Churches often recognize a sermon that is preached, a meal that is served, a baptism that is performed, a Bible study that is led and other visible ministries. What often goes overlooked, though, is the ministry that so many faithful servants have with children, particularly preschool children. Children that age obviously don’t think to thank their teachers and leaders. Most of the church never knows what goes on in the nursery and preschool room – how thankless the ministry can be, how exhausting it is, how few people volunteer to help, and how much time leaders spend preparing while knowing that most of the kids will pay little attention to the teacher’s efforts.

Volunteers who work with our children and youth, though, really are the unsung heroes of the church. They are in the basement (both literally in our church building and figuratively), but their ministry is of a critically high calling. Praise God for them!

Marsha and Katie, for example, are with preschoolers every single Sunday morning during our Family Groups, at least one Sunday morning each month during worship, every Wednesday evening during adult prayer meeting and Bible study, and even many Sunday evenings during Life on Mission. In fact, not only do they do this as a ministry for the church, but they are also mothers to preschoolers.

Thank you, Marsha and Katie! You are true superheroes. Thank you to all the other superheroes in our church who dedicate time, energy and resources to minister to youth and children – Billy, Terri, James, Tammy, Cheryl, Doris, Jerry, Beverly, Devin, Tami, Robin and Jenika.

Next time you drop your kids off in the nursery, in a Sunday School room, or in the youth area, be sure to thank the leader(s). Then, when you go to pick up your children, be sure to thank the leader(s) again. Write them notes of encouragement. Make sure they realize how much you appreciate their sacrifice.

Of course, there are many thankless ministries in our church and in every church. We as a church family need to do a better job of showing our appreciation and encouraging those who serve the Lord by serving His church. “God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable, so that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other” (1 Corinthians 12:24b-25).

Below are a few pictures from last Wednesday evening’s TeamKID Preschool. While they might not express it now, these kids and others like them will one day look back with gratefulness for the amazing servants who invested in their spiritual development.

NOTE: This is a slightly shorter section from Pastor Nick’s original post on DrakeCity.com.