Welcome to the Majors!

I recently attended a Frisco Rough Riders baseball game with my wife, my brother, and his girlfriend. If you aren't familiar with them, the Rough Riders are the AA affiliate of Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers.

Most of the players on the AA team are in their lower to mid-twenties. They were drafted anywhere from 2 to 5 years ago and have made their way past low-A and high-A ball. Their next goal is to be promoted to AAA, and eventually be called up to the majors. This is the way Major League Baseball farm systems work.

Attending that game got me thinking about this concept of different levels within an organization. It seems that this is how the business world works as well; you usually start out as the low man/woman on the totem pole and eventually work your way up to where you want to be.

Since this is the way most of the world works, I wonder if this is the way people view the church...

Just like there are roles to fill in a business or positions to play on a baseball team, there are many jobs to be done in any local church. Of course there are those who preach and teach and lead music, but it takes more than that.

There are tons of people behind the scenes:

·      Those who unlock the doors and turn on the lights before you show up

·      Those who sit in the back and operate the sound system

·      Those who pass out bulletins and take up the offering

·      Those who bake meals and take them to the home-bound

·      Those who hold babies in the nursery

·      And the list could go on and on

But don't misunderstand...The goal in church ministry is not to start at the bottom and work your way up. Manning the back door and shaking hands is not the minors, and preaching is not the pros. Some are called to preach, some to teach, some to visit hospitals, some to give, and some to pray, but the bottom line is that any type of ministry is major, so if you are in ministry, "Welcome to the majors!"

Every role in the church is important. Every role is vital to the goal of spreading the gospel and sharing the love of God. So don't worry about what your job is. That really isn't up to you anyway; that's left up to the Holy Spirit and the gifts He gives you.

Instead, just make sure that you're doing your job! Because guess what? If you aren't doing it, one of two things is true: It's either not getting done or someone else is having to do their job AND YOURS.

Consider what Peter wrote in 1 Ptr. 4:10, "Based on the gift each one has received, use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God." The only reason we possess spiritual gifts is because of God’s grace. And these gifts are not a privilege, they are a responsibility. We have to be faithful with what the Lord has given us.

So again, don't worry about your role being important or unimportant. If you are using your gift(s) to serve others (and therefore God) through your local church, then what you are doing IS important!

And hey, you never know. Someday God may call you to do something different; He may gift you and equip you in other ways. But don't consider that change a step up or down, just think of it as changing positions. Even professional baseball players sometimes do that at different stages of their career.