AMB STEVE MBUGUA
August 2, 2024

THE MINISTRY OF HELPS

Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, describes the church as being one body with many unique parts. He goes on to emphasize that this mystical church is baptized into one body and given one Spirit. Paul develops his analogy of the human body to demonstrate the uniqueness and importance of all parts that make up the Body of Christ. He further highlights the need for cooperation of all the parts for the common success of the body.
This body of Christ, that we call the church, has a mandate both locally and globally to represent and radiate the light of Christ to the World; to bring the Good news of salvation and of the Kingdom of God to the masses. The church as a body has a duty also to “go-ye” into the whole world and make disciples for Christ. It is unfortunate that although the church as a whole has a cooperate assignment, only about 10% of the church is left to do 90% of the work. This is largely because many believers don’t know that they have a work cut out for them in scripture.
It often assumed by the larger church that, “church-work” is for the pastors or those who occupy the offices highlighted in Ephesians 4:11 which says,…
“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;”
What many saints don’t realize is that the purpose of God appointing men and women into the five-fold ministries is actually detailed in the subsequent verses….
“For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:12-13
The Lead servants are set to perfect the saints into THE WORK OF MINISTRY!!!
No one is born-again to just joy-ride to heaven. Jesus in his Earthly days would say in John 9:4 that… “As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent me. Night is coming when no one can work”… Now If the SAVIOR had a work to do, then the SAVED should also know that there is a work cut out for them. Just like there is no miscellaneous part in the human body, so also there is no miscellaneous person in the body of Christ. Everyone has and should have an individual role to play in advancing the cooperate Agenda of the Kingdom.
This is to say that even cascading down to our local church assemblies, the pastors are not the ONLY-ANOINTED, COMPOUND-GIFTED to do ALL THE WORK of MINISTRY. The pastors or the lead ministers are trusted with A VISION or a KINGDOM MANDATE that would require the SUPPORT and INPUT of many other UNIQUELY-GIFTED believers to DELIVER IT! No matter how anointed any man or woman of God would be, they will need OTHER PEOPLE to support them in the God-Given assignment. This is where the special yet less highlighted MINISTRY OF HELPS comes in.
Moses is anointed, fine…. But He needs Aaron a “help”; Moses has been out of Egypt for 40 years, and he has stuttering speech. He needs a person who is a GOOD TRANSLATOR and who is FLUENT in the EYPTIAN LANGUAGE to help him in his deliverance of the Jews from the shackles of Pharaoh. He will also need Joshua. At some point he will need to appoint 70 men to support him in his administration to the people. (Numbers 11:10-17,24-30)
Adam is created in God’s image and has his work set out but God says… And the LORD God says…. “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an HELP meet for him.” Genesis 2:18
Elijah is great in his Explosive prophetic ministry but is thriving partly because of the presence of Elisha and the company of prophets who are ministering to him.
David was a giant killer; a great warrior per excellence but as he rises into power there have to come … the mighty men of David… who will fight alongside him and for him to Establish the Kingdom.
Paul the apostle will need Luke the Doctor, to travel with him and help document the book of Acts of the Apostles… He will need John Mark and others to help him in his apostolic assignment.
Jesus has to appoint twelve men; bring then close, train them and delegate duties to them to succeed in His 3-year ministry…. When they have a food crisis, it is the disciples who will have to identify the boy whom has the loaves and fishes and report to Jesus; It is them who will arrange the multitudes into groups and have them sit down, Jesus will give thanks and break the bread; distribution of the bread will be done by the HELPS; the subordinates …. And when people are satisfied, the same Disciples will collect the remains and oversee the cleanup of the meeting ground.
All through scripture you find a pattern that demands that anytime God has an assignment, He picks a lead-person then causes many more people to join-hands with the leader in loving-submission to do the will of God.
When we focus on the Local church or individual ministries, God will often give the Pastor a mandate but that mandate can never be carried out single-handedly by the pastor. The disciples, the believers, the members are or should be incorporated into that WORK OF MISTRY through proper teaching, training, impartation and commissioning.
In these regard Paul writes to us to say that… “God has set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then healings, HELPS, governments, diversities of tongues.“ 1 Corinthians 12:28
It worth noting that the Ministry of helps is mentioned in the same line and weight as the ministry of apostle and prophets and workers of miracles.
