Supporting the "Invisible Ministers"

These "Invisible Ministers" that I speak of are not super-heroes with the power to disappear at will. But I often think they are the real "super-heroes" of the church. The invisible ministers are the ones that the church at large almost never sees and rarely hears. They are the ones who do some of the hardest, most tedious and monotonous jobs around the building, in worship services and at gatherings.

The invisible ministers are the people who get up early and get to church on Sunday before everyone else so that they can make the coffee. They are the ones who volunteer to climb the scaffolding at every spring cleaning bee to polish the stained glass windows in the sanctuary. They are the ladies who spend hours each week cutting shapes out of construction paper for the Sunday School children's craft. They are the men who replace the worn and broken ceiling tiles in the church social hall.

Sometimes we church-goers put a lot of stock in our VISIBLE ministers: the ones who sing or play an instrument on a worship team, the preachers, the teachers, the leaders, the movers and the shakers. And of course, their roles are extremely important. But often we get so caught up in the visible that we forget about the invisible.

Imagine fellowship times without coffee or clean dishes. Imagine trying to entertain Sunday School children for an hour without a craft to put together. What would it be like if nobody shoveled the walkway to the front doors? What if no one ever pruned the rose bushes or planted new marigolds in the spring? What if communion ceased because no one volunteered to fill the communion cups or prepare the bread? All of these roles are equally important in the church at large. And it is these volunteers who get the least thanks for their roles.

There's a good chance that most of these volunteers don't do what they do in order to get recognition. Some may even prefer to serve "behind the scenes." But a "thank you" is always nice just the same, and may be just the shot of energy that an invisible minister needs to keep on doing what he or she is doing.

Some of the best ways to thank them are also the easiest:

1)Make a point to find out who does a particular job in your church: Next time you're at a potluck, take a minute to personally thank the dishwashers and table setters. If you taste a particularly delicious pastry on a Sunday morning, find out who baked it and let them know how much you enjoyed it. Keep your eyes open and look around: there are probably dozens of little things that have been done during the week by one of those invisible ministers. It might take a little bit of detective work to find out who did what, but you may just make someone's day when you thank them for their contribution to your church.

2)Don't complain: So the coffee is a bit strong. Complaining aloud can be defeating for the person who actually arrived early to make it. Keep negative thoughts and comments to yourself.

The church needs its invisible ministers just as much as its visible ministers. So let them know just how much you appreciate the things that they do!