Understanding Church Service (Part 1)

Most churches organise services on Sundays and Saturdays. However, many Christians are not well informed about what it means to hold a church service. This article, therefore, attempts to help believers to understand it very well for their spiritual growth.

A church service is often defined as a formal gathering of Christians in a building to offer orderly worship to God. It is also explained as a “formalised period of Christian communal worship, often held in a church building.” 

However, in this teaching, we need to fathom the words: “church” and “service” in the context of the Christian Faith. The English word, “church” has two meanings among the Akans in Ghana. 

First, it refers to a place, an auditorium or temple where Christians gather to worship. The Akans call this place “Asore.” Second, church refers to the community of Christian believers, the elect of God, or the assembly of called out ones. 

The church Jesus Christ declared to build in Mathew 16:18 refers to the latter, an appointed people who would do the will of God, manifest the character and presence of God, the power of God and glory of God on earth.

These chosen people of God through Jesus Christ are referred to as “Asafo” among the Akans in Ghana. The word, “Asafo” is a combination of two Akan words, namely, Sa” meaning war and “fo” meaning people. Asafo, therefore, means a warrior group.

Christian believers are, therefore, considered to be a warrior group or an army of soldiers of Christ Jesus. It is no wonder that a Protestant Christian denomination calls itself The Salvation Army. Christians war by the power and authority of Christ Jesus to save souls from the kingdom of darkness.

Now, we turn our attention to the word, “service.” It means worship, ministry or sacrifice. What then is the correct meaning of church service? 

It is not just a few members of a church usually janitors, prayer warriors, pastors, Sunday school teachers, ushers, singers and instrumentalists rendering services to God and fellow believers during the gathering in a building. 

Unfortunately, this is what is seen at most church services today. Very few members particularly pastors actively and practically use their spiritual gifts and natural talents to serve God and other believers. Sadly, the greater majority are passive members who attend meetings just to warm their seats. They do nothing except to watch the few believers who serve.

This problem exists mainly because of over-centralised ministry in church leadership, lack of discipleship, or poor understanding of the use of spiritual gifts and even natural talents for the service of God.

However, a true church service must see every born again believer using his spiritual gifts, natural talents and abilities to serve God and one another for the good of all. It is all the Christian believers offering worship, ministry or sacrifice to God and humanity. 

Peter emphasises that all believers are priests called to participate in ministry (1 Peter 2:9). Therefore, every true Christian must have a ministry or service to render during church services. None should always be idle or a passive spectator.

Thus, Peter again states, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 4:10-11).

In the Part Two, we hope to consider other biblical passages including 1 Corinthians 12:28-31, Ephesians 4:7-12, 1 Corinthians 14:26 and Romans 12:6-8 to help deepen the understanding of church service. 

By James Quansah