Servers are identifiable by their willingness to miss the worship service if it means they have the opportunity to serve others by ushering, caring for children, helping with parking, or whatever else needs to be done. Servicers are identifiable by their willingness to miss serving if it means they have the opportunity to be present in the worship service. In both cases, they are doing the thing that makes them feel especially close to God.

Every church is made up of different kinds of people. There are extroverts and introverts, for example—people who are on the outgoing and sociable side and people who are on the shy and pensive side. There are leaders and there are followers—people who love to lead ministries within the church, and people who are content to be led. There are evangelists and disciplers—people whose passion is sharing the gospel with unbelievers and people whose passion is equipping existing believers. In every case, each side of the equation brings unique strengths to the congregation.

Of course we are a sinful bunch and more than capable of ruining any good thing, so we have to battle the temptation to look down upon those who are different from us. Extroverts are prone to judge introverts for not being outgoing enough. Leaders are prone to judge followers for not aspiring to leadership. Evangelists are prone to see disciplers as apathetic about the salvation of the lost. Then, of course, introverts, followers, and disciplers each battle their own temptations toward judgment and condemnation. But in our best moments, we know churches thrive when there is diversity rather than uniformity, when each of us battles embraces our unique strengths.

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