An Appreciation Post
We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 1:2-3
Search “appreciation posts” on social media and you will find friends spotlighting their BFFs, spouses praising their partners, fans honoring favorite celebrities, and foodies shouting out favorite eats. I found appreciation posts by parents for their children and by children for their parents. And there are many, MANY appreciation posts for cats…and by cats, for dogs…and by dogs! Social media may have a long list of pros and cons, but one thing seems undeniable – it is not lacking in appreciation posts.
I have a few social media accounts but don’t post regularly. And while I’ve learned to make a reel on Instagram, I still don’t have a cover photo on Facebook. So, with that in mind, I hope you will indulge me as I use our church blog to make my first official appreciation post. Here goes…
This is an appreciation post for the amazing volunteers who serve in Kids Ministry! We absolutely could not do it without them! They call children by name, smile at them in the halls, and welcome them into the classroom. They laugh at kids’ jokes, remember their pets’ names, and listen to their prayer requests. Simply put, they show up and love kids. Because of our volunteers, children know they are loved, they belong, and they are created with purpose.
Kids Ministry volunteers range in age from 11 years old to just shy of 80 years young. We have over 100 Sunday morning volunteers who serve on a rotating basis to make sure kids have teachers and helpers for Sunday School and First Worship. Another 20+ Wednesday night volunteers ensure that children who attend Wednesday Night Kids and WNK Jr. have small group leaders and SnackPak organizers. And we anticipate approximately 250 Vacation Bible School volunteers will serve with the kids and behind the scenes this summer!
My heart is filled with gratitude, and I thank God for all of our Kids Ministry volunteers! And while they are certainly deserving of this appreciation post, I hope you will join our Kids Ministry team in thanking a volunteer (or two…or ten!!) in person when you see them. Social media (or in my case, the All Church blog) may reach more people, but it really can’t beat a word of appreciation offered face-to-face.
With a thankful heart,
Mary Ross
Kids Ministry Assistant Director