Blog
When you use your hands to serve a ministry leader, you’re not just painting a wall. You’re saying:
“I see you.”
Reframing Work Days as Holy Fellowship
When people think about “fellowship,” they often picture a circle of chairs, a potluck, maybe a Bible study with open Bibles and hot coffee. And those are beautiful, necessary moments.
But some of the deepest, richest fellowship we’ve experienced in ministry didn’t come from a formal gathering. It came from paint-streaked forearms and bent knees on dusty floors. From borrowed tools and shared sandwiches. From people who showed up, not just to pray for us, but to build with us.
They came to help. And left us better in every way.
Ministry Was Never Meant to Be Done Alone
Scripture never paints a picture of solo ministry. From the very beginning, God called His people to work together; to shoulder burdens, to rejoice in progress, and to be living reminders of His presence in one another’s lives.
“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.” – Ecclesiastes 4:9
When skilled hands arrive to fix a problem you’ve been staring at for weeks, when someone brings tools and tacos, when laughter breaks out in the middle of problem-solving... that’s not just help. That’s holy.
That’s fellowship.
The Weekend That Changed Everything
We had big projects looming. The kind that required time, strength, wisdom, and more hands than we had available. I’m sure Connie (my mother in law) had been praying, but honestly hadn’t expected to pick up help at the airport in less than a weeks notice.
These friends were gifted, skilled, and servant-hearted. They knew what they were doing, and they didn’t need constant direction. They just jumped in.
But what made it special wasn’t just the progress, it was the presence of people who were there to build both with us and for us.
They saw the mission of Cedar Creek Ministries not as our calling but their calling too.
💬 Conversations While Working
As screws turned and boards were leveled, so were our hearts. We talked about God’s faithfulness. We asked hard questions about ministry and burnout. We laughed about past mistakes and shared future hopes.
We even let them rest while they were here. LOL!! The sweet couple had a day they went hiking and we even dragged them away for an evening at the lake with the kids.
We worked. We played. We rested.
We took the time, a bunch of go, go goers, to enjoy each other’s company, work our tails off and manage to practice what we preach…don’t forget to rest and refuel.
That wasn’t a distraction from the work.
That was the work.
The work that sustained us.
Why Serving Together Builds Stronger Bonds Than Meetings Ever Will
You can sit in a room with someone for years and never really know them.
But install tongue and groove all day or build a stair rail together? You’ll find out more about their character, humor, and heart than you ever could through formal conversation.
Shared work requires humility….
Laughter...
Problem-solving…
Flexibility…
And grace.
It builds trust because you’re doing something that matters together. There’s no posturing or performance, just shoulder-to-shoulder partnership.
🔨 This is what the Church should look like...
- A group of believers who don’t wait for an invitation to serve
- People who see practical needs as spiritual opportunities
- Friends who build ministries like Nehemiah’s wall, with one hand on the work and the other in prayer
List: 10 Simple Ways to Serve a Ministry Family Practically
Not everyone is a contractor or a plumber but everyone has something to offer. Here are some easy, high-impact ways to bless a ministry family:
- Fix a leaky sink – That one lingering chore can be a massive relief.
- Bring a hot lunch – Working families often have to stop work to feed kiddos and that takes time. A warm meal is a huge gift.
- Offer child care – Watch the kids while they work or rest. It’s sacred service.
- Stay flexible – Projects shift. Weather changes. Be okay with the unexpected.
- Show up with your tools – If you’ve got the skills, bring the gear.
- Ask, “What’s still unfinished?” – Help them close the loop on lingering tasks.
- Write a check – Can’t make it? Send support for materials or laborers.
- Offer your specialty – Are you an organizer, cleaner, IT person, gardener? Use that.
- Pray while you work – Turn your time into worship. Speak blessings over the space.
- Follow up – Don’t disappear after one weekend. Keep asking how it’s going.
It’s Not Just Labor, It’s Love in Action
Sometimes, we reduce service to its outcome:
- Did the wall get painted?
- Did the toilet get fixed?
- Did the boxes get moved?
But God is always looking at the heart behind the hands.
“Serve one another humbly in love.” – Galatians 5:13
When you use your hands to serve a ministry leader, you’re not just painting a wall. You’re saying:
- “I see you.”
- “You’re not alone.”
- “What you’re building is worth it.”
- “I want to be part of it too.”
And that speaks louder than the nicest sermon.

Fellowship Doesn’t Always Look Like a Bible Study
It can look like mud on your boots and prayer on your lips.
It can look like cooking dinner while others lay flooring.
It can look like sweeping up sawdust while someone else lays tile in silence.
It can look like meaningful side conversations in between problem-solving and power tools.
In these moments, community deepens. Not because of what was said, but because of what was shared.
The time.
The task.
The vision.
A Picture of the Early Church
The believers in Acts didn’t just meet…they moved.
They shared what they had, opened their homes, broke bread, and carried burdens. Their love wasn’t theoretical; it was deeply practical.
“All the believers were together and had everything in common… They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.” – Acts 2:44,46
What if you helped a ministry feel like that?
What if you became an Acts 2 friend to someone quietly shouldering a mission?
This Is What We Do at Cedar Creek Ministries
At CCM, we support leaders. Not just with words, but with action.
We offer a place for them to rest. We help restore their relationships. We revive their sense of calling. But we can't do it alone.
Every bunkbed built.
Every room cleaned.
Every fence repaired.
Every fridge stocked.
These are the quiet acts of fellowship that make this ministry possible.
💡 We Need More Builders of Every Kind
You don’t have to preach, lead worship, or run a retreat to be part of a ministry.
You can:
- Sweep a porch
- Fix a faucet
- Share a tool
- Make a meal
- Plant a flower bed
- Or just sit with a tired soul and remind them why they started
If you do it with love…it counts.
If you do it for God’s glory…it echoes into eternity.
Final Encouragement: Say Yes to Showing Up
If you're wondering whether to offer help to a ministry family, just ask. Don’t wait for the perfect time or a formal invitation.
Your text, your hands, your time could be the answer to a prayer they haven’t even had time to pray.
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace…” – 1 Peter 4:10
The Body of Christ is built not just on Sunday mornings, but on weekends with tool belts, midweek dinners dropped off in paper bags, and quiet acts of obedience that may never be seen, but are never forgotten.
Let’s reframe workdays as worship. Let’s view sweat as sacred. Let’s recognize the Spirit’s presence even in paint cans and power tools.
Because working side by side?
That’s fellowship too.
Thank you so much for sharing your time with us. Cedar Creek Ministries is funded by Christians and churches who believe in the call to offer our leaders the double portion! If you feel the desire to make sure all those men and women called to serve God in missions and ministry have everything they need to personally rest, restore family relationships, and revive ministry vision, consider joining us in regular prayer and financial support!
Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram for weekly encouragement!
This post was written by Nickole Perry, co-founder and Director of Operations at Cedar Creek Ministries.
