Pastor Robert Griffith Virginia: Why Churches Should Normalize Serving, Not Just Donating
Pastor Robert Griffith Virginia
In many churches, the offering plate still carries symbolic weight. Giving has always been part of Christian life. Tithes, missions support, and benevolence funds help ministries function. But too often, giving becomes the primary—or only—way people serve. We honor those who donate, but we don’t always recognize those who give their time, presence, or skills.
That needs to change.
Foster care ministry depends on more than financial gifts. It requires meals delivered without fanfare. Babysitting when a foster parent needs rest. Rides to school or doctor’s appointments. Prayer over hard decisions. Those tasks do not always require a line item in a budget, but every one of them matters deeply to the children and families involved.
I’ve seen this firsthand. The churches that serve foster families best are the ones that treat acts of service as normal, expected, and celebrated. They don’t elevate financial donors above the volunteers organizing supply closets. They don’t treat service as something for the “extra committed.” They build it into the rhythm of congregational life.
This shift starts with leadership. Pastors and ministry teams must model serving in everyday ways. When people see leaders showing up—not just talking about the need—they follow. A pastor dropping off dinner for a foster family says more than a hundred Sunday morning announcements.
Churches also need systems that make serving accessible. Many willing volunteers sit idle because no one asked them directly or gave them a clear way to help. They don’t see themselves as leaders or caregivers, but they’d gladly mow a foster parent’s lawn or assemble hygiene kits for kids in placement. We have to ask the right questions and offer flexible options.
This kind of serving also disciples people. It forms character. It teaches humility, patience, and perseverance. It reminds us that ministry isn’t always clean or convenient. And it helps the Church look like Jesus—not just in word, but in deed.
Scripture doesn’t separate giving from action. James 2:16 challenges us: “If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?” Serving puts faith into motion.
Financial support will always matter. But when churches treat everyday acts of service as central to Christian life, the whole body becomes stronger—and children in care receive the steady, practical love they need.
To explore foster care engagement, national dialogue, or connect with Pastor Bob Griffith’s book Fostering Jesus, visit FosteringJesus.org.