If you would like to purchase the full devotional for yourself or your church, you can purchase Rebuilding: A 19-Week Devotional For Those Serving In Church Technology now at ChurchMagPress in print-ready format.
“Affirmation without discipline is the beginning of delusion.”
Michael Hyatt
We will be reading through Nehemiah 3:1-32
If you enjoy storytelling and are drawn to the Bible, you will find a lot of great stories in Scripture. As you read through these stories, you will happen upon chapters like Nehemiah 3 that can read as a bunch of people doing things that do not mean much. In these situations, it’s best to look at the historical perspective of this. In Nehemiah 3, the gates that are being repaired start at one of the main gates, which the enemies who sacked Jerusalem completely destroyed. The list then goes clockwise around the entire city and ends with the gate closes to Mt. Zion, which will eventually set the stage for the end of Jesus’ life on earth and our salvation.
Further, it goes into details about the bolts and bars being in place for every gate. The bolts and bars are the security of the city. Without them, everyone needed to remain on edge for fear of attack from whatever dangers lay outside of the city. The hardest and most risky part of the repairs is finally done. People can breathe a little bit easier now.
We see this in the first months of a new volunteer on the church tech team. We need to breathe a little bit deeper and be a little more on edge. We use a new streaming service that has been untested with the number of viewers, hoping that things do not go down. Maybe we launch a new podcast or YouTube channel for the church in hopes of using the videos or audios you have to increase your reach.
But this is not just the task Nehemiah must take on. In fact, his name does not appear in this chapter at all. Those who have volunteered, who have become part of the team, have allowed for success to come about.
Further, there is no one on the church technology team that deserves more appreciation than our volunteers. It may seem wonderful to be team leader or the pastor who oversees the church tech ministry, but very little happens there beyond vision casting and organization. It’s necessary, but the majority of the work is because of our wonderful volunteers.
So to you who serves, with your time, talents, and many times finances—thank you! Your humility, passion, and servant’s heart is helping the Gospel reach hearts that need healing and souls who need Jesus. Without you, the world would be a completely different place. If no one else has said thanks to you this week, this month, or this year, I want to deeply and humbly say my thanks. Continue to serve well for the kingdom.
Use these reflection questions for the comments section.
- When was the last time you showed your appreciation for your teammates? (Hint: try it today!)
- Are there any proactive steps you can implement into your team and its strategy to decrease the stress it imposes?
- How can your team begin to or improve in your celebration of its members? Are there any ways to have your church’s leadership join in?
Speak your mind...