The Church "ladder"

Question: You talked about starting off cleaning and serving, it’s not difficult to imagine some churches creating some sort of ladder, and making it so that you have to start with the menial tasks and "working your way up". Doesn't this sort of go against the grain of what it means to be Christian?

Response:

I agree that what you say is not hard to imagine, but it wouldn’t be right! In Christian service, “menial tasks” are not the bottom of the ladder – in fact, in Christian service there simply is no ladder to climb. No single role is more important or of more value to God than any other. God calls us and equips us to serve – some He calls and equips to preach and lead, others He calls to do “behind the scene” work. The person who prepares the communion elements in the kitchen before the service, is filling just as important a role as the person who leads the communion service itself. Never short sell your calling, never try to fulfil someone else’s call and never think that your role is unimportant or menial – as someone put it, at the foot of the cross, the ground is level, no-one has a higher place than anyone else. “If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”(Rom 12:6-8). We are called to be faithful. God will honour and reward you for faithfulness to your calling and whether the “rewards” are gold medals or crowns, the faithful pastor and the faithful cleaner will receive equal reward. Having said all of that, there is one caveat that I would want to add. No task should ever be considered “beneath” any servant of God. If the Senior Pastor isn’t prepared to roll his/her sleeves up and help with the church cleaning, then I would have a question over the “servanthood”. Jesus was a servant leader; we must replicate that attitude in our service for Him!