Galatians 5:13 says “through love serve one another” so this year at Christ City Church we want to emphasise servanthood by organising a Service Week from 17th to 21st July. This will be an opportunity for everyone at Christ City Church to fulfil one of the greatest purposes of a Christian on this earth which is to serve.
Jesus lived a life of service as an example for His followers to imitate. During the Service Week, there will be opportunities for you to serve in different capacities throughout the city. Whether it’s one day or several days or even just a few hours, you can get involved to help make Dublin a better place. Moreover, you can be a shining example of Christ’s character of serving others. Jesus said:
Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant. (Mark 10:43)
Servanthood was at the centre of Christ’s teaching and that message continues in the Church today. Many believers often serve in their local community to some capacity. However, I believe it’s possible to serve the church with a lot of energy without actually having a servant’s heart. We have to remember that serving shouldn’t start as an action but rather flow out of our hearts. This is part of a Christian character which is exemplified by Christ’s life and death. Jesus said:
Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:28)
This is in opposition to the world’s systems and definition of greatness. In the world we live in the more people that serve us the greater we are and the more we have arrived as a person of status. We live in a “me first” culture where servanthood isn’t a popular concept. Even the disciples argued about who deserved the most prominent position and over 2,000 years later, people still jockey for position and prominence.
Thousands of seminars have been given and even more books have been written on the topic of leadership but very few have been written on the topic of servanthood. My college even had a motto that encouraged students to become “servant leaders”. This is a great tagline and ultimately not a bad thing, but it seems like we always end up focusing more on leadership and less on servanthood. Yes, the two can co-exist but Jesus showed us that our goal as Christians is to be first and foremost a servant and leadership will come accordingly.
So this year we’re going to be servants by showing others what it means to follow Christ. We’re not going to do this in our own power but we want to rely on His power to be humble, kind and loving toward others. We will serve by putting their needs over our own and through this, I believe people will get a glimpse of God’s Kingdom.
There may be activities you do during the service week and think that they’re not necessarily areas of your gifting or talent. We must be careful not to let this attitude keep us from serving outside of our comfort zones. God has called us to serve in all circumstances. I encourage you to pursue the gifts God has given you, but don’t let it limit you from loving and serving others in all kinds of ways.
God has often tested my heart by asking me to serve in situations outside of my comfort zone or gifting. He used me like that in many ways, and it challenged me to rely on Him rather than my own skills. The truth is, when someone is in need, God calls you to serve them regardless of your gifting. These serving opportunities can come in many forms, for example, staying after the meeting to clean up or stack the chairs, praying for someone or giving someone a ride home. None of these require a special talent or gifting. All you need is a servant’s heart and a willingness to be used by God. This comes from knowing Christ and imitating Him.
So this July, the Service Week will be an amazing opportunity to get involved in serving our community and the city. I encourage you to get involved with an attitude of a servant. Who knows, you might be pleasantly surprised with the ways God can use you to bless others.
By Eben Gourley (eben.gourley@gmail.com)
To get involved please volunteer for different sessions in the week please complete this form.