Servants Again

What is Service?

Just continuing this look at servant leaders and the serving church. What is service in this context? This is probably easiest answered by my defining what servant leaders and servant churches look like.

Servant Leaders are at a premium. Such men and women who truly serve their church are valuable beyond riches. Servant leaders really do serve their church. They take an interest and help with nearly everything. Most of all, the servant leader knows his or her flock intimately. Their names and faces; their children; their parents; where they all live and so on down to the kids marks at school. In a nutshell, the servant leaders love their people, then they love them again, then they love them some more. Even down to welcoming and fetching a drink for visitors. They pay attention to the small details. Their leadership team is chosen because they hold the same principles dear to their hearts too. Servant leaders lead servant flocks and a servant church.

A Servant Church, in a quick definition, is one that serves the whole community. The church heals the sick, cares for orphans and widows in its area, mends marriages and broken families, it counsels and it cares. A servant church represents the under-privileged, the unemployed, the down and out and the dis-advantaged. It feeds and helps the homeless.

It represents and presents Jesus Christ as Saviour, friend, and God to the world around us.

Well that is not so hard is it? Or is it? If it is easy, then why are so many people hurt by their leaders or their church? Why are so many churches shrinking rather than growing? Why is it that around 10% of all the people in a church do over 90% of all the work? Having said all that, it’s no piece of cake being a pastor or leader and many are lonely and hugely overworked by both their congregation and by their church board or council. But so few are real servants to their church and in so many churches the flock serves the leader, his ego, and his income.

Whilst I admit it is a hard balance to strike, nevertheless, we must strike the correct balance. A balance that allows our pastors and leaders to serve the church in love and compassion as they lead the church in serving their community. Also, many leaders need to learn how to love their church and their community.

As a representative of the King of Kings, that is the very least He should expect from us all.