that we must do is teach them to be thankful while serving. This is extremely important to maintain happiness in ministry. One must understand that ministry is simply serving people; we literally meet the needs of people. So many people become engrossed with the “fame” that potentially comes with it they forget that it is really “dirty work”. There is nothing glamorous about it. People forget the work and challenges that come with ministry: burying the dead, consoling victims or rape and molestation, counseling couples considering divorce or helping a married man sort through his buried issues of homosexuality. These things, amongst many, are the everyday tasks that come along with ministry. We truly have to embrace the scripture that says: In all things I have shown you that working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the lord Jesus, how he himself said, “it is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35 ESV). This is why we must be thankful to serve and thank god that we are not constantly on the “receiving end of alms and ministry”. Often times when I find myself extremely busy in life and there is also ministry that needs to be done (especially preaching) I find myself saying “oh Lord I HAVE to preach”. This is the wrong attitude to have I should be saying “oh Lord I GET to preach”. No matter what you do in ministry you must have an “I get to serve” mentality, not “I have to serve”.
Teaching our members and friends to have this outlook is vital to their success in ministry and their ability to remain steadfast for years to come. In conclusion “understanding you are gifted”, “compelled to serve”, and “serving with an attitude of gratitude” are three great concepts to teach people to get them to serve. These concepts will not only help people begin to serve, but they will keep them to continue serving for years to come. We are truly the hands and the feet of Jesus. We are here to carry the works of Christ and compel men and women to come closer to him. Our demonstrations of love, affection and affirmation not only provide comfort to those in dismay, but they also provide a pathway to Jesus. Millions of people are counting on us to help them find Jesus. Our acts of servitude are tools that he needs to build his kingdom and secure souls for heaven.