Discipleship Ministries recently published the following article as the first in a three-part series based on the United Methodist vision to Love Boldly, Service Joyfully, and Lead Courageously.

When people feel overwhelmingly busy or rushed or lack trust in institutions, service may feel like another obligation, another box to check, another weight to carry. The church’s call to serve joyfully is not about adding more to overstuffed schedules. It’s about helping people rediscover service as a way of being—an outflow of a life deeply rooted in God’s abundance, humility, and joy.

This is the heart of The United Methodist Church’s renewed vision:

"The United Methodist Church forms disciples of Jesus Christ who, empowered by the Holy Spirit, love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously in local communities and worldwide connections."

To serve joyfully is to live with the freedom that comes from knowing our worth is not in our performance but in our belonging to God. Joyful service is a resistance to despair, a response to suffering, and a rhythm of connection in a world that is both weary and longing for hope.

Jesus’ Joyful Service: Not Transactional, But Transformational

Jesus never served out of obligation. His service was not mechanical or strategic. It was deeply personal and joyful. He washed feet. He fed crowds. He restored dignity. He touched the untouchable. And all the while, he served with joy, not because it was easy, but because it revealed the nature of God.

What’s striking is that Jesus’ service was never detached from joy, even in the face of suffering. The joy was in the connection, in the freedom, in the love poured out and received. He teaches us that service is not merely an act of doing; it’s an act of being fully present to another.

Reclaiming Joy in a Tired Church

Many of us may feel tired or worn out, given the journey our denomination has been through. We also see division, conflict, fear, and violence permeating society, both physically and emotionally, as well as spiritually. The church has labored long in difficult times—through pandemics, denominational uncertainty, and community division. Yet, in the midst of it all, the vision invites us to serve joyfully—not out of pressure, but out of possibility.

Joyful service doesn’t mean pretending everything is fine. It means trusting that the Spirit is still at work—even in the small, the slow, the seemingly insignificant. It’s planting seeds we may never see grow. It’s showing up with food, with listening ears, and with hands ready to work, not because it’s glamorous, but because it’s the way of Jesus.

Service as a Communal Rhythm, Not Individual Heroism

The world often tells us to serve to prove something: our value, our virtue, our place. But joyful service is never about being the hero. It’s about being part of a community—a body—where everyone offers what they have, and where grace flows both ways.

This kind of service doesn’t isolate. It connects. It invites people to show up with their gifts—no matter how big or small—and to trust that their offering matters. Whether it’s organizing a clothing drive, bringing a casserole to a grieving neighbor, or staying late to stack chairs, joyful service is the thread that holds the community together.

What Serving Joyfully Looks Like

It doesn’t have to be flashy. In fact, it usually isn’t. Joyful service looks like:

• Preparing a meal for someone who can’t pay you back.
• Praying with someone who didn’t ask for it but needed it.
• Showing up to community meetings with no agenda but to listen.
• Starting a free pantry in a church hallway or a sidewalk garden for the neighborhood.
• Offering childcare during ESL classes or parent-teacher nights.

Joyful service isn’t always about solving problems. It’s about presence. It’s about showing up, again and again, with your whole heart—even if it’s tired—and trusting God to multiply the offering.

REFLECTION AND PRACTICE
This month, reflect on how God may be inviting you to rediscover joy in the ways you serve and the people you serve alongside.

Reflection Questions

1. When have you experienced joy in serving others—even in difficult or small acts?
2. Where has service become heavy or performative in your life or leadership?
3. How can your church create spaces where service feels life-giving, mutual, and connected to the Spirit’s movement?

Contemplative Practice

Sit quietly with your hands open. Imagine placing before God one act of service you’ve been doing lately—especially one that has begun to feel like a burden. Ask God to fill that service with joy, connection, and purpose. Then sit in silence, trusting that joy will return—maybe not all at once, but in time.

Action Step

Find one act of service this month that brings you joy and invite someone to do it with you. Whether it’s visiting a neighbor, writing notes of encouragement, or volunteering at a local organization, do it not because you should, but because it makes you feel alive in Christ.

Next Month: Lead Courageously

In Part 3, we’ll explore what it means to lead courageously—not from a place of dominance or fear, but from deep trust in God’s kingdom vision and an unwavering commitment to justice and liberation in our communities.