As Paul encouraged the believers in Rome to exercise and express their various gifts in the church, he also urged generosity. The apostle, inspired by the Holy Spirit, envisioned vibrant church families in which each person would freely contribute the gifts God had given him or her—whether money, property, talents, gifts, or abilities. No matter what needed to be done, a willing servant of God would show up to do it, and do it wholeheartedly.

Yet Paul was no Pollyanna. He knew that God’s people, sinners all, often act selfishly. Some of us doubt our abilities. Some of us choose to serve sparingly. Some of us deny our talents and offer nothing. As we look inside ourselves, as we consider our own past behavior, we see ourselves reflected in these descriptions. We see our own weaknesses and reluctance, our uncertainties and limitations.

Our natural tendency is to pull back, deciding that our contribution, or the lack of it, will make little difference. But consider this: When the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles at Pentecost, they shared immediately with anyone who would listen, using the gifts God supplied (Acts 2:1–12). And there were many listeners on that festive day!

Many came to saving faith. And from that point on, enabled and empowered by the Spirit, many gave themselves unreservedly to the work of Jesus Christ, teaching and preaching his message of forgiveness and salvation in Jerusalem and beyond.

The result?  The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:47

God’s mode of operation has not changed! It is still by the working of the Holy Spirit that we are able to serve generously, sharing with others our many gifts, talents, and abilities. Energized by Spirit-flamed faith, we strive to use our gifts and also to nurture in others the gifts God has given them, so that his family continues to grow even more vibrant, more dynamic.

 As you talk with Jesus today, ask him to show you the gifts you have yet to discover. Also ask him to flood your heart with joy as you speak, act, and give for the good of your brothers and sisters in the faith and, especially, for those who do not yet know the Savior.

Lord, I need you so much! You have given yourself into death for me and you continue to serve me in so many ways. Show me . . .

Editor’s note: This devotion is drawn from CTA’s newest devotion book, Thank You for Serving the Savior. It’s still in production, but watch for it on our website!

You are welcome to copy this article for one-time use in your organization as long as you will receive no monetary benefit from it. Please include the copyright line below and submit an actual copy of use to CTA, attention Editorial Manager.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Devotion used with permission grant #082310 © 2010 CTA, Inc. No duplication of this article is allowed without the express written consent of CTA, PO Box 1205, Fenton, MO 63026. www.CTAinc.com.

Which would you rather be? Someone’s servant or someone’s friend? The answer is obvious. Or is it? A servant does what he’s asked out of a sense of duty or even under duress. But if a close friend asked a favor, you wouldn’t hesitate to help, would you?

Faithful servants and friends have many things in common. They are similarly dependable. Both share a sense of loyalty. So what makes the title friend so much more desirable than the title servant? Jesus himself answers this question: I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you (John 15:15).

A servant simply does what he is told to do. He arrives on time, performs his duties, and goes home again. He does not know or understand the master’s plans or purpose. What a blessing, then, to know that Jesus has called us his friends! Jesus has taken us into his confidence. He has let us in on our heavenly Father’s plan of salvation, a plan set in motion on our behalf and for the sake of thousands and millions of people down through history.

Our Father’s heart aches with the hope of adopting human beings into his own family through Jesus’ cross and resurrection. Now members of that family ourselves, we eagerly serve in whatever ways we can in order to help more and more people know Christ’s friendship.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for choosing me as your friend! Let your friendship encourage my heart and ever help me demonstrate your true friendship as I serve others. Amen.

Editor’s note: Looking for resources to help you encourage volunteers? CTA has many cost-effective options!

You are welcome to copy this article for one-time use in your organization as long as you will receive no monetary benefit from it. Please include the copyright line below and submit an actual copy of use to CTA, attention Editorial Manager.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Devotion used with permission grant #081610 © 2010 CTA, Inc. No duplication of this article is allowed without the express written consent of CTA, PO Box 1205, Fenton, MO 63026. www.CTAinc.com.

An inviting invitation 

Some invitations are more inviting than others. “I have to throw a baby shower for my sister. Wanna come?” feels much less welcoming than “We’re going to celebrate Sandy’s new baby. It’ll be a lot of fun. Can you come?” 

How do you describe the serving opportunities you’re inviting people to consider? “Teach Sunday school” is accurate, but it doesn’t paint much of a picture. Compare that to this: “We’re looking for someone to share Jesus with our third graders, to have fun with them at craft time, and to help them put their faith into action.” 

It will help a lot to have on hand a one-page ministry description for each position you want to fill. This description should include key outcomes (like those in the last paragraph), plus important details like the kind of training available, the approximate weekly/monthly time commitment, an end-date for the volunteer’s commitment, helps you’ll provide, and other pertinent facts. 

