How To Help Your Church
Jubilee Worship Center - Deltona, FL
Caring for Lives
Caring for Lives
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1. Be faithful to attend and participate — Commit yourself to the church and let
them know they can count on you. Obviously you can’t be of much help if you don’t
show up or take part. Some people underestimate their value of simply being present.
Joining together with others adds to their encouragement, and it encourages the leaders
and the pastor who have prayed and prepared all week to minister to you (Heb. 10:
24-25). It helps your pastor and the whole church for you to come faithfully and on
time. And don’t merely sit there like a bump on a log. Be friendly, put a smile on your
face, and enter into the service by singing and worshiping. You can even utter an
audible Amen or two when the pastor makes a good point. Go ahead, it’ll make his
day!
2. Commit yourself to love the Lord and your brethren — The Bible teaches that
all the desires of God are condensed into only two cardinal commandments that Jesus
gave to His followers. He said, “...You shall love the LORD your God with all your
heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your
neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). By clothing ourselves in God’s love, we help the
church to reinforce this objective for every believer, and we also help to eliminate the
elements of conflict and division which can hinder the unity of the church. “I... beseech
you to have a walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness
and gentleness, with long suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to
keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:1-3).
3. Pray for your church, its pastors and leaders — The Apostle Paul explained
that it is the duty of Christians to pray for all who are in authority, especially those in
spiritual authority. “I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and
giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we
may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (1 Tim. 2:1-2).
Your church leaders are on the cutting edge of the battle with Satan, and will face
temptations and spiritual conflict unlike anything you could imagine. The devil knows
that if he can topple a spiritual leader or get him discouraged enough to quit, it will
have a domino effect on the rest of the church. You can be a tremendous help by
praying fervently for your church, and especially for the pastor and his family
Especially helpful, attend the church prayer meetings, where you can come into
agreement with others, and where the pastors and leaders can see and feel your prayer
support for them and the church. God promised special strength through the combined
prayer of His children. “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning
anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven” (Matt. 18:19).
4. Get to know your spiritual leaders and cooperate with them — The more you
get to know them and their Godly life-style, the more you will likely come to trust their
leadership. You will have a greater credibility in their teaching and counsel (1 Thes. 5:
12). Show respect and cooperate with their authority. Avoid challenging their right or
worthiness to serve in their position, but accept that God has seen fit to place them in
this role (Rom. 13:1). Belligerence or antagonism toward leadership may be
acceptable in secular society, but there is no place for it in the Lord’s church. “Obey
those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as
those who must give account...” (Heb. 13:17).
5. Help shoulder the load of responsibility — Pastors and leaders of the church
often feel much like Moses did when Israel fought with Amelek. Their arms become
weary under the weight of so many responsibilities and they need brothers and sisters
to stand beside them and help distribute the load. “But Moses’ hands became heavy;
so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur
supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands
were steady until the going down of the sun” (Ex. 17:12).
The Lord never intended for the whole ministry of the church to be carried solely by
the pastor or a mere handful of people. It’s said that 80% of the work is done by 20%
of the people, and sadly, this has caused the “burnout” of its many outstanding
workers. If everyone would simply pitch in and do their fair share in helping, serving,
and giving, all the needs would be met and no one would be overburdened. Be willing
to volunteer with whatever needs done and don’t be finicky about what you will or will
not do. Do as the scripture says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your
might...” (Ecl. 9:10). And don’t help out just for strokes of attention, but do it for God’
s glory.
A church is like any other organization with human resources. No one ever starts out
at the top. Everyone knows that we have to start at the “entry level.” But if a believer
continues to grow strong in Christian character and proves faithful and responsible to
the basic tasks given to them in the church, they will likely be promoted to greater
responsibility and ministry. “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much;
and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much” (Luke 16:10).
6. Apply the teaching and ministry to your life — There’s not much that a pastor
loves more than to see his flock practicing what he has preached, living a Godly, holy
life, and on their knees seeking the Lord. Learn to appreciate the spiritual values they
try to instill in you and the congregation. “Brethren, join in following my example, and
note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern” (Phil. 3:17).
It helps your church when you live and conduct yourself in a Christ-like manner.
Whether you realize it or, you’re a walking billboard for your church. Whatever the
people of your community see in your life, they will tend to identify with your pastor
and his flock. Behave yourself and speak well of the church and your pastor. Eyes and
ears are always open to the things you say and do.
7. Seek out and use your gifts — According to the scriptures, the Lord distributes
gifts to each in the body as it pleases Him. Spiritual gifts are not provided to you
merely for your own gratification, but so the church would be edified or built up. God
has given you gifts that will be a help to your church -- it is up to you to discover them,
develop and utilize them under the direction and cooperation with your spiritual
leaders. By doing so, you will glorify God and be a great help to your church. “Even
so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church
that you seek to excel” (1 Cor. 14:12).
8. Contribute to solutions and not to problems — Every pastor would be thrilled if
each of his flock got involved and helped the church in some way. However, they
would rejoice if certain ones simply stopped being a pain in the neck! It’s a shame that
pastors spend so much time “putting out fires,” that is, squelching problems that could
have a negative influence on the whole body, such as gossip, rumors, complaining,
misunderstandings, hurt feelings, discontent and so forth. Regrettably, it has been said
that 90% of these kinds of problems are generated among the same 10% of the
people.
Spiritually mature persons who wish to help their church don’t become a part of such
problems -- instead, they contribute to solutions. They avoid divisive people (Rom. 16:
17) and don’t get caught up in the mischief or grievances of others (1 Tim. 5:13). If
they are aware of spreading problems in the fellowship, they will try to bring a
resolution, or else they bring matters to the attention of spiritual leadership so that they
can bring an end to it (Matt. 18:15-17). People who wish to be an asset to their
church don’t participate with or spread problems -- they help spiritual leadership
resolve them.
them know they can count on you. Obviously you can’t be of much help if you don’t
show up or take part. Some people underestimate their value of simply being present.
