How Does the Church Work? by Luda Teterina

“How does church work?”  This question didn’t occur to me until later in life as I grew up in a pastor’s home. Church has always been my second home, and, just like at home, I took a lot of things for granted. Here I walk into Second Baptist Church, my second Liberty home, beautiful inside and out, with soaring arched stained-glass windows, spacious sanctuary, magnificent organ. From the heart of the church, the sanctuary, to the not-so-glorious bathrooms and closets, the church is a place where everyone can find comfort, purpose, and connection. Cold outside? No worries, the new heater is up to the task. Need a new appliance or equipment to help with a ministry project? Sure, there is a budget line item for that. Planning to take the youth on a mission trip? We are on it!  Just say when we are leaving.

How does the church work? How does the money placed on a plate on Sunday morning translate into the Christmas Store, missions trips, and clean hallways? Who decides what needs to be purchased right now and what might have to wait? What gives a pulse to the heart of the church? Most would say it’s the people, and I could not agree more!  People are what makes Second the wonderful, living, breathing organism that it is. And yet, continuing the analogy, I dare to venture that, if the people are the heart and body of the church, then church committees serve as the church’s pulse, giving structure and rhythm to everything that happens within our walls. 

The Personnel Committee assists and guides the work of the church employees, empowering and supporting our staff in their endeavors. The Financial Stewardship Committee oversees the financial decisions, exercising conscientious stewardship and financial prudence. The Missions Committee — oh the Missions Committee! For many people, it is perhaps one of the most exciting areas of our church’s function. Who could even count the countless projects and lives touched by the creative outpouring from the hearts of those who love missions, whether close to home or on the other side of the world? Finally, the Leadership Development Committee ensures that leadership within the church continues and strengthens year after year. None of this can happen without financial support, prayers, and service provided through our Catalyst Ministry Plan. Catalyst allows our committees to maintain their important, though not always easy or visible, work.

I think many of us take “church work” for granted. How does the church work? I hope that next time you pass by the coffee bar, enjoy the new chapel, or plan to go on a trip to Thailand, you consider the many ways the work of the church happens quietly behind the scenes through the leadership of staff and elected committed individuals. The money that you give allows our church committees to carry out the many functions of the church so that we can truly be "Sent Out" as the light and salt in our community.

Janet Hill