Can Non-Members / Non-Believers Serve in the Church?

An earlier version of this post originally appeared on June 19, 2013.

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When it comes to the question of volunteers, I think we’d all agree that you can never have too many. For most of us, however, it all boils down to where volunteers come from and who gets to actually serve. Are there limitations? Barriers? Conditions that we place on service?

In other words, if an unbeliever comes to your church, should they be allowed to volunteer for various ministries? Or if a believer attends your church but have not yet submitted to membership, can they serve?

There are great and valid points on both sides of the issue, but my opinion (and it is only that) is a resounding YES. Here are four reasons why:

1. Allowing non-members to serve allows them to take a safe first step.

I’ve seen it hundreds of time in my tenure at the Summit: people think the church is a good fit for them, they think it’s a place where they want to put down roots, but they’re still timid. Unsure. “Prayerfully considering.” And so allowing them to join a team where they’ll get to know like-minded believers is a good thing. They build relationships, build community, and ultimately make a move towards formalized membership.

2. Allowing unbelievers to serve immerses them in evangelistic environments.

You will never see a Christian in their most authentic form until you put ’em in a parking vest and send them to an asphalt lot on a 95 degree day while they’re trying to dodge insane people with fish on their bumper. Mixing unbelievers with believers gives them the opportunity to live life with one another, and seeds are planted for the gospel.

3. Allowing unbelievers to serve gives them a chance to see the “one anothers” in action.

The New Testament is filled with “one anothers”…we’re to love one another, encourage one another, rebuke one another, send links to cat videos to one another (oh wait, that’s entirely unbiblical). Serving alongside one another lets them see a Christlike community in progress. Yes, they’re exposed to the bad as well as the good, but it seeds the ground for faith to grow.

4. Allowing unbelievers to serve communicates “you matter.”

We should never relegate unbelievers to the non-serving sidelines, as if they’re second tier citizens in the church world. True, they’re not yet citizens of the kingdom, yet they’ve already been gifted with talents, skill sets, and giftings that can be used for the kingdom. Our job as leaders is to develop all people – believers and unbelievers alike – but developing unbelievers with an eye towards moving them closer to Jesus.

Are there potential pitfalls in allowing unbelievers or non-members to serve? Of course. Not everyone should have access everywhere. I don’t want a non-member serving as a host in a membership class. That seems sort of hypocritical. And while an unbeliever would absolutely be allowed to park cars, help people find seats, or set up and tear down, we’d obviously restrict them from leading a small group or taking on a team leadership role.

From a safety and liability perspective, neither members or non-members should be allowed to serve with minors without a thorough background check, a rigorous application process, and a carefully-monitored onboarding.

I think the bottom line in this discussion is that we allow unbelievers and non-members to serve with intentionality. And that intentionality comes from us more than it comes from them. If we maintain an “anybody can serve” mentality, then ministry leaders need to know the status of everyone on their team. Who’s not a believer? Who needs to (eventually) become a member? Regular audits of our team will keep us from being lulled into a false sense of security that our teams have “arrived.”

I’d love your thoughts. Fire away. Comment below.

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(photo credit: Kayla Bailey)