The Sweet Spot

My church has two core focuses that are central to everything we do.  They are:
1. That the lost are saved
2. That everyone find their sweet spot in ministry.

I was very blessed to go to a school for undergrad that taught that everyone is a missionary, that everyone is a minister.  It doesn't matter your vocation or your major.  It doesn't matter if you ever go to college.  You have a purpose.  And if you have accepted Christ, you have a job to do.

At my church we believe that the local church is the hope of the world.  A local church grounded in God and in the truth of His word.  At its most basic, that truth and God's love is never meant for only one person.  Your salvation is never just for you--it's for you and for those who God puts in your path, for you to extend that truth and love to others.

One of the greatest ways to do this is to volunteer in your local church.  My church has ministry opportunities across the board, in every area of ministry, from the simple to complex, from entry level to some pretty serious discipleship and leadership development.  I firmly believe that God calls everyone to be involved.

Our pastor calls it the "sweet spot."  I've worked in a lot of areas of my church.  For about a year I was part of the side walk greeting crew, and I have to admit I was terrible at recruiting.  Nobody was thrilled about standing out there.  It's an easy job.  It was fun to wave, and people were generally happy to have a greeting.  But it wasn't my sweet spot.  I've been to some youth events, but a few visits is enough to show me that it's not my sweet spot, either.  But it is for many of my friends.  Nothing is more exciting to them than to show up to serve, to see the impact God's love can have through us.

You might be reading this thinking that's nice, gotta go...    But hang on there just a sec.  You can serve.  You should serve.  Peter says in 1 Peter 4:10 "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms."  That means YOU.  You are an each one.  If you've given your life to God, accepted His grace, then you have a job.

So... where do I start?
1. Pray.  No, don't pray about whether or not you should serve.  God wants you to serve.  He pretty well covered that in the verse above, and in a dozen other places in the Bible.  Pray that God will help direct you where to serve.

And now it's time to take some more big steps...
2. Ask 'What?'.  Look around your church.  What interests you?  Is there an area where you can serve that lines up with your gifts and talents?  I think sometimes we make a quick reflexive decision about people and pigeon hole them into a ministry.  For example, I often hear of people mentioning that they are teachers, so people push them into kid's or youth ministry.  And sometimes it's what they want and it's a good fit... and sometimes they need a break from kids.  If you're warm and inviting, maybe greeting is the ministry for you.  If you aren't a people person, maybe the church office has some things you could do during the week.  Our church will often have volunteers come into the office during the week to do data entry, to copy things, to prep things for upcoming events and services.

3. Ask 'When'?  Find out what sort of commitment they want for different ministries.  Be realistic about your schedule.  For example, our young adult ministry has a big college student component. This means that some leaders are still in college and have to work around class schedules.  So our young adult pastor asks for a semester commitment.  He outlines when the meetings will be and what else is expected (consistent attendance at church, consistently showing up for the connect group and for meetings) for that single semester.  If a leader had a heavy schedule and needs the semester off, he or she can be welcomed back again when the schedule accommodates it.  There are unusual circumstances at times that mean having to take a break, but the general commitment is agreed upon up front.

4. Ask 'How?' How does the ministry work?  It might be helpful to get an inside look.  Ask if there is a current volunteer that you can spend time shadowing.  I'm the sort of person, I like to know what's expected of me.  I like to see the inner workings.  Tag along on a day when you can see what the job will entail.  For example, in our kids ministry we have nursery, preschool, and elementary areas.  Within those areas, there are even more break downs of jobs.  We have people whose sole job is to greet kids and parents, some whose job is to oversee the jump house before and after service and then to sit with the kids during the service, others to run sound, and another whose job is to keep time to be sure everything runs on schedule.  Take a test drive. 

Jesus himself was pretty clear that it takes people to make things happen.  God could instantly reveal Himself to the world en mass.  He doesn't need us, but He loves to involve us.  And one of the most basic ways He involves us is through the local church.  Try it.  You might be surprised how much you enjoy it, how much it makes you grow, how much it blesses you.