Accepting or declining the invitation

I’d be happy to receive an invitation to a book discussion group. But before accepting it, I’d want to know when the group meets. I’d ask myself if I have time for another commitment. I might even want to know the type of books to be discussed before I accept or decline the invitation. Even volunteers with enormous hearts for serving have choices to make. There will always be “more requests than resources,” as someone has put it. 

When you invite someone to serve, don’t expect an immediate answer. Instead, encourage the person to take time for prayer and thought. Get back to them later. Accept a “no” answer graciously, and listen carefully to their reasons for declining. Perhaps the job can be adjusted to make it work. Or perhaps down the road you will find another position for them, one that fits more comfortably. 

An invitational system and culture

Recruitment is affected by more than just your invitation. Every church has its own “way we do things,” both the formal systems and also the unwritten habits of the congregation’s culture. Each will affect the answers you receive in response to the invitations you extend. If leaders are serious about getting more people involved in serving, they’ll address these questions often:

• Are people reminded regularly that we all are gifted and called to serve?
• Do you offer regular biblical study on stewardship of time and talent?
• Is personalized help available for people who want to determine their spiritual gifts, abilities, and ministry passions? To help them identify ministries that match their gifts and goals?
• Do existing ministry groups welcome participation, ideas, and suggestions from new volunteers?
• Are volunteers trained, supported, and affirmed while they serve?
• Do staff members work at involving volunteers in service or do they try to do it all themselves?
• When more than one person serves on the same project, conflict is inevitable. Do you deal with it in healthy, Christ-honoring ways?

First, Last, and Always

Prayer is your one essential recruitment tool. Staying in close, personal contact with the Holy Spirit opens us to his involvement in the recruitment process. As we recruit, we invite His people to use gifts he has given in his service. We can be confident that God will supply all the people needed to do what he wants done. When we remember that it’s not about us, recruitment can become an exciting adventure in Christ’s service.

Tools you can use:

Handout: How to Recruit   

“Is Your Church a Good Steward of Its People’s time and Talents?” – a simple survey.  (The third page of this survey includes a list of resources on church volunteerism.)

Additional recruitment resources 

The Equipper website supports healthy recruiting and church volunteerism.

You are welcome to copy this article for one-time use in your organization as long as you will receive no monetary benefit from it. Please include the copyright line below and submit an actual copy of use to CTA, attention Editorial Manager.

This article is used with permission grant #081110 © 2010 CTA, Inc. No duplication of this article is allowed without the express written consent of CTA, PO Box 1205, Fenton, MO 63026. www.CTAinc.com.

Bumper to bumper on the interstate—a common, everyday practice in patience, and even more so when you’re trying to catch a flight. Finally in the security line, I gave up on being in the first group to board the airline that doesn’t reserve seats. Grumbling at the traffic, the driver, and the airline, I boarded in the last group. No chance for my favorite row. I found myself far back and in the middle seat besides!

 Doors closed. Jet crawled out on an apron nearly as congested as the interstate. Such gross delay and inconvenience shouldn’t happen to somebody working for God! Then the young man behind me began to gasp. Someone had opened a bag of peanuts; he was highly allergic, and he had mistakenly packed his Benadryl in the bag he checked. He asked for help. I was the only one with Benadryl in my briefcase. God had put my own allergies and the day’s disappointments to good use.

Reliable volunteers plan ahead. They think through the details, consider contingencies, and allow plenty of time for their team to work out details. But sometimes things happen and our best-laid plans go awry. We’re delayed or even derailed.

Knowing that, it’s also good to know that God always keeps his promise to work through every circumstance for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28). The writer of Proverbs puts it this way: “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

Watch your steps, dear friend! You know where you want to go, but sometimes you’ll have a hard time getting to your destination. When you do, wait for God to act. Watch for what he is doing. Is he providing opportunity for ministry outside your usual role? Is he giving you a chance to reflect the image he created in you—his image? Is there something he wants you to learn, something that you’ll need to know but never imagined?

Prayer: Dear Father, work in me to make me what you want me to be, even if it’s well beyond my imagination. Give me a servant’s heart, one willing to follow you wherever you want to take me. Amen. 

Editor’s note: Written by Ed Grube, today’s devotion comes from Proverbs for Teachers, one of the many devotion books CTA offers as an ecouragement to those who teach or serve God’s people in other ways.  How will you express your appreciation to all your volunteers as the new year begins?

