May 3, 2007
Shy Shine!
By Lydia Rule
Ministry… it is a scary word, especially to inverted teenagers. Often, ministry is looked upon as something only the bold and brave attempt, but this is not true. God used shy people to spread the word just as much as he did the bold. Jeremiah was a shy person (Jeremiah 1: 4-9).
Moses did not think he was bold enough to do what God wanted (Exodus 3: 11-12). Gideon was hiding from enemies when God called him to be the leader of Israel’s army (Judges 6: 11-13). The woman who touched Jesus’ robe was afraid (Mark 5: 28-34). God can use anyone, including shy people!
“But I don’t know what to do,” you say. “I’m not sure what ministry is right for me.”
There are several different ministries that are perfect for shy people. One is the Puppet Ministry. Not all churches have a Puppet Ministry, but it is perfect for the withdrawn. You can hide behind a curtain and still be serving God at the same time! It doesn’t get any better than that!
Another place to get involved in is a “Greeter’s Gang”. In a Greeter’s Gang, you can try to overcome your shyness by greeting newcomers to your teen group. However, if that is too hard, you can just send visitors a “welcome-to-our-youth-group” e-mail. Or you can keep track of visitor information for your Youth Pastor.
If you have a designer streak inside of you, church decorations is another area of ministry that doesn’t require an extraverted personality. From flower arrangements to
organizing the (very messy) church storage room, there are plenty of ways to help your church’s interior stand out. Other avenues of service include gardening, cleaning, or cooking for church banquets.
Kid’s clubs, V.B.S., and Sunday School are other great places to serve God. Little
children do not care if you are outgoing or not. You can be involved in children’s ministry in a variety of different positions. Games, snacks, and teaching times offer many needful areas to serve in.
And as always, your Pastor is there to help. Ask him if there is a particular ministry in the church that you can do. Pray about which ministry God wants you in. The Bible calls Christians a light in the darkness (1 Thessalonians 5:5). Don’t be afraid to let your light show! Every light has a purpose. Find where you belong in your church, and then let Christ’s love shine through you! Let God be your boldness when you feel shy.
Shine on for Him!
devhud says:
Hi Lydia. I am writing for my 9 year old daughter, Kayleigh. We are church planters in Las Vegas, NV. The name of our church is Grace Point Church - gracepointvegas.com. Kayleigh has an interest in becoming a writer and she thought you might could share with her about your journey. Any insight you can share would be exciting to her. Kayleigh will begin homeschooling this year. You can email her at kayhud@earthlink.net. Thanks so much.
Mom-Starla