The ministry of helps is anything that helps the five-fold ministry get the job done. From the associate pastors, music ministers, intercessors, deacons, elders, keyboardist, translators, sign-language interpreters, ushers, counselors, sound technician, protocol personnel, security, cleaners, media personnel, ministry, financial partners; anybody contributing, skill, strength or resource, they are in the Ministry of helps.
It is necessary that by looking at scripture we realize doing this works, in God’s house is no just assisting the pastor as a man or a woman but is A MINISTRY UNTO THE LORD!
When some people argue out there you will here them say…. “you must pay me… do you think I was doing church work” as if to suggest the only cheap or valueless work is that done in church. It must be noted friends that, Rendering any support service to church is not just as a free act of volunteering but should be regarded as serious act of ministry to God which is valuable and Readable in God’s sight; whether is paid or not anything you do for the furtherance of the Gospel should be done as unto the Lord!!
Today people join the church with a mindset of … “what will this church do for me.” The best attitude should be…. “God lead me to a church where I can worship you and also find expression of service to you with the little or much gifts you have given me or will give to me.”
The demand and burden on the pastors and church leadership is too much. Everyone should have moment of asking themselves….. “will there be church-seating allowance in heaven or there will be rewards for doing some Christ-glorifying, kingdom-advancing, and church-building activity?
The ministry of helps is a SERVICE not a TITLE. Some people will only take up some roles for a show. You must be practical. It is not for status… Just to say…Now I am an usher, A deacon, a chief-security…. It not about boasting but Getting the Job done with the earnest expectation of the celestial sweet words of the master… “Well done good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter the joy of you lord.”Matthew 25:23. It must never be for people to applaud you!
Some believers seat and wait and pray to become the next, Reinhard Bonke or Bishop TD Jakes or Bishop Allan Kiuna yet God would want them to sow their prayers in interceding for their pastor and their church. What they don’t know is that their own elevation is dependent on that service and support they would give to another.
When the Bible says that God APPOINTED HELPS in the church, it means that THE CHURCH NEEDS HELP! Remember in John 14:16-30, when Christ’s departure was near, He said, He will ask the Father that He may send the COMFORTER or HELPER – the HOLY SPIRIT to the church. The Ministry of Helps of people who can discern by the Spirit, the GAPS and the CRACKs in the CHURCH and receive a BURDEN to go to every length to bring the desires ORDER, RELIEF and BEAUTY in the House of God in the body of Christ.
There are things the lead minister may not have the skill or ability to do; let the “helps” step in and do the work!
There things also that the pastor could be able to do but they are turning him from being a MINISTER to an ADMINISTRATOR as was with apostles in Jerusalem in ACTS 6:1-8…. The helps should step in and do that work!
Every person serving the ministry of HELPS must Guard against SELF-PROMOTION.…Don’t Fall into the TRAP OF LUCIFER….. You could be assigned duties in whatever department, you do so well and a thought comes to you that now you can overshadow or overthrow the pastor. Pride should be chased out of the heart of every “Help”. Serve with humility; serve your pastor, your church as one serving the Lord.
Some people in the church departments silently plan coup de tat against the lead ministers. They spread rumors and gossips and fuel church splits. THE CHURCH IS NOT A POLITICAL ENTITY, it is the Body of Christ! God will not take it lightly. It will not go unpunished.
My advice to anyone serving in a church and it has become completely impossible to continue worshiping and serving there…. Please leave without drama…. Pray… seek counsel from a mature believer or minister…. Heal and get back into fellowship and service where the Holy spirit would guide you.
There is a blessing commanded in Psalm 133 when brethren dwell together in unity; every “HELP” should always remember …I am part of a TEAM, I am part of a BODY. UNITY and HARMONY should always be cherished.
Remember the OIL RUNS DOWN FROM THE HEAD; honor the man or woman God has set as the apostle of the commission you serve under, not only in their presence but in your heart; you service to God will be rewarded.
Remember Never to give less than your best….. “Whatever your hand finds to do (in God’s House) do it with all your might…” Ecclesiastes 9:10

“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the LORD, and not unto men;
Knowing that from the LORD you will receive the reward of the inheritance: for you serve the LORD Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24

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About the Author

AMB. STEVE MBUGUA

Amb. Steve Mbugua is an enthusiastic Ambassador of Safety and wellness with in-depth training, safety advisory and Workplace Safety Behavior Change Coaching experience. He is the Founder and Executive Director of Makinika Afrika Int’l , a Health and Safety Training Firm in Kenya and Group CEO Nairobi Safety Shop Limited, the largest Security, Safety and Health Store in the East and Central Africa and Managing Director, Stewa Safaris Kenya Limited a Premier Tours and Travels Company in Kenya.