You are welcome to copy this article for one-time use in your organization as long as you will receive no monetary benefit from it. Please include the copyright line below and submit an actual copy of use to CTA, attention Editorial Manager.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Devotion used with permission grant #080910 © 2010 CTA, Inc. No duplication of this article is allowed without the express written consent of CTA, PO Box 1205, Fenton, MO 63026. www.CTAinc.com.

That being said, some genetic engineer may be laboring late into the night tonight, pursuing a predictable grapefruit. That’s what life in America is all about, isn’t it? Predictability, efficiency, certainty. The elusive dream of something that will make life more controllable, something that will leave us “fixed for life.”

If you teach math, science, reading, or history, one goal of your teaching is to help students be fixed for life—with an honorable job, decent income, and healthy bank account. If you teach in the Sunday school, VBS, or midweek Bible club, you want your students to be “fixed” for spiritual life, to become happy, moral church members and community leaders here on earth. But have you noticed that when people reach these goals, they still experience little contentment? Morals are not enough!

Teach this: “The fear of the Lord leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble” (Proverbs 19:23). Is that true? You fear the Lord. Is trouble absent in your life? You probably know this already: The troubles we face in life are only a taste of the trouble Satan would love to inflict. But you’re safe from that. Sin will trouble your life, but because of what Jesus did for you on his cross, you can live content that Satan’s worst trouble—eternal death—can’t touch you. 

Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). Knowing your future influences your present. Jesus laid it out plain and simple. He wants us to live life fully—here on earth as well as hereafter in heaven. Though earthly life may be as uncertain as a grapefruit’s squirt, it presents all kinds of delightful opportunities for those with eyes to see. These opportunities include the opportunity to perceive in life’s negatives reasons for praising God. 

Live life in the here and now to the fullest. Help your students to live fully, too. You don’t need to wait for eternity. Eternity has already started: “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23, emphasis added).

Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for dying on the cross for my sins. Thank you even more for coming back to life! You’ve secured my future. It’s certain! As I look forward to my future life, help me live my present life to the fullest. Amen.

Editor’s note: Written by Ed Grube, today’s devotion comes from Proverbs for Teachers, one of the many devotion books CTA offers as an ecouragement to those who teach or serve God’s people in other ways.  How will you express your appreciation to all your volunteers as the new year begins?

You are welcome to copy this article for one-time use in your organization as long as you will receive no monetary benefit from it. Please include the copyright line below and submit an actual copy of use to CTA, attention Editorial Manager.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Devotion used with permission grant #080210 © 2010 CTA, Inc. No duplication of this article is allowed without the express written consent of CTA, PO Box 1205, Fenton, MO 63026. www.CTAinc.com.

It seems that back-to-school comes earlier every year. The weather isn’t yet cool–at least in most places. But the days get busier and stress mounts for children and parents alike. As a reminder that Jesus is our source of guidance, love, and protection during the school year, many churches set aside one Sunday before school begins to “bless the backpacks.” 

St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Walled Lake, Michigan, has a “Blessing of the Backpacks” each year on the last Sunday in August. Children in 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th grades are invited to bring their backpacks with them to church that Sunday. During the children’s message, they take their backpacks to the altar for a special blessing. The pastor prays for learning, safety, and guidance for the children. After the service, each child is given a gift to attach to their backpacks. 

“Two years ago, we used CTA’s GLOW bookmark to remind the children that ‘God Lights Our Way,’” said Linda Willmann, a member of the youth and family life staff at St. Matthew. “Last year, we passed out CTA’s The J Team ID tag. CTA always provides items that are inexpensive, but are still a big hit with the children and their parents!” 

The First United Methodist Church in Decatur, Alabama, includes the parents in its “Blessing of the Kindergarten and Elementary Children.” A two-week prayer vigil is held for the children before the school year begins. Each child’s name is posted in the church’s prayer room, and members of the congregation are invited to come there to pray for the children, as well as praying at home. 

During the service on the Sunday before school starts, Pastor Greer calls all kindergarten children and their parents up to the altar. Pastor and congregation pray a responsive prayer, asking God for strength, peace, comfort, and love for all the children. The 1^st through 5^th graders come up after the prayer, and every child receives CTA’s Gospel Cross Cloth Keychain to attach to their backpack zippers. 

“The service helps children and parents both feel special and reminds them that a community of people is praying for them,” said Director of Children’s Ministry Ann Crabbe. “The crosses remind the children of who they are in Christ and encourage them to be mindful of God in the choices they make.”

How will you send the children of your church off to school with a blessing this fall?

You are welcome to copy this article for one-time use in your organization as long as you will receive no monetary benefit from it. Please include the copyright lines below and submit an actual copy of use to CTA, attention Editorial Manager.

