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Just as Jesus stooped to wash the feet of his brethren, so we are called to be servants.
Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit….And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
Acts 6:1-5, 8 NKJV
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We’re not cleaning tables like Stephen did, but production is just as messy.
Production leader, this might not come as a surprise to you, but you have an odd role.
What I mean by that is that you occupy a particular space on the org chart that doesn’t fit like other positions. On paper, you probably answer to the worship pastor, or maybe some of you answer to the executive pastor. There’s probably a few that report to the facilities director, as well. If we look at our responsibilities, we tend to live in all three of those areas at the same time. We coordinate with senior leadership (you probably have your lead pastor’s cell number and a chat history with them) and worship leadership, but also with facilities and operations. And then after all that, we’re most likely the main pastoral contact for our team, offering a relational and spiritual link to the church. I’m hard pressed to think of any other role at a typical church that requires so much coordination across disciplines and departments, save the executive pastor.
This reminds me of Stephen, the first martyr, and Stephen’s fellow ministers who were given the practical task of feeding widows and other needy people in Jerusalem. Stephen wasn’t an apostle or church leader, per se, but he was leading nonetheless. He got his hands dirty in the front-line work of the church, and he did it with hands full of the spirit and truth. His purpose was not to be particularly devoted to scripture and prayer like the apostles, but he was just as prayerful and full of God’s word. What he did not was no less spiritual or connected to God than what the apostles were doing, and the Lord greatly honored Stephen for that work. We read in the account of his martyrdom that in his last moments he was allowed to see the Lord arrayed in glory next to the Father, a foreshadowing of what was about to happen to Paul (then named Saul) who stood holding the cloaks of Stephen’s executioners.
Brothers and sisters, we walk in the steps of the Holy. We’re not cleaning tables like Stephen did, but production is just as messy. Just as Jesus stooped to wash the feet of his brethren, so we are called to be servants.
It’s the only way we can thrive, I believe—to take on the heart of the servant. It’s easy to become obsessed with our silos or get bent out of shape about how communication should route through the org chart in a certain way, and we have to resist that rigidity, especially those of us who like our binary lives made of 1’s and 0’s. Production leaders tend to be logical, black-and-white types, but one of the greatest offerings we can bring is flexibility. When we get last minute or long-shot requests, we should dig for the “yes,” serving however we can as healthily as we can with the time and resources we have.
Joyful, spirit-led servanthood is the way of Stephen, but moreover, it’s the way of Jesus.