Joining together with others adds to their encouragement, and it encourages the leaders
and the pastor who have prayed and prepared all week to minister to you (Heb. 10:
24-25). It helps your pastor and the whole church for you to come faithfully and on
time. And don’t merely sit there like a bump on a log. Be friendly, put a smile on your
face, and enter into the service by singing and worshiping. You can even utter an
audible Amen or two when the pastor makes a good point. Go ahead, it’ll make his
day!
2. Commit yourself to love the Lord and your brethren — The Bible teaches that
all the desires of God are condensed into only two cardinal commandments that Jesus
gave to His followers. He said, “...You shall love the LORD your God with all your
heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your
neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). By clothing ourselves in God’s love, we help the
church to reinforce this objective for every believer, and we also help to eliminate the
elements of conflict and division which can hinder the unity of the church. “I... beseech
you to have a walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness
and gentleness, with long suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to
keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:1-3).
3. Pray for your church, its pastors and leaders — The Apostle Paul explained
that it is the duty of Christians to pray for all who are in authority, especially those in
spiritual authority. “I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and
giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we
may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (1 Tim. 2:1-2).
Your church leaders are on the cutting edge of the battle with Satan, and will face
temptations and spiritual conflict unlike anything you could imagine. The devil knows
that if he can topple a spiritual leader or get him discouraged enough to quit, it will
have a domino effect on the rest of the church. You can be a tremendous help by
praying fervently for your church, and especially for the pastor and his family
Especially helpful, attend the church prayer meetings, where you can come into
agreement with others, and where the pastors and leaders can see and feel your prayer
support for them and the church. God promised special strength through the combined
prayer of His children. “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning
anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven” (Matt. 18:19).
4. Get to know your spiritual leaders and cooperate with them — The more you
get to know them and their Godly life-style, the more you will likely come to trust their
leadership. You will have a greater credibility in their teaching and counsel (1 Thes. 5:
12). Show respect and cooperate with their authority. Avoid challenging their right or
worthiness to serve in their position, but accept that God has seen fit to place them in
this role (Rom. 13:1). Belligerence or antagonism toward leadership may be
acceptable in secular society, but there is no place for it in the Lord’s church. “Obey
those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as
those who must give account...” (Heb. 13:17).
5. Help shoulder the load of responsibility — Pastors and leaders of the church
often feel much like Moses did when Israel fought with Amelek. Their arms become
weary under the weight of so many responsibilities and they need brothers and sisters
to stand beside them and help distribute the load. “But Moses’ hands became heavy;
so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur
supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands
were steady until the going down of the sun” (Ex. 17:12).
The Lord never intended for the whole ministry of the church to be carried solely by
the pastor or a mere handful of people. It’s said that 80% of the work is done by 20%
of the people, and sadly, this has caused the “burnout” of its many outstanding
workers. If everyone would simply pitch in and do their fair share in helping, serving,
and giving, all the needs would be met and no one would be overburdened. Be willing
to volunteer with whatever needs done and don’t be finicky about what you will or will
not do. Do as the scripture says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your
might...” (Ecl. 9:10). And don’t help out just for strokes of attention, but do it for God’
s glory.
A church is like any other organization with human resources. No one ever starts out
at the top. Everyone knows that we have to start at the “entry level.” But if a believer
continues to grow strong in Christian character and proves faithful and responsible to
the basic tasks given to them in the church, they will likely be promoted to greater
responsibility and ministry. “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much;
and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much” (Luke 16:10).
6. Apply the teaching and ministry to your life — There’s not much that a pastor
loves more than to see his flock practicing what he has preached, living a Godly, holy
life, and on their knees seeking the Lord. Learn to appreciate the spiritual values they
try to instill in you and the congregation. “Brethren, join in following my example, and
note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern” (Phil. 3:17).
It helps your church when you live and conduct yourself in a Christ-like manner.
Whether you realize it or, you’re a walking billboard for your church. Whatever the
people of your community see in your life, they will tend to identify with your pastor
and his flock. Behave yourself and speak well of the church and your pastor. Eyes and
ears are always open to the things you say and do.
7. Seek out and use your gifts — According to the scriptures, the Lord distributes
gifts to each in the body as it pleases Him. Spiritual gifts are not provided to you
merely for your own gratification, but so the church would be edified or built up. God
has given you gifts that will be a help to your church -- it is up to you to discover them,
develop and utilize them under the direction and cooperation with your spiritual
leaders. By doing so, you will glorify God and be a great help to your church. “Even
so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church
that you seek to excel” (1 Cor. 14:12).
8. Contribute to solutions and not to problems — Every pastor would be thrilled if
each of his flock got involved and helped the church in some way. However, they
would rejoice if certain ones simply stopped being a pain in the neck! It’s a shame that
pastors spend so much time “putting out fires,” that is, squelching problems that could
have a negative influence on the whole body, such as gossip, rumors, complaining,
misunderstandings, hurt feelings, discontent and so forth. Regrettably, it has been said
that 90% of these kinds of problems are generated among the same 10% of the
people.
Spiritually mature persons who wish to help their church don’t become a part of such
problems -- instead, they contribute to solutions. They avoid divisive people (Rom. 16:
17) and don’t get caught up in the mischief or grievances of others (1 Tim. 5:13). If
they are aware of spreading problems in the fellowship, they will try to bring a
resolution, or else they bring matters to the attention of spiritual leadership so that they
can bring an end to it (Matt. 18:15-17). People who wish to be an asset to their
church don’t participate with or spread problems -- they help spiritual leadership
resolve them.
