The Ministry of Helps is a vital structure within the church responsible for the support and maintenance of the smooth operation of the church. The support provided by the ministry can take various forms. Typically, such support includes manual work in the church, such as ushering, cleaning, and providing security; it could also involve communications, care, and hospitality services. Finally, the Ministry of Helps can also assist with teaching and paperwork. These services are performed primarily to support the church, as its own resources may not be enough. While supporting the church is significant, there are more reasons why the Ministry of Helps is an essential part of the church.
Firstly, if the Ministry of Helps is established and functions appropriately, those who lead the church have more time to fulfill their higher-ranked duties. For example, in 1 Kings 4:1-25 (New International Version, 2011), even wisest Solomon had eleven officials who helped him with administrative issues. Likewise, apostles, who shared part of their responsibilities with others, did the same. “We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word” (New International Version, 1984, Acts 6:2-7). As a result, the spread of God’s word accelerated, and many new people were turned into the faith. Therefore, the correct distribution of responsibilities through the Ministry of Helps supports the church leaders, and it has direct benefits regarding the spread of the faith.
Secondly, the Ministry of Helps is essential, as it helps build a community around the church. “You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the Lord’s people” (Modern English Version, 2014, 1 Corinthians 16:15-18). Therefore, people who answer the call of the Ministry of Helps can be valuable not only in their service to the church. These people can also involve their communities and further spread the word of God in their local area. Moreover, these people can be a reason why others could understand that service through the Ministry of Helps is what they wanted and needed, therefore building a bigger, stronger, and more effective community. Moreover, as the mentioned scripture tells, the coming of these new people and strengthening the community also refreshes its leaders, thus making them more capable.
Finally, recruiting people to the Ministry of Helps may bring its most significant results later, as those people becoming closer to the church can later be raised as the new leaders. In Acts 13:1-5 (New King James Version, 1982), it is said that Barnabas and Saul were sent on a trip by the Holy Spirit, and they took John Mark as their helper. Later, John Mark wrote one of the four canonical gospels – the Gospel of Mark. The people brought closer to the church and God through their service in the Ministry of Helps may also find themselves full of desire to take their service to the next level. These people will have the best opportunity to do so, as they will already be a part of a supportive community and have teachers to help them follow their path.
Overall, the Ministry of Helps is critical for the church, as it provides various advantages for the organization and its leaders. The Ministry of Helps can support the church in everyday chores, freeing pastors’ time for praying, studying, and other activities to help build a community around the church. Finally, the ministry can also attract people who can later be raised as future spiritual leaders and bring in much more than just services.
References
New International Version. (1984). Biblica, Inc.
New International Version. (2011). Biblica, Inc.
New King James Version. (1982). Thomas Nelson.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. (2014). Charisma House.