Organized service can be in the form of teaching, prayer ministries, serving in food pantries, serving in the church nursery, or anything else that is done on a regular basis. These things are generally organized and managed by someone who is also performing a service.
Other times you serve God, and the church by doing something spontaneous. Cooking a meal for a sick friend. Babysitting for a fellow church member. Sending a note of encouragement to others who serve.
There are so many more. But the test of that service is this....who are you doing it for? Who is being built up by your actions. You? Your reputation? or the body of Christ and His reputation? If we do things with the expectation that we will get noticed, or thanked, or be seen as more spiritual then we are only serving ourselves.
So my proposal is this....if you see someone serving God, by serving the church, and therefore serving you don't offer them your thanks. Instead take their example, and Christ's, and serve someone else. By drawing attention to their good work you may tempt them to move their eyes from Christ and onto themselves. "Look how good I am". But if you in turn serve others you will make the light of Christ shine even brighter.
Thanks is great, and there is a place for it, but words alone don't convey a true spirit of thankfulness.
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:8-11
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