Building the Local Church part 8

   Ministry of Helps

   A key part of any church is the ministry of helps. Never heard of it? Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:28,

" God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, goverments, diversities of tongues."

A picture of this ministry is given in Exodus 17:9-12, where Moses sits atop the hill while Joshua battles the enemy. As long as Moses holds his arms up, Israel wins; he lets them down, they lose. His arms are getting tired, so Aaron and Hur hold his arms up, and the battle is won! Your Pastor is like Moses- he's got a million things to do; he gets tired. The ministry of helps takes things off his hands, off his mind. The intercessors are like Aaron, holding him up spiritually in prayer; helps is like Hur, holding him up practically in tasks.

   In Acts 6, Peter and the Apostles ask the congregation to pick out seven faithful and trusted men to take over distribution of funds. He states, "It is not reason that we should leave the Word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the Word." (Acts 6:2-4)

   In order to free up the Pastor and leaders to spend more time in prayer, study, and ministry, we take over the "small stuff". The ministry of helps includes ushers & greeters, nursery workers, the cleaning crew, groundskeepers, sound techs, Communion  servers, fellowship servers, and others.[The Music Team we will cover later...I'll have plenty to say about them!]

   The helpers job is to be invisible: the only time they're noticed is when they don't do their job! Then people complain to Pastor the sanctuary is too hot, too cold, there are gum wrappers on the floor, babies are crying, teenagers are talking, there's no toilet paper in the Ladies' Room, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. He's not the Complaint Department; doesn't need angry folks taking up his day with complaints when there are so many who need his ministry. Keep them off his back! Give them nothing to complain about.

   Your Pastors, teachers, and Music Leaders need to be able to focus on God, hear His voice, follow His leading. The less they have to worry about, the better. The Ministry of Helps doesn't run the service, just helps it run smoothly.