Accountants, IT professionals, auditors and HR professionals do not necessarily represent a group that holds the most glamorous roles in the Church, but they still fulfil a critical role in supporting its mission. Most of these roles operate in back offices, and some people forget they even exist–until a salary payment doesn’t go through, an urgent payment needs to be made or a computer stops working. These roles support and provide the tools and resources for our frontline workers to do their jobs. Most often, people in these roles see the good, the bad and the ugly come out in others, and I would say they are not the most appreciated group of church workers.
During the first week of June, a group of 360 of these unique church workers descended on Cairns where we held a Business Professionals Conference. You might ask: What good can come from such an event? I can respond that there were excellent speakers and excellent professional development opportunities for staff, as well as excellent networking opportunities. However, there was something else that came out of this event. Every morning, as part of our daily worship, we started with praise and worship using our own musicians, followed by inspiring messages by Brendan Pratt (Australian Union Conference president). We were, however, not the only people listening to the music or the message. Some of the hotel staff were present to support our group. At the conclusion of our first day’s worship, a lady approached us with tears in her eyes. She said she is not a religious person, but the singing from our group awakened something spiritual in her that she couldn’t explain. She was so moved by our singing that she was in tears throughout the songs, particularly the song “Days of Elijah”.
You do not have to be an evangelist or pastor to lead a person closer to God. It might just be a song, a prayer with someone, a kind deed or a word of encouragement. I don’t know what will happen to the lady who listened to our singing, but it was clear that the Holy Spirit softened her heart. Keep this lady in your prayers—that God will continue the work that He has started in her heart.
