Answering the Call
By Luke McConnell
There are times in church life where as leaders, we may ask you to serve in a particular ministry. We promote it for weeks, and then once it begins, we move forward with those who have volunteered their time. Where we sometimes fall short as leaders is thanking you for stepping up or at the very least, prayerfully considering serving in that capacity.
Our Whiz Kids ministry is off to a rousing start this year. Two weeks in, we have 22 students from Council Grove Elementary School in the program, and we’re looking forward to adding more throughout the year. Serving those kids is an incredible group of church members who are giving their time each week to help these kids improve their reading and to be a positive adult influence in their life. Including myself, we have a group of 30 volunteers working with these kids in some capacity each week.
I wanted to thank you, Council Road, for answering the call to serve in Whiz Kids. When the leadership at Whiz Kids praises our site and how easy we are to work with, that’s a testament to you and your support of this ministry. Whiz Kids is not possible without you, and I am personally grateful for everyone who is serving.
I’m also very encouraged by those who prayerfully considered serving and said no. It’s easy to dismissively say you don’t have time to serve, but it takes a willing spirit and open hands to ask God if this ministry is one in which to serve. I had conversations with several people who genuinely wanted to serve or loved what the ministry was about, but just didn’t feel called at this time. And that’s ok! There’s such a thing as a good no.
In thinking about serving in an ongoing ministry, I was reminded of the parable in Matthew 20, where a landowner has people working in his fields for varying lengths of time but pays them all the same wages at the end of the day. The people who worked all day were indignant, but the landowner quickly pointed out he could pay his workers what he wanted, and everyone who had come to work that day had agreed to the wages he promised them.
I think about our team of tutors this year for Whiz Kids. There’s no difference between those who served last year and those who are joining us this year. We’re all serving for the sake of the kingdom and that’s really all that matters. While it is admirable to serve in a particular ministry for a long time, I think the recognition we give those people is from a human perspective, not from God’s perspective.
When we’re all worshiping at the feet of Jesus, the people who served in Whiz Kids for 20 years are not going to be more highly favored than the ones who did a single year and then went and served somewhere else. The point is, they both answered the call to serve, to love people around them like Jesus would. And at the end of time, they receive the promise together: eternal life.
I share this first to thank you again for joining us in this incredible ministry. I’m passionate about Whiz Kids, and I hope we continue to see it grow year-to-year into the future. But I also say this to encourage you to not feel like you missed out for the whole year. We’re always looking to add kids into the program, and they’ll need tutors as well. Please continue to pray about serving in Whiz Kids. Life’s circumstances can change in a moment, and schedules can empty quickly. I humbly offer Whiz Kids as an avenue to fill time that becomes available to you.
Thank you, Council Road, for your support of Whiz Kids. I’m excited for what the year holds and the impact we can make in the lives of these kids and their families together.
Author Bio
Luke serves as the Cube Director at Council Road. He previously worked at Channel 9 as a sports writer and an account executive. He also serves as the play-by-play voice for Southern Nazarene University athletics. Luke graduated from OU in 2011. He and his wife, Mary, have been members at Council Road since 2012. They have twin boys, Jackson and Cameron. Mary teaches third grade at Wiley Post Elementary. They also help lead a home group.