I came across a post that said something about how we don't give the church the flowers it deserves, especially for the many skills we learn there for free.

And honestly, it got me thinking.

Because it's actually true.

There are so many skills we learn in church without paying a dime for them. We simply join a unit because we want to serve, and somewhere along the line, we start learning things that may become useful to us years later.

Think about the decoration unit.

You know those days when you're tired and you're like, “Are you sure they can't do this without me? Let me just stay at home today.”

But you don't realise that every time you show up, every time you practise, every time you help decorate the church, you're improving a skill.

You could leave church one day and realise that you actually know how to decorate.

And you learnt it for free.

Then there's the choir.

You joined because you wanted to sing. Maybe you didn't even think you had a great voice at first. But you kept attending rehearsals, learning, practising and training your voice.

Before you knew it, you could sing in a way you never imagined.

The same thing happens in the media unit.

You could start with absolutely no idea about photography, videography, video editing or operating equipment. Then you keep showing up, watching others, asking questions and practising.

And suddenly, you have a skill.

Someone asks, _“Can you take pictures?”_

You say, “Yes, I can.”

"Can you edit videos?”

“Yes, I can.”

And then you have something to show them.

Something you learnt while serving in church.

And maybe that experience eventually helps you get a job.

What about leadership?

Have you ever been placed in charge of something in church?

At first, it could feel overwhelming.

You have people to coordinate. You have responsibilities. You have to make decisions. Sometimes things don't even go according to plan.
But somewhere along the line, you begin to learn how to manage people.

You begin to communicate better.

You begin to take responsibility.

You begin to lead.

Then there's public speaking.

Remember when you were so scared to stand in front of people?

Maybe you started with just reading something during service.

Then you started making announcements.

Then you were asked to speak during a programme.

And before you knew it, standing in front of people wasn't as scary anymore.
You were building your confidence without even realising it.

Let's not forget the people who learnt how to play musical instruments in church.

The keyboardist.

The drummer.

The guitarist.

The instrumentalist.

They learnt because they wanted to serve.

And today, that same skill can take them outside the church. They can play at events. They can get paid for it. They can even build a career around it.
And what about those people behind the scenes?

The people running around when the microphone stops working.

The people checking the speakers.

The people trying to figure out why something isn't working.

The people who know what to do when the generator suddenly develops a problem.
You may have thought you were simply helping out.

But you were learning how things work.

You were gaining practical experience.

Even the ushers are learning.
You learn how to welcome people with a smile, even when you're not having the best day.
You learn how to relate with different kinds of people.

You learn patience.

You learn communication.

You learn how to handle people.

And when you sit down to prepare your CV years later, you might suddenly realise:

Wait.

I've actually done a lot.

I volunteered here.

I led this team.

I handled this responsibility.

I worked with people.

I learnt this skill.

I organised this.

I helped with that.

And all of these things started from somewhere.

The church.

The funny thing is that most times, we didn't even realise we were learning.

We thought we were just serving.

We thought we were just helping.

We thought we were just attending rehearsals, arranging chairs, operating cameras, making announcements, welcoming people or staying behind to make sure everything worked.

But we were learning.

We were building ourselves.

And the beautiful part?

We weren't even paying for the training.

We were doing it because we wanted to serve God.

So, in a way, you learnt a skill, gained experience, built your confidence and contributed to something bigger than yourself.

And for those of us who believe in God, we also believe that there is a blessing that comes with serving Him.

So maybe we really don't give the church enough credit.

Maybe we should look back and appreciate those years differently.

Because some of the things we complained about doing may have been preparing us for something we didn't even know was coming.

That decoration you didn't feel like attending.

That choir rehearsal you wanted to skip.

That camera you were learning to operate.

That announcement you were too scared to make.

That leadership position you thought was stressful.

That microphone you kept fixing.

That person you had to welcome with a smile even when you weren't in the mood.
Maybe they were all teaching you something.

Maybe, without knowing it, the church was one of your first training grounds.

And today, I just want to say thank you.

Thank you to the church for giving us spaces to learn, serve, practise and grow.

And most importantly, thank you, God, for giving us those spaces in the first place.

We may not have given you the flowers then.

But now that we are looking back, we realise you deserve them.❤️