A letter to those on the margins of ministry.
If you’re reading this, maybe you’ve walked the road I’m about to describe.
I’ve been involved in ministry since I was 16 years old.
I’ve worn many hats: I’ve served as a volunteer, been a full-time church staff member in media and design role, a full time staff pastor, and currently walk a balancing act as a bi-vocational independent minister.
I’ve been in the inner circles, where decisions are made and visions are cast.
I’ve also been out on the edges, where much work happens, yet very little of the spotlight reaches.
In these seasons of serving from the margins, I’ve met others walking this same path, and there’s a common theme among them — a sense of crushing inadequacy.
There’s this persistent whisper that says you’re not doing enough, or that what you are doing is somehow too small to matter.
These are the stories of people feeling unnoticed, under-appreciated, and often feel the criticism they get far outweighs the encouragement.
This post is written to you.
To the Sunday school teacher in a small church plant who feels overwhelmed.
To the church intern who is pouring out his life to build up the local church but is struggling to raise enough support to take care of his young family.
To the worship leader who, no matter how hard she tries, feels like she’s never taken seriously.
To the man who quit his job and packed up his family to move across the country for a ministry position that evaporated before he even arrived.
To the volunteer who just preached a sermon to a room of middle schoolers… and is now replaying it over and over in their head, feeling like they failed.
To the sound and AV guy who passionately serves, hoping to help people experience the Gospel, but feels like the leaders see him as just a tool.
To the youth pastor in a small church, forced to wear so many different hats that he hardly has any time to actually invest in the youth.
To the church planter who feels like he’s failing because his church has not grown as large as his peers or as quickly as he’d hoped.
To the community group leaders who are sheltering others from the storms of life even as they wrestle through their own.
To the itinerant ministry leader who has sacrificed time, opportunities, and much of themselves for the Kingdom… yet feels forgotten and excluded from tables.
To the mom who is pouring her life into raising her children, yet can barely find five minutes to herself in a day to open her Bible because her three-year-old demands her constant attention.
These are the people on the margins of ministry. I’ve seen them. I’ve walked with them. I’ve been them.
Sometimes, I am them.
Maybe you find yourself here too.
So let me say this: What you are doing is immensely valuable.
By dedicating your life to the service of King Jesus, you are building the Kingdom of God in ways that might never make headlines, but make Heaven rejoice.
When Jesus first preached the Sermon on the Mount — His kingdom manifesto — it wasn’t to an elite crowd. It was to a tired and weary group of normal people under Roman occupation.
There were no platforms, no successful paradigms for ministry, no influencers or megachurches, and certainly no salaried staff positions with epic lighting and grand stages.
Just everyday people deciding to orient their lives around a new reality — a reality centered on loving the least, making disciples, and pointing others to Christ.
In God’s eyes, your work is not small. He sees the heart behind it, the love in each quiet act, and the sacrifice in every hidden struggle. And He calls it massive.
Comparison is the thief of joy.
Resist the lie that says you’re not enough because you’re not celebrated.
Remember, some of the platforms we envy today never even existed in the days of Jesus, Paul, or Peter.
Ministry isn’t about building platforms; it’s about becoming pillars — faithful and steadfast — holding up the Church. WE are the body of Christ, and we ALL have different parts to play in different seasons.
Who told you that what you are doing isn’t important?
Who said you’re not enough?
These voices are not from God.
Let me share a lesson I learned during my time on full-time staff, one that I still hold dear today:
In a healthy church, the most prominent leaders aren’t the pinnacle of ministry. Instead, they’re more like coaches or mentors. Their primary role? To equip and empower others.
Think about it this way: A great leader doesn’t hoard the spotlight. They’re not trying to be the star of the show. Instead, they’re actively working to help others discover and live out their
God-given callings.
Their goal is simple yet profound: to build up the body of Christ, to spread the Good News, and to make disciples who make disciples. They’re not just doing the work themselves; they’re multiplying their impact by investing in others.
I feel so blessed to have worked at a church in the past that understood this truth, and to be currently attending a church with humble leaders who embody this as well.
Whether you’re in leadership or aspiring to be, at any level, remember: true Kingdom leadership is about empowering others to fulfill their potential in Christ. It’s not about being at the top; it’s about lifting others up.
When you feel unnoticed or underappreciated, remember this:
Jesus is the good Shepherd. He isn’t measuring your worth by your productivity, but by His love for you.
He doesn’t demand a flawless performance, but invites you to faithful obedience.
He sees you as a beloved son or daughter, not a hired hand.
So if you find yourself on the margins, here’s my encouragement: Take heart in this truth — your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Those late-night prayers, those unnoticed acts of service, those sacrifices that go unappreciated — they are part of a great story being written by the Spirit.
A story that, when finished, will resound with glory beyond anything we can now imagine.
You may never receive the affirmation you desire in this life. This is by design! God wants us to offer sacrifices to Him alone, not to gain recognition.
God, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. He measures faithfulness, not worldly standards of success. And one day, when all things are made new, the small seeds you planted will bear fruit that echoes into eternity.
So to those on the margins, hear this: You are enough in Christ. You are more than enough because He is more than enough. And you are a vital part of His Kingdom work.
Keep going. Keep pouring out. Keep hoping in Him. Even if it seems small or hidden, it is not unseen.
And the beautiful truth is that the story isn’t yours to conclude. It’s His.
You are part of a larger narrative — a story of grace, sacrifice, and resurrection hope.
And one day, in God’s perfect timing, unseen faithfulness will shine like stars in the sky… and we will all marvel at what Jesus did through us all, together, as the unified world-wide body and bride of Christ.
Until then, keep building the Kingdom, one small act of faithfulness at a time.
