Ministry Leaders Worship Through Service

Story by Benia Jennings

This year the Allegheny West Conference (AWC) has adopted the theme “Worship Through Service & Sacrifice—Giving and Living His Calling.” Conference leaders charged members and churches to join in renewed commitment to the service of others by engaging in acts of sacrificial kindness to impact lives throughout the territory.

“It’s not whether or not we wave or clap our hands during the worship service; it’s whether or not God is saying, ‘You did well this week, you surrendered more to the Holy Spirit leading and guiding in your life, you were My hands and My feet that helped to touch people’s lives,’” says William T. Cox Sr., AWC president. “And that’s what we want to experience in AWC. If we can ignite that kind of fire in our conference through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, then eyes have not seen, neither ears heard what God can do for us and through us.”

AWC staff asked three ministry leaders what worship through service means to them and how it may differ from traditional views of the church worship experience:

Worship through service expands on the view that worship is not relegated to a specific time in our week or specific atmosphere, but rather is our response to God’s self-revelation. Oftentimes God will reveal Himself in spaces that require our practical work and our practical effort. God says there is service to be rendered, and I personally view that service as an offering unto Him.—Ndubuisi Nwade, pastor of the Ephesus church in Columbus, Ohio

When I think of worship, I think of reverence, and, for me, the best way to show reverence to someone is to try to imitate or to be like them. The best way to show that in terms of worshipping God and Jesus is realizing that Jesus lived a life of service, and for me the best way to worship Him is living a life of service as He did.—Jason Ridley, AWC Youth Ministries director

Sometimes we can offer praise and reflect Christ through our acts of service for others. Being a servant and being of service goes far beyond praise and worship; worship is active, in fact it’s an action word that means helping, doing and truly being who God has commissioned us to be. Through His Spirit, He enables us to be a blessing to someone and to worship Him through the service we do. I think sometimes it’s those little things that at first seem insignificant to us that end up being the most impactful. Earlier this year, I saw an elderly lady struggling to put groceries in the trunk of her car, so I went over and helped her. Sometimes we see people needing assistance, and we either choose to go out of our way to help them, or we can choose to turn a blind eye and move on. I believe that when we live a life of sacrificial service to others, then God is truly glorified.—Jermaine K. Jackson, CFO for AWC