By Pastor Joe Orner
Dean of the Bloomington Conference
Growing up as the youngest of three children, I attended a lot of concerts, sporting events, and theater productions for my older siblings. As children do, I would often get bored while I sat in the audience. And so as a way to keep my attention, my parents created a game for me where I would find as many people working behind the scenes as possible.
Camera operators, crew members, sound booth technicians, soloists in the band, assistant coaches—you name it, it was my challenge to find them and figure out what they were doing and why.
Similarly, as my experience in ministry has grown over the years, so has my list of people who are working behind the scenes to make churches function effectively—and it’s amazing the different ways people assist us in being the Church Together throughout our congregations.
At Peace, there are three people whom I’ve had the privilege of working with who exemplify God’s love through their behind-the-scenes work. I hope reading about them brings to mind individuals within your congregations too.
Daina is our Communications Specialist. Daina creates the weekly worship bulletin, coordinates and trains volunteers, and is also the first person to greet you when you walk in the door or call on the phone. On Sunday mornings, Daina is one of the first people in the building, and she can often be found supporting our service assistants, greeting those worshipping here for the first time, or doing whatever task necessary to extend hospitality and make sure people feel welcomed.
Lori is our Administrator, but I have yet to find a job or task that she can’t do. Accountant. Engineer. Chef. HR Specialist. Technology Consultant. Game Show Host. Universal Problem Solver. While most people see Lori singing in the choir during worship or helping with the education hour after, their jaws would drop at the number of ways she contributes to the life and wellness of the congregation when they’re not around.
Bruce is our Music Director and Organist. As a French horn player in the Minnesota Orchestra, people see the professionalism he brings to his position, and they can hear the high quality of his craft as his music emanates throughout the sanctuary. But what they don’t see are the hours of practicing and rehearsal each week; the intentionality put into selecting music for preludes, postludes, and choir anthems; and the energy invested into developing congregational connections. And while I hope congregations recognize the effort clergy and other staffmembers put into Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Holy Week—I can’t overstate how important it is to acknowledge and uplift our church musicians as well.
Today, just like when I was younger, my favorite people to search for inside any theater or concert venue are still the spotlight operators. Until they get their cue, they’re often hidden from plain site and hard to find. However, when their light shines, they’re impossible to miss. Likewise, every congregation has people who help them be Church Together too. You may not notice them right away—but when you do, it’s impossible to miss the brilliant spotlight they shine on Jesus through all they do and the wonderful people they are.