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USHER
God asks the church to be a fellowship sharing a common purpose and continually
growing in faith. Paul describes the church as Christ’s “body” (Eph. 1:22).
People experience the presence of Jesus Christ in the world through the
ministry of the church. When your local church serves the needs of people,
members and non-members, it is an expression of the love of Christ. The
church is a servant body, created for service. “For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand,
that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10).
Christ calls every member of the church into ministry. The church is “a kingdom of priests”
(I Peter 2:9). As an usher, you are a minister of hospitality and caring
in the church. Every Christian believer is called to ministry, gifted by
the Holy Spirit, and in baptism ordained for ministry (Eph. 4:11-12).
Shortly after Pentecost, the gift of hospitality (Rom. 12:13, I Tim. 3:2,
I Peter 4:9) was first exercised specifically for the church and those
whom Christ died to save. As believers praised God, they had favor with
people. Their love for one another attracted others to their fellowship
and “the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts
2:47). God supplies each person in the church with the resources for ministry—scripture,
spiritual power, God’s character, and spiritual gifts. An usher is equipped
for his or her ministry by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These spiritual
gifts are special abilities given by the Holy Spirit to make their ministry
effective and build up the body of Christ. When people come to church they
are sometimes burdened, sad or discouraged. Each person, member or newcomer,
comes with the hope that the Sabbath will be an experience of uplift and
inspiration, a time of renewal and celebration. The skillful usher helps
to make this a reality for those in attendance. Although an usher’s love
should be no stronger than is the love found in the rest of the body of
Christ, nevertheless the usher performs a major role in ensuring that people
see and experience that love. In Christ, you have received God’s unconditional
love, and, in Christ, you are called to extend that same unconditional
love to others. The ministry of ushering is one of the most crucial because
it is one of the most visible in the church. |
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