You are the Great Ones, and far more crucial than you might think. In our ninth week of Monday Devotions for Church Communicators, we dive into the idea that those of us working behind the scenes in the church—like creating bulletins, newsletters, and social media posts—are vital to the Kingdom of God. I share a moving story from C.S. Lewis’ *The Great Divorce*, highlighting how true significance often lies in humble service, something many of us overlook. We discuss how even the smallest acts of communication can lead to profound changes in people's lives and their journeys toward faith. Join me for a heartfelt prayer and encouragement as we recognize the importance of our roles and the eternal impact we can make through our work.
Takeaways:
In this episode, we highlight how church communicators often undervalue their essential roles in ministry.
We explore the inspiration from Daniel 12:3, emphasizing the eternal impact of wise actions.
The narrative from CS Lewis's 'The Great Divorce' illustrates the contrast between earthly fame and true greatness.
We encourage listeners to recognize their contributions to the church as vital and significant in God's Kingdom.
Every bulletin or newsletter created can serve as a crucial piece of Christian outreach to newcomers.
We remind church communicators that their work has eternal consequences, shaping lives for years to come.
Good morning. I'm Yvon Prehn and I'd like to welcome you to Monday Devotions for Church Communicators.
This podcast will start your week with prayer and a challenge from God's Word. This is Week Nine of our Devotions for Church Communicators and the topic is "You are the Great Ones and far more important than you may realize."
Our verse that inspired this one is Daniel 12:3 where it says, "Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness like the stars, forever and ever.
When I ask someone who's come to one of my church communication seminars what they do in the church, they often respond by saying something like this, "Oh, I'm just a church secretary. Or "Oh, I just help work on the church newsletter or website" or similar self deprecating statements.
My heart is broken when I hear that because the person who says it and you may have thought similar thoughts about yourself, has no idea of their true worth. Let me explain what I mean by sharing a story from a scene in CS Lewis book the Great Divorce.
In this scene, the main character is being escorted around heaven. He sees a woman coming toward him, magnificently clothed and attended by a grand procession. The book goes on and I'm quoting now from it.
"Is it? Is it?"
I whispered to my guide."Oh, not at all," said he. "It's someone you'll never have heard of. Her name was Sarah Smith and she lived at Golders Green."
"Well, she seems to be, well, a person of particular importance."
"Ay, she is one of the great ones. You've heard that fame in this country and fame on earth are two quite different things."
I often think of this passage as I teach my seminars and meet many of you who work day after day, week after week getting out the bulletin, preparing flyers for the youth programs, putting together in the newsletter one more time, continuously updating the website and social media. Those of you doing church communications work are the Great Ones in the Kingdom of God.
This book is dedicated to you and the work of eternal glory you do each day. The bulletin that you faithfully create may be the first and only piece of Christian literature a visitor has ever, ever seen. Your care and layout says to visitors that they are welcome.
Your explanation of how to find the nursery and an invitation to coffee might cause that person to listen a bit more openly to the sermon and to see Jesus in it. That flyer or social media message for the youth program may be shared with a teenager living with his single mom.
He might not have anybody to talk to to struggle with through the questions and temptations all teenagers face.
But that communication piece might bring him to an event where he can meet a church family who cares, a youth leader who will listen and be introduced to a father who will never leave.
That newsletter or updated website that you stayed late to put out might contain a devotion that helps a shut-in manage through one more day of pain. Or you might have a schedule that brings a newly single person to a potluck and helps ease the hurt of a recent divorce.
Lives are changed for time and eternity because of what you are doing today. With that contrary computer, a crushing workload and those impossible deadlines, the Lord took dust and made humanity.
You follow in his image as you take words and type in images and artwork and form them into messages that come alive and minister in the world in which he's placed you.
Sit tall, smile and work in courage. Today you are one of the Great Ones in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Let me pray for you now Lord.
It's all I can do to keep from just breaking down in tears as I read this devotion because I know this week and always your dear, dear church communicators are struggling to realize that they truly are the Great Ones in the Kingdom of God.
I pray that you will help them see their work through your eyes, that you would give them strength, that you would encourage them, lift them up and help them to see that what they are doing has eternal consequences.
Thank you so much now for the great ministry that you give us and help each one listening right now to know that they are a great one in the Kingdom of Heaven. In Jesus name, Amen.
For links to lots more materials to encourage you and help you be a better church communicator, go to the website www.effectivechurchcom. The book that the devotions are from is available on Amazon and it is entitled Devotions for Church Communicators.
Hopefully that's kind of easy to remember and I would encourage you to keep listening each week for more encouragement and prayers for you as you do your incredibly important work.
