Seemingly Insignificant but Extremely Vital Ministries!

From the Pastor’s Desk (68)

June 9, 2002

Many pastors say that Sunday is another workday for them.  And they seem to get pretty tired at the end of the day.  This is understandable if you know what their Sunday schedule is really like.  Often times they teach Sunday school before worship.  Then they preside over worship service and preach a sermon.  After worship, they meet and talk with the first time guests.  Then they finish the day with a couple of meetings with church leaders.  By the time they go home, they are pooped!  They have no energy left for their family on Sunday evening. 

It is quite different for me on Sunday.  Instead of getting tired, I get rejuvenated.  Don’t get me wrong.  I work very hard to prepare for Sunday message.  On those Saturdays when we have special events, I often stay at church until 11 or 12 midnight to work and finish my message.  It is tough and sometimes draining coming up with a new message every Sunday.  However, when I come to church the next day I thoroughly enjoy our corporate worship service given to our Heavenly Father.  It revitalizes and strengthens me.  And I get another dosage of strength to live a brand new week for the glory of God!

How is that possible?  I think it is because we have many unsung heroes in our church.  These brothers and sisters are not up on the stage leading praise, praying for the congregation or preaching a message.  Rather, they are serving God quietly behind the scene.  And it is because they are doing their ministries with such faithfulness and excellence that I can focus on my role as a pastor. 

We often think that praise and message are the two most important ministries that are being done on Sunday.  This, however, is a faulty idea.  There are many seemingly insignificant but extremely vital ministries that are being done on Sunday.  And I believe with all of my heart that these are just as important as leading worship or preaching a sermon. 

Setting up the chairs before worship begins and taking care of our church campus to make it look more inviting are the two ministries out of many that I can think of that are seemingly insignificant but extremely vital.  I used to set up chairs when we were worshipping in the trailer house.  But ever since we moved the place of our worship to the gym, the chair setting ministry responsibility fell on our Administration Team.  Stephen Park, the team leader, Jim Suh, Ho Kim and several other men have been very faithful in this ministry.  However, I felt the need to relieve the married men who have young children from this ministry because I noticed that they were coming to church separately from their family.  When I approached two single house church shepherds last Sunday with this need, they gladly came up with four single men who would be responsible for this ministry until they get married and have their own children! : )

Keeping our church campus and parking lot clean is also extremely important because that is the very first thing that our first time guests notice about New Life.  And you don’t get the second chance to make the first impression!  Several weeks ago during my message, I just volunteered Song Kwak and Sung Ha Kim to be in charge of 3G Ministry (Grass, Garden and Garbage)!  They have all the reasons to complain and retaliate against me.  But they haven’t.  And I am very proud of these brothers!

What you are doing or asked to do at New Life may seem insignificant in the eyes of people.  But let’s remember that they are extremely vital in the eyes of God.  We are not people pleasers.  Instead, we are God pleasers!  Thanks for serving the church together with me!

Your pastor,

Eric