Kelly Stigliano, Keeping It Real

Volunteer Appreciation Month

April is National Volunteer Month and many churches and communities are honoring those hard working, often behind-the-scenes, helpers who keep all the plates spinning. (Picture the circus performer spinning many plates high atop poles of varying heights.) Without the assistance of those answering the call to help, daily orderliness, as well as special events, would never happen.

Not everyone can be an “up front man”. From the volunteer fireman who rushes out of his home to save a stranger from death, to the guardian ad litem who provides constancy in the life of a foster child, our world is full of unsung heroes. Each Christmas season we see the many smiling faces of the, often chilly, bell ringers for the Salvation Army. The importance of each and every one is fathomless.

In I Corinthians 12, Paul talks about people obeying their calling as part of a healthy body – the Body of Christ. In verse 12 he says, “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body.”

Not one of us is unnecessary. Each one of us has a job to do, in the community and in the Church. The servants who paint the scenery and change the sets between acts for the Cantata are every bit as important as the actors who bring the Bible characters to life in the spotlight.

“If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.” (I Cor. 12:14)

From the faithful nursery workers to the diligent custodians, churches are blessed with people who are committed to loving others as a service to God.

Thank you for making events and programs run smoothly. You know who you are. We know those glasses of fresh water on the platform do not just magically appear before every service. We know that the visitor’s packets do not jump together and stand ready for the next guest walking in the door. There are workers behind those works.

Thank you, servants of Christ, for making our communities and God’s house run smoothly. As stated in Romans 12:4-5, we each have a special gift and function in the Body of Christ. Thank you toes; thank you arms; thank you knees and thank you ears. When we are all doing what we are called to do, we are a healthy body!

Don’t forget to honor those who volunteer at your church and in your community!


	Volunteer Appreciation Month April is National Volunteer Month and many churches and communities are honoring those hard working, often behind-the-scenes, helpers who keep all the plates spinning. (Picture the circus performer spinning many plates high atop poles of varying heights.) Without the assistance of those answering the call to help, daily orderliness, as well as special events, would never happen. Not everyone can be an “up front man”. From the volunteer fireman who rushes out of his home to save a stranger from death, to the guardian ad litem who provides constancy in the life of a foster child, our world is full of unsung heroes. Each Christmas season we see the many smiling faces of the, often chilly, bell ringers for the Salvation Army. The importance of each and every one is fathomless. In I Corinthians 12, Paul talks about people obeying their calling as part of a healthy body – the Body of Christ. In verse 12 he says, “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body.” Not one of us is unnecessary. Each one of us has a job to do, in the community and in the Church. The servants who paint the scenery and change the sets between acts for the Cantata are every bit as important as the actors who bring the Bible characters to life in the spotlight. “If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.” (I Cor. 12:14) From the faithful nursery workers to the diligent custodians, churches are blessed with people who are committed to loving others as a service to God. Thank you for making events and programs run smoothly. You know who you are. We know those glasses of fresh water on the platform do not just magically appear before every service. We know that the visitor’s packets do not jump together and stand ready for the next guest walking in the door. There are workers behind those works. Thank you, servants of Christ, for making our communities and God’s house run smoothly. As stated in Romans 12:4-5, we each have a special gift and function in the Body of Christ. Thank you toes; thank you arms; thank you knees and thank you ears. When we are all doing what we are called to do, we are a healthy body! Don’t forget to honor those who volunteer at your church and in your community!