As Christians, we are all called to do ministry. When we talk about ministry, Christians always think of “ministering” to other people, where you get to pray for others, encourage them, and even preach the Gospel to those who haven’t heard of the Gospel yet. Indeed, the preaching of the Gospel is our very ministry. Without the Gospel, no matter what ministry work you do – whether you are encouraging, praying, giving, or helping others – it is pointless if the Gospel of Christ is not preached. However, as Christians, the ministry that we do should not only be the preaching of the Gospel. We should also do ministry works that involve volunteering in the church. Why should we do that? One reason is that it is our church community. If we consider a church as our church community and spiritual family, we should volunteer to serve our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
Another reason we should volunteer in the church is that we want to help our church’s full-time staff or ministers. Imagine if your pastor or minister had to do everything—from arranging seats, operating the sound system, leading the worship, preaching, greeting the congregation by the door, etc. Just like Moses (Exodus 18:13-23), they will be worn out if they do everything alone. The same happened to the Apostles during the time of the early church (Acts 6:1-7). The Apostles couldn’t serve tables because they were already occupied with the task of preaching the Word. Therefore, they picked men of good reputation to help them with things like serving tables. Likewise, when you volunteer in your church, you are doing the same. You are a blessing to your church’s pastor, ministers, and staff. There are many ways for you to volunteer in your church. You could be a volunteer who operates the technical equipment, one who sings and leads the worship, or an usher who welcomes people and leads them to vacant seats.
You can pray this prayer as you volunteer and serve in your church:
Father in heaven, I pray that you would stir up volunteerism in my heart, that I would volunteer to serve in our church and be a blessing to our church’s full-time staff. Thank You, Father, because as I serve as a volunteer in the church, the work that I do blesses our church’s staff and the congregation that attends our services. Give me the grace to always strive to be a blessing in my church community. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
A Church Usher Prayer
What is the duty of a church usher?
As mentioned above, ushers are predominantly the ones who stand by the door of the church to greet and welcome attendees, especially those who are new, during a church service. We sometimes know them as greeters. They also guide people to seats that are vacant, as well as assist disabled persons whenever they need assistance. If there is a hierarchy among the different ministry works, singing on the stage when leading worship or doing pulpit ministry is sometimes seen by some Christians as the one at the top of the pyramid. It is viewed to be more important and becomes the most desirable thing. However, what ushers do is just as important as worship leaders. There is no such thing as hierarchy among ministry works. Everything is the same. Just as God is honored when someone uses their talent in singing to lead people in worship, so is God also glorified when an usher wipes dirty chairs, arranges seats, and welcomes church attendees. What matters when you serve is your heart. If you are singing to lead people to worship but your heart is full of motivation to make yourself famous and look good in the pulpit, then it does not honor nor glorify God at all (Proverbs 21:2).
There are so many church usher prayers that you can pray. One of the things you can pray for is your heart and character. There will be times when serving involves inconvenience and doing the dirty work. Therefore, we should be selfless and humble to do what we have to do as we serve. Here is a church usher prayer that you can pray for your heart and character as you serve:
Father in heaven, I thank You because it is an opportunity and a privilege to serve You through ushering in my church. I pray for the grace that the intention of my heart when serving as an usher is to serve You and expand Your kingdom. May You be the very motivation of why I serve as an usher. May I always have a servant’s heart as I usher in church. Give me the grace, Father, to be selfless and humble as I serve and willing to do the dirty work without being too precise or fussy. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
A Church Usher Prayer
Another thing that you can pray for as an usher is that as you serve, yes, you are serving the church community, but in the end, you are serving God. Therefore, you are ushering for God. Here is a church usher prayer you can pray that affirms that you usher to serve God:
Heavenly Father, remind me that as I serve as an usher in my church, I ultimately serve You more than I serve my fellow brothers/sisters in Christ. You are the very reason I am serving as an usher. Give me the grace to always serve as an usher knowing that I am ushering for You. Help me always glorify You in everything that I do as an usher. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
A Church Usher Prayer
Excellence is also another church usher prayer that you can pray. Some Christians see being an usher as a “not so important” job because you are just there greeting people, leading them to seats, and setting up chairs before the service. However, as mentioned a while ago, it is as essential as any other ministry works in the church. Ultimately, as an usher, we are serving God. Therefore, we should serve every task as an usher with excellence because God deserves our excellent service. You can pray this church usher prayer as you serve God with excellence:
Father in heaven, I pray that You would give me the grace to serve You excellently as an usher. Let everything I do as an usher, from greeting people to wiping the chairs, be done with excellence because You deserve the best and therefore deserve excellent service. Knowing that it is You I serve; may that be my motivation to strive for excellence in the work that I do. Help me to be faithful even in the small, unnoticed things that I do because, in the end, You see everything that I do for You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
A Church Usher Prayer
What does the Bible say about ushers?
As mentioned before, when we serve as an usher, we are ultimately serving God. Everything that we do is for the expansion of the kingdom of God. But as Christians, we also ought to serve other people. If we love God, then we will love others and serve them.
1 Peter 4:10
As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
Galatians 5:13-14
13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Hebrews 13:16
But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
When we serve others, we must remember that our motivation should be out of love, or else it is pointless if it is not rooted in love. It is written in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3:
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Another thing that we should keep in mind is that as we serve as church ushers, it always involves humility. Out of humility, we serve and are willing to do the dirty and tedious work of wiping the chairs, arranging them, setting up the place, etc. The greatest example that we have is Christ. As we know, Christ is the king of kings. He was already in a much better place in heaven, yet He humbled himself and came down on earth and did all the dirty work to save us. He was born in a manger, became a carpenter, and was beaten and crucified. Jesus could have seen these things as an inconvenience and chosen not to do it this way. However, He didn’t do this. He humbled Himself up to the point of dying on the cross for us. The greatest is not the one who lords over people but who serves them, as exemplified by Jesus.
Mark 10:44-45
44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.
45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Mark 9:35
35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.
Philippians 2:1-11
If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Lastly, as mentioned before, we have to always remember that when we serve as church ushers, we are ultimately serving God. It is written in 1 Corinthians 10:31 and Colossians 3:17:
1 Corinthians 10:31
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Colossians 3:17
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
That should be our very motivation for why we want to serve excellently as an usher. Even if we are doing tedious tasks, we are doing it with joy because we are serving God, knowing that we are saved in Christ. We can serve with joy even if we are only wiping chairs because this joy overflows from the grace that we have received in Christ. Apart from being in Christ, there is no sense in serving. The Gospel plays a big part in our attitude regarding serving and why we serve. Christ is still the center when we serve in the church. Only in Christ can we have joy and a grateful heart.