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Church committees pivot from doing tasks to engaging in ministry. Make a positive impact in your small church as your committees think about their ministry when they do their tasks. 

What is the purpose of a committee? Those in pastoral or church board church leadership can find it difficult to give the required attention to every issue and task within your small church, especially when it comes to the day-to-day operations. By delegating certain responsibilities to church committees, it essentially frees up the leadership to focus on more of the spiritual aspects of the church body. This also encourages the congregation to get involved in the practical functions and ministries of the church.

Committees Play Important Roles In Small Churches

When you think about committees in a small church, what comes to your mind? Many think of a few people who have volunteered (or have been volun-’told’ as some would tell you) to take care of a specific task or responsibility in your church. These church committees may have a meeting or two to discuss objectives and goals. They may hand out specific job assignments and then they get to work because that’s what committees are supposed to do. They make sure the job gets done and it continues to get done throughout the year.

Sounds about right? Yes, we love our committees and they are a great vehicle by which many jobs are accomplished in the church. But what if… just what if we had a pivot in our mindsets about what a committee could be? What if we started to think about the kind of impact these committees could have on the ministry of our small churches?

Let’s take a moment to rethink how we approach these tasks and how we can view them instead as ministry opportunities. Well, get your reading glasses on and join me, as we explore the possibilities together!

Cheer Them On & Lead By Example

As leaders in our small churches, we need to remember, just like other parts of discipleship, encouragement needs to be taught, practiced, and modeled as part of our journey of faith. Changing the culture of our church committees from task-oriented to ministry-oriented won’t happen unless we step in to encourage and equip them.

Invite your committee or team to a time of fellowship and getting to know each other. Discover where they are on their faith journey, what God is doing in their life right now, and what they would love to accomplish for the Lord. Encourage them by hearing their hearts. Encourage them by pointing out the traits you see that could help in this process of ministering to others. Share examples of how God has worked this in others and in your own life as well.

As you get to know your committee members, see their value on the team, and show your appreciation for them. Begin to pray for God to open their eyes to how they can deepen their service. The Holy Spirit will do the work of empowerment. 

Encourage your church committees to pray together as a group to see how God can give them ideas that can turn their tasks into service. Get them excited about the possibilities. Let them imagine how God can use them in your small church! Pray and ask the Lord for wisdom and humility to discern how God might use you to encourage and strengthen others within your own local church.

A Blending Of Servants, Service & Joy

As you begin to see the Holy Spirit work through these church committees, you can begin to see a transformation of people from just volunteering into joyful servants who are being used by God. Not only might this benefit the people on your committees, but it can have positive outcomes for your entire small church, both individually and corporately. 

  • Learn the beauty and balance of working together
  • Experience the value of building others up and the value of encouragement
  • Make intergenerational connections and build relationships while serving together
  • Discover joy in serving the Lord!
  • Build your church family stronger
  • Encourage your pastor and leadership as they feel the effects of your prayers
  • Influence others to want to participate in the work of the church 

Small Church Committees Can Be More Effective

So, you’re on board for the concept, but now you need some practical examples of how this can work. How can you transform committee tasks into service? Below is a list of three committees many small churches have and examples of deepening their tasks for ministry. Of course, each church has its own style, personality, and structure, but this should give you an idea of what we’re talking about. The best way for each church to do it is to have a conversation with your committee, pray, and brainstorm together. This article is just a starting point!

Cleaning Committee

While doing the tasks of cleaning the church building, add some of these elements while you work.

  • As you clean a specific area, pray for those ministries.
  • While in the sanctuary/worship center, pray for the worship/ praise team so that they can draw people to God as they sing. 
  • Pray for the Pastor’s message, that the Spirit would use him to bring God’s Word to life. Also, pray those who hear would respond.
  • While in the children’s rooms, pray for the children’s classes and the teachers/students who attend. Pray for God to be present. Pray for kids to come to know Jesus and for those who may be called to full-time service one day.

Consider inviting whole families to join you for one week to help serve in cleaning. This is a great way to model service together, as well as build some intergenerational relationships with others on the cleaning committee. It is also a great way to get teens or younger people involved in the core of the church and to feel valued and part of the church family.

You Can Encourage When You Clean

Leave notes for someone in a pew or in a Bible, as an encouragement or a Bible verse God gives you for a nursery worker or a teacher. It could just be what that person needs for the moment!

If your church has a secretary’s desk, leave a flower on their desk with a thank you for all you do note. Let them know they make a difference for your small church.

