During college, my husband and I served in children’s ministry at a large church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. While finishing upper-level classes and preparing for graduation, we found ourselves also teaching Bible stories to fifth graders, playing games and engaging in typical children's church fun.

When we started serving, our intent was not to become children’s pastors. Our motives weren’t to make ministry a lifelong career. In fact, it all started because the pastor was wrapping up a series on serving and challenged the congregation to get involved. One year later, while working in the same positions, we answered God’s call to ministry and devoted our lives to leading in the local church.

Like most busy transitions, the moments that followed happened fast. Graduation came and went. We phased out of kids’ ministry, packed up our lives, and moved to the church where we would serve for the next three years.

It all passed so quickly, in fact, that we failed to mention anything about our new vocation to the members of the children’s ministry team, who still believed we were following secular career paths. They came to learn about the changes in our lives through social media.

After a few Instagram pictures, the messages started pouring in, each one overflowing with encouragement. From the head children’s pastor to our former team members, people congratulated us, affirmed our calling, and talked vision with us over the next couple of months.

At the time, I felt special. We considered ourselves exceptional and distinct. Our story seemed unique. But the more I’ve thought about it, the more I realize how remarkably common it is. Consider these examples:

• Wilfredo “Choco” De Jesús, an executive presbyter for the Assemblies of God and pastor of New Life Covenant (AG) Church in Chicago, started off by serving in his local church as a teenager.
• Marty Hoey, children’s pastor since 1995 at Crossroads Church (AG) in Lafayette, Louisiana, began his ministry story by mowing the church’s lawn and overseeing maintenance.
• My own pastor, Den Hussey of Crossing Place Church (AG) in Morgan City, Louisiana, took on his first ministry role by straightening chairs in the sanctuary between weekly services.

The list undoubtedly goes on. Put plainly, not all pastors started as pastors. Not all pastors started out even knowing they would one day become pastors. I would argue just from observation that a significant percentage began by just serving within, or leading, a team or ministry in the local church.

I’m sure leaders recognized the anointing or calling on many of these people and helped pull it out of them. Divine encounters then set them on the pathway to full-time ministry.

But what if it’s not always so obvious? What if people sitting in your church and serving quietly on your volunteer team have a supernatural skill set or calling buried deep within them and need extra training and discipleship to help them discover God’s plan?

Jesus’ teachings remind us not to dismiss others because of personal bias. Jesus knew that if His followers saw greatness in someone, they would offer exemplary treatment. But how should we respond to those society views as less-than-great, or just ordinary?

Matthew 25:41 provides insight: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

What if people serving quietly on your volunteer team have a calling buried deep within them?

Of course, not everyone we train on our team will became a pastor or pursue ministry as a vocation. But how would our behavior change if we treated every person as if they would?

We would give each person our full attention. The most difficult people to spend intentional time with are those we see most often. In the back of our minds, they are the first ones we can cut off the to-do list. At the end of the day, we can reschedule them and have that conversation later because we know we’ll see them next week. However, if we slough off an appropriate focus long enough, perhaps they won’t stick around.

While we may not be able to devote our entire week’s schedule to any one person, we can offer a listening ear and our undivided attention when we encounter a team member. If our current pastor or future pastor were speaking to us, we wouldn’t cast off any idea or comment as too big or too small. Instead, we would welcome that person’s point view and listen carefully to his or her insights.

We would let them serve within their strengths. Stand in the lobby immediately following service, and you’ll probably hear the hum of individuals carrying on conversations. The local church never has a shortage of people who can talk. Yet we are often in short supply of those who will speak into a microphone.

In our experience, finding someone with public speaking skills and an anointing to communicate truth clearly is like discovering pure gold. Churches quickly schedule such people for video announcements, pre-service greetings, transitions, Bible studies, small groups, etc. It’s easy to connect these uncommon strengths to responsibilities within the church.

If we knew a future pastor were serving in our midst, we would do everything we could to give him or her opportunities to speak. Not everyone has a gift for speaking, but how many on your team are itching to use their problem-solving gift? Or their helps gift, their faith gift, or even their healing gift?

The apostle Peter said, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10).

Create margin to let those spiritual gifts shine. Show your administrative team members an obstacle, and invite them to find a solution. Schedule time for that faith-filled volunteer to give the team a pep talk before starting the day. Bring along your gift-of-healing team member to pray for others. Look for opportunities to connect those serving to their God-given strengths.

We would find more fulfillment in the ordinary. The basic tasks that help us manage those under our care can become monotonous. The business of scheduling your team, training new helpers, outlining lesson plans, and sending emails is necessary, but it often seems ordinary and unfulfilling.

Being a part of a pastor’s story brings a new kind of significance to ordinary tasks. Leaders find purpose in knowing that directing a small group, teaching a Sunday School lesson, or hosting a youth hangout played a role in helping someone respond to God’s call. Imagining this kind of potential when interacting with each of our team members can help us see our weekly duties in a new light.

You’re not just scheduling an usher; you’re building an opportunity for an introverted attendee to take a first step toward interacting with the church community. You’re not just sending out a kids’ lesson; you’re providing insight for true discipleship to happen as one believer teaches another. You’re not just training another round of new members; you’re giving care and leadership examples to the person to whom you’ll hand off your role one day.

What I’m suggesting is what my husband and I call a perspective shift. Can we shift our perspective to see the absolute best in our leaders? While the common respect and adoration for pastors is admirable, pastors are ordinary people. What if we applied that same level of honor to every person who leads or serves with us?