Administrator, Your Work Matters

The word ‘just’ has a lot of power when it comes to labelling who we are and what we do. You hear mums, when asked what they do, declare that they’re ‘Just a mum’, and yet their role is vital in discipleship and shaping a whole human life. You hear those who are studying say they are ‘Just a student’, and yet they are working hard towards a goal, juggling priorities and stretching themselves daily. We hear it, too, about the work of church administration. 

At a ministry conference last year I overheard a conversation at morning tea about people’s roles in their churches. One described herself as being responsible for the membership side of church. Another spoke of his role as co-ordinating services, small groups and evangelism as an assistant minister. And another awkwardly added when asked what they did, ‘Oh, I’m just an administrator.’ 

Except, you see, administration stands alongside these other roles in the church as a gift to be used to the glory of God. There is no ‘just’ about it. Your work matters. It matters because the effective management of logistics makes ministry happen. It matters because the church is a body and it is incomplete without you in  it. It matters because, well, God says it does. 

When it comes to making ministry happen, your work is vital. Ideas without the impetus to move to action are stuck as ideas in the ether forever, but the work you do brings ideas into reality. It may be a sermon series that you record the outline for after a conversation. It may be a week of mission events that you make a calendar for and ensure that everything is booked, organised and communicated. Or it may be that there’s no more tea left after the 10am service and you get to the shops to restock it (Lifesaver!). It is your work - often quietly in the background - that makes ministry happen. 

When it comes to the body of the church, it’s easy to praise the most visible and vocal parts. We love to thank a preacher for their sermon (and so we should) and we love to praise the work of those whose work we see week to week. Perhaps the sermon is the mouth and the visible service is the hands, but your work is the legs and feet - covered, but strong and steadying for the rest of the body. We know from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians that no part is better than the other, and you would never declare that your work matters more than others. Why, then, would you say that you are "just" an administrator and, in doing so, declare that your work matters less? On the contrary, it makes the body of the Church mobilise! 

When it comes to what God has to say about your work, the Bible teaches that it is a spiritual gift given to you to serve others. It is, indeed, alongside evangelism and preaching in Paul’s list of gifts in 1 Corinthians 12. You, administrator, are doing work that God says matters and these are good works that were prepared for you in advance (as Paul wrote to the Ephesians about their lives of discipleship). It is not to be minimised and it is not to be ignored. Your work is given to you by God, for the good of His church and for His glory. 

And so you who are ‘just’ an administrator, can I encourage you to shift your perspective away from your computer for just a moment? Look up from the spreadsheet of budgets and rosters, close the to-do list app and don’t answer that email for just a moment. Look up. 

Look up and see that God delights in your work.

Look up and see that through you, feeble and small as you feel some days, Jesus’ name is being heard. 

Look up and see that in the midst of the busyness of the role, and the never ending to-do lists, you are worthy of the same rest which you so passionately enable others to find.

Look up, my friend, and see that your work matters.

I thank God for what you do, and I know that others are doing the same right now as well.