After the cleaning time is done, end with a time of fellowship for lunch. Order pizza in or just have sandwiches or soup. Do something simple and finish out the cleaning with a time to build relationships and rejoice together for your opportunity to serve.

Hospitality Committee

As you prepare the coffee and snacks for your church fellowship time, try some of these activities to add ministry to your service.

  • Pray over the space you are using for people to feel the love of Jesus.
  • Pray your small church family would be loving and open to hearing what God has to say.
  • Pray your greeters would be kind and welcoming.
  • Pray for the person who provided the snacks, thanking God for their participation.
  • Pray for your pastor and for the message they will bring.
  • As a committee, ask God to lead you to a person who needs involvement, and would like to help with baking or be asked to come and serve coffee.
  • Invite some teens to come on a Saturday to make some snacks/goodies for the next day. This gives them a chance to interact with older adults, learn cooking skills and shows them how to be a servant within the church family. 
  • Model hospitality with your conversations around the coffee station. Make sure to offer coffee to those who have mobility issues. See people, interact, and listen to their stories.
  • By keeping things tidy, you help guests feel welcome and special.

As you clean up after church, have a time together of thanksgiving for the privilege of being able to worship together. Pray for God to continue working in hearts long after the sermon is done. Pray for connections made. Use leftover food to give to someone who missed church or a family you know of in need. Perhaps someone could add a pot of soup and make a whole meal.

Communion Committee

As your committee prepares the trays of communion elements, have a time of prayer together. Take a moment to reflect on what these elements represent. Talk about it together, and share your faith journey with each other. 

  • Thank God for each element as you prepare it. Pray for the moving of God’s Spirit in the service for people to reflect and be thankful for the sacrifice Jesus gave to us. 
  • Pray for the music to be meaningful and pleasing to God.
  • Pray for the pastor as he brings the message that he would be used of God and speak with God’s blessing.
  • Pray for someone who may not know Jesus as Savior that they hear his invitation and respond.
  • Consider inviting a teen to come in and learn the preparation process. Show them how to set it up, and also the importance of it and the privilege of being able to serve. Welcome them to share their faith journey with you. Encourage them in their walk with Jesus!
  • Make a sub-committee to make ‘travel’ elements for the pastor or elders to bring to shut-ins or those unable to attend church that week. Volunteer to go with the pastor to help to serve them.
  • As the elements are cleaned up following the service, have a time of thanksgiving for the day and the privilege of serving and reflecting on God’s grace and mercy.

Make sure to thank the pastor for his service to the Lord, and thank the people on your team for their time in prepping and cleaning up for the Lord’s table. Value each one’s part.

Appreciate Those On Your Church Committees

It is important to remember and appreciate the servants we have on our church committees. Team building is so important to the overall attitude of your volunteers. Remember to acknowledge them because what they are doing is important! When people are valued for their service, they are more likely to be willing to serve again when asked. They are also more likely to encourage others to get involved because of their positive experience. Small Church Ministry is passionate about volunteer appreciation, check out our Podcast for some great ideas on how to create longevity in your volunteers. 

Positioned For Impact

Think of the impact these church committees could have at your small church when they go beyond just performing a task to having a servant’s heart that seeks Jesus in all they do!

Can you imagine what might happen if you had all of these extra times of prayer brought to the throne of God? Think of what an emotional impact this could have on the people serving on those committees as they witness the spirit of God at work through their prayers. Imagine the joy that could spread between the people on those teams as they serve together. Joy in a church is contagious. It may start with one small committee, but it could impact your entire small church family!

Imagine what encouragement it would be to your pastor to know he has all these people behind him, supporting him in prayer! What a powerful hedge of protection there would be escorting your pastor each week, as he walks into the pulpit of your small church.

Just think what could happen if:

  • Your church family focused on serving God this way
  • People were lifting each other up in prayer and seeing the needs of others.
  • Church committees were sharing in service and building relationships.
  • People are bathing ministries and their pastors in prayer.

Make An Impact In Your Small Church

Now, this is a church God can use. This is a church that can experience the impact of transformed committees! So get on board, see how God might impact your small church through committees that are turning tasks into heartfelt service.

As God’s Word encourages all of us in Colossians 3:23-24. 

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (NIV)

“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” (NKJV)

“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward and that the Master you are serving is Christ.” (NLT)

Read more:

How To Get Honest Volunteer Feedback

How To Host Meetings People Actually Want To Come To

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