Article with permission grant #072810 © 2010 CTA, Inc. No duplication of this article is allowed without the express written consent of CTA, PO Box 1205, Fenton, MO 63026. www.CTAinc.com.

Which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Luke 14: 28

• Jesus often spoke about the cost of discipleship. How often do I add up those costs? How would I sum them up?   
• When does my service feel more like a “cost” than a “benefit”? When am I most aware of the “benefits”? What might my Lord want to teach me about that?

Lord Jesus, as I share your Word and especially your love in any way, you build your kingdom.  What a privilege! Work in me a firm  . . .

You are welcome to copy this article for one-time use in your organization as long as you will receive no monetary benefit from it. Please include the copyright line below and submit an actual copy of use to CTA, attention Editorial Manager.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Devotion used with permission grant #072610 © 2010 CTA, Inc. No duplication of this article is allowed without the express written consent of CTA, PO Box 1205, Fenton, MO 63026. www.CTAinc.com.

For example, take the young mom who picks her children up from VBS a few minutes late. How tempting it can be to reiterate the correct pick up times. But doing so could easily erect a roadblock—particularly if we take an impatient tone. A minor inconvenience for us could morph into a comment that further tears down the morale of a discouraged, harried parent.  

 As I work with young families in our Christian preschool, I am constantly reminded that for many, this is their first experience with the church. In whatever program we serve, we need to remind each other that we get to be the hands and feet of Jesus as we greet and welcome new and returning families to the family of God.

You are welcome to copy this article for one-time use in your organization as long as you will receive no monetary benefit from it. Please include this copyright line and submit an actual copy of use to CTA, attention Editorial Manager.

Used with permission grant #063010 © 2010 CTA, Inc. No duplication of this article is allowed without the express written consent of CTA, PO Box 1205, Fenton, MO 63026. www.CTAinc.com.

Servanthood is a key theme in the lyrical words of Isaiah 41—53. God uses this term to describe the people of Israel, the coming Messiah, and others.

Interestingly, “servant” and “chosen” are often together in these chapters. (See, for example, 41:8; 43:10; and 44:1.) Isn’t it an odd combination? When I picture a chosen person, I see an adopted child, a best friend, or an elected ruler. But not a servant. The word chosen points to high regard and honor. The word servant describes someone quiet and humble, working hard. 

But God’s chosen are his servants. His people Israel were his servants, a people called to bear witness to him and to provide the human ancestry of his Son. Jesus is The Chosen One, the One by whom the world was made and by whom it will be judged, yet who “did not come to be served, but to serve” (Matthew 20:28). We, too, are chosen by God and are called to serve.

So what are your servant tasks today? Do they include changing a diaper and making dinner? Or preparing a report and making a sales call? Maybe it’s supporting people on the team you lead or wrestling through a decision that will impact hundreds. Is it patiently listening to a spouse or a friend, holding back your own needs for a time? Or perhaps it’s cleaning things up and running the errands. Maybe you’ll cross paths with a stranger in need today.

Did you notice what else God says about his servant, his chosen one, in the words above? God upholds the servant. And more: God delights in that servant. While the servant serves, God supports and rejoices, he encourages and enjoys. Who knew servants had it so good!

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

You are welcome to copy this article for one-time use in your organization as long as you will receive no monetary benefit from it. Please include this copyright line and submit an actual copy of use to CTA, attention Editorial Manager.

Used with permission grant #062110 © 2010 CTA, Inc. No duplication of this article is allowed without the express written consent of CTA, PO Box 1205, Fenton, MO 63026. www.CTAinc.com.

Read Matthew 28:1–15 and focus on the angel’s words in verse 6: “He is risen, just as he said.”

Prayer:

Almighty Christ, death could not hold you! The Father accepted your holy sacrifice—your innocent suffering and death—for the forgiveness of all our sins. Once that occurred, the grave had to release you. Your body would not see decay.

Today we celebrate your rising from the dead. The angels rolled away the stone, not to release you from the tomb, but to reveal to your disciples—and to us—the miracle that had taken place. 

You did what you had promised to do—you defeated death itself! In your resurrection, we see our own. You have brought us unimaginable joy and peace. 

Make this a glad day for all hurting people as you encourage them in the truth that you are their Mighty God and Everlasting King! Give us courage to share our Easter joy with others.

 We ask it all in your glorious name. Amen.

You are welcome to copy this article for one-time use in your organization as long as you will receive no monetary benefit from it. Please include this copyright line and submit an actual copy of use to CTA, attention Editorial Manager.

Used with permission grant #050310. © 2010 CTA, Inc. No duplication of this article is allowed without the express written consent of CTA, PO Box 1205, Fenton, MO 63026-1205. www.CTAinc.com.