Transitioning from an “attender” to a “contributor”
31 10 2011
Most people begin simply “attending” a church. However, over time they must move from simply being an attender to a contributor if they are going to receive the greatest benefit from the church. Here are four things that help a person transition from attending to contributing.
1. STAY – they must make a choice to stay in a church. Some people seem to sit on the edge of their seat waiting for something to happen that gives them a reason to leave. Others sit on the edge of their seat constantly evaluating all of the other churches in the area to see if they have something they would prefer to have. Instead of sitting at the edge of their seat a person must settle in with an intent to stay in a ministry in order to gain the most benefit from the church.
2. SATURATE yourself with the preaching and teaching of Gods’ Word – The unseen thread that holds the church together is the Word of God. Some treat the preaching of God’s Word as a part of a buffet of choices that they can choose from for their own feeding. Instead of choosing what you will listen to or sit under, simply decide to settle in and saturate yourself with the preaching and teaching of God’s Word that you have chosen to stay in.
3. SERVE – There are two kinds of serving that people do. One method of serving is to serve for the sake of control. This person serves in attempt to keep things within their management and desires. They serve for the sake of a title, or a position. You can tell if this person is serving for control by watching how they respond when they begin to lose control. The other kind of serving is to serve out of a heart of humility. This person serves not to control but to help with any need that is there. Churches need humble minded servants, not controlling servants.
4. SACRIFICE – A person who begins to genuinely sacrifice will begin to contribute to the good of the church in the greatest way. Philippians 4 helps us define sacrifice by “giving to the point that I have created a need within my own life.” Very few people truly live generously sacrificing to the point of creating a need. Instead, we give to the point of comfort. A person who begins to sacrifice will find that the benefits they receive from the church are far greater than anything they gave up.
Strive to contribute….not just attend!
