Are we supposed to be serving the church or is the church supposed to be serving us?

I pass by churches all the time that say some version of this on their signboards: "Don't ask what your church can do for you, ask what you can do for your church." I can't even express how offensive this is to me. It's very self-serving on the church's part. I would never want to go to that church because it comes across to me as being a church that is looking for people who will give all they have to the church in both time and money. It is a church that is looking to take from its people and not to give back.

I certainly don't think that any church should be solely for serving people. Likewise, I don't think any church should be solely for people serving. Extremes are not good in Christianity, let alone in the secular world.


It is offensive to me that the church should be self-seeking. It is offensive to me that this is exactly the opposite of Jesus' message! Jesus owned nothing but the cloak on his back and his sandals. He may have asked for a place to stay as he traveled, for food to eat, but mainly Jesus served. He healed the sick, raised the dead, drove out demons.

Yes, Jesus calls us to serve, as he called His Disciples. He does not call us to serve churches. He calls us to serve individuals, to serve people. He does not ask us to give all of our time or our money. He asks us to give according to our ability. There are those who have money, and there are those who have time. You have the choice where you give your time and your money.

Church can give us opportunities to serve others, but church service is not serving God. I know that churches cannot function without volunteer service, but church service should not be the way that service is performed. No church should compel anyone to serve, either. Service is something that should come from the heart, from your gratitude for salvation, from a desire to give back because your cup overflows.

How much good could be done if churches were not buildings? How many homeless could we feed, clothe, and house if our money went directly to that instead of to church buildings, technology, and PR staff? Worship needs no building, Christ's followers and Christ's service need no church.