NASHVILLE (BP) — This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with Lifeway Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, Lifeway publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.
This week’s Bible study is adapted from the MasterWork curriculum.
Bible Passages: Matthew 8:14-16; Acts 9:22-30
Discussion Questions:
- What is the most important task of your church and its ministry? Explain your reasoning.
- Of all the work and ministry your church performs in any given week, what percentage would you say is done by visible leaders of the church? What percentage by behind-the-scenes kind of people? Explain.
- Thinking about your church, what are the “dirty jobs” — those tasks that most people don’t want to do — that people think about only when there is a problem, and that seldom or never include recognition or expressions of appreciation?
Food for thought with Jeff Iorg*:
Television personality Mike Rowe has narrated and starred in nearly 200 episodes of the series “Dirty Jobs.” In each episode, Rowe performs dangerous, disgusting or dirty jobs alongside a person who does that job for a living.
Seminary president, author, and former pastor Jeff Iorg does not host a television series, but he does have his own emphasis on “dirty jobs.” In the final session of the study from Shadow Christians — believers who serve in the shadows of Christians in the spotlight — Iorg reminds us these shadow Christians do the dirty work of the church. While the spotlight Christians get the attention, shadow Christians perform the ministries that keep the church going.
Iorg mentions over a dozen of these jobs, but he looks in more detail at four of them. First, hospitality. Yes, that can mean hosting gatherings in your home when you are more spotlight than shadow. But think in broader terms. Who visits or takes a meal to a sick or shut-in person? Who cooks for a church gathering? Sets up the tables? Adds décor? Serves?
Then comes protective services. This dirty work calls for paying attention to what others might ignore. It might mean patrolling the parking lot during services, watching security video for threats or emergencies, checking in children when they arrive, or a myriad of other duties.
The third group Iorg calls the “Do What’s Next” group. These members step in and do what comes next, whatever that might be. Bulb burned out in a hard-to-access place? Toilet overflow during Bible study? Church van not running smoothly?
Finally, Iorg mentions the cleanup crew. Perhaps your church has custodial staff to wash the dishes, take out the trash, put away the tables, sweep the floor and turn out the lights. But in lots of churches, much of this work falls to a few shadow Christians after most folks have left.
Some jobs garner the spotlight. But much of what keeps a church — YOUR church — going happens because believers aren’t looking for the spotlight but in the shadows are serving the Lord and church they love.
*Jeff Iorg is president of Gateway Seminary.
MasterWork
MasterWork is an ongoing Bible study curriculum based on works from a variety of renowned authors and offers pertinent, practical messages that adults will find uplifting and enriching. The list of authors and their books to be studied in upcoming months can be found at lifeway.com/masterwork.
