In case you didn’t know, April 28th was National Superhero Day. While I’m not one to celebrate all of these unusual new holidays that highlight random things such as National Pancake Day, Wiggle Your Toes Day, or National Spaghetti Day, this one actually has me interested.
There is certainly no shortage of movies about superheroes. You have so many to choose from with an impressive variety of superpowers! However, this national day makes me think about a special group of unsung heroes that I think deserve superhero status.
When we show up each Sunday morning, we see our pastor and the staff and are so thankful for all that they do throughout the week to make worship and fellowship possible for the congregation. Yet there are dozens of individuals you may never know by name who help keep your church running.
Who are they?
Every church is a bit different but what would happen without your:
1) Nursery workers – who tirelessly care for and soothe little ones so they experience the love of Christ and their parents can worship for an hour uninterrupted.
2) Custodial staff – who make sure trash cans are emptied, bathrooms are clean and running properly, floors are mopped, and air conditioning works so you have a safe and comfortable environment each Sunday.
3) Visitation volunteers – who visit the sick and shut-ins each week to make sure these individuals don’t become disconnected from the body of Christ or feel lost and unnoticed. They bring prayer and encouragement to those who need it so badly, and they act as the hands and feet of Christ for the pastoral staff who usually just cannot connect with each person each week.
4) Office staff – who fold and stuff bulletins, pay bills, answer phones, run interference for the pastor, remember appointments, and arrange schedules. The church would literally fall apart without the trustworthy office staff that support and help the pastoral staff each day.
5) Youth volunteers – who build relationships each week with the young people who are the future of the church. These individuals chaperone youth trips, pray with and for your young people, listen to story after story and question after question and usually fix and serve LOTS of snacks.
These are just a few examples of superheroes who attend your church and serve you and your family. Do they get praised from the stage? Normally, no and they don’t want that. They serve behind the scenes because they want your church to grow, and they are being obedient to serve quietly and faithfully.
Wouldn’t it be neat this week though if you took some time to honor these individuals? At staff meeting this week, hand out some thank you notes and encourage your leaders to write two superheroes an encouraging note this week. What a blessing it would be for them to open their mailbox and read a handwritten note of encouragement from someone they serve. So many of these unsung heroes see their church leaders as superheroes when we could not do what we do without their willingness to serve and use THEIR superhero powers.
So celebrate National Superhero Day a little late this year by saying THANK YOU to some of the superheroes in your church!!
