Sacrificial Service

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.” (1 Peter 4:10)

Another preferred value (or description of who God wants us to be at King Road) that we have articulated is “Sacrificial Service – We value serving others like Jesus served us. This means we are willing to serve God and others regardless of the personal cost. (John 13:12-17; 2 Corinthians 8:9; Philippians 1:21; 1 Peter 4:10)”

I would suggest that most people would place a fairly high priority on the value of service, particularly when we find ourselves on the receiving end. We like good service; we complain about poor service. Some of us make consumer choices based more on service than on price. We may tip extra for exceptional service (note to self: perhaps a discussion on generosity is in order!). We readily share our stories of poor service with others. Overall, I would argue that humanity naturally wants good service. Put more bluntly: we like to be served.

However, as a church (as individuals) we need to offer something on the other side of the service equation…the giving side. Scripture has numerous examples of sacrificial service, perhaps none more poignant that Jesus’ journey to the cross. The church throughout history has practiced service. And here we are, in Abbotsford in 2010, also committed to sacrificial service.

BUT WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? Might this mean a sacrifice of our time? Will it be inconvenient? Will it mean dealing with a “mess,” whether literally or figuratively? Will it be safe? What will be the personal cost?

How well would you suggest King Road does at sacrificial service? Or perhaps a better question: how can we better model sacrificial service, not only to each other, but also to our community? Please share any and all ideas, and let’s encourage each other to serve sacrificially!