Go Out and Serve
by Francine Taylor-Thirus, Director of Revitalization and Racial Ethnic Ministry, General Board of Discipleship

"After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves'" (Luke 10:1-3 NRSV).

"Go out and serve" is a theme I have seen in many different churches. You cannot see it as you are entering the church or the sanctuary. You see it as you are leaving the sanctuary. That message is usually noticed after the worship, after the preaching, singing, and passing of the peace. It is after the benediction when you turn and leave. That message is "GO OUT AND SERVE."

One way revitalization can happen is through our witness and service in the world. The foundation of our servanthood, ministry, and witness is our being centered in Jesus Christ.

I remember a very frustrating time at one church that was in need of revitalization, focus, and vision. Stagnation, negativity, complaining, and conflict were evident in every area. In particular, the church council meetings had become long, boring, and unproductive. Although monthly meetings lasted from two and a half to three hours, there was little said about serving, making disciples, or witnessing. Nor was there much emphasis on service and witness anywhere in the church or outside of the church. Something needed to be done to build Christian community and to return to a spiritual focus.

Committees or ministry teams such as the church council present an ideal place to begin the process of revitalization. Every meeting should be seen as a spiritual formation and learning opportunity. A church should give members an opportunity to witness to how they are living out their faith in service and ministry. This can be done in committee and ministry team meetings as well as in the worship services. At each church council meeting, a person could be invited to share a witness about a specific ministry he or she is involved in and what that means in his or her life. That kind of spiritual sharing can be contagious.

When the church council of this particular church started moving in this direction, there was a noticeable change in attitude and spiritual focus. Although the church had a long way to go, there was an air of excitement and celebration in the meetings. Each person was motivated by a sense of belonging to a group that was genuinely living out its faith and responding to the call to "Go out and serve."

Posted 10-1-01