The Church Secretary of Noble Character

The ministry team of the Keller church of Christ is experiencing a great loss. There is no adequate way to show appreciation to a dear sister for her faithful, consistent, and effective service to the Lord here in the church office for the past 19 years. Her love for the Lord and for this church have been evident in all her endeavors.

Tanya and I are personally grateful for her help in our beginning period with this great church. She has assisted us in countless ways over the last four-plus years. It is our experience that having a fine person like her in her position makes all the difference in the work of ministers and a ministry team. She has been a great blessing to us.

We are so thankful that she and her family will remain active and involved members of the Keller church family. We pray for God's richest blessings as she begins her new chapter.

I have omitted her name for the sake of privacy, but it is to her that the following piece is dedicated. I have edited the material, whose original author I do not know.

The Church Secretary of Noble Character

A noble administrative assistant, who can find? She is worth far more than computers.

· Church members have full confidence in her as they look for typing errors in the bulletin. · She is on 24-hour call and is required to know all the answers to all questions as well as everything else that is happening in the congregation. · She works with eager hands to keep from getting any copier toner on her clothes, as she is often called to find the paper jam. · Someone always comes to her before or after services to ask her to add their name to a list, make some request, or point out things they think she has failed to do the past week. · She is like merchant ships, bringing yummy treats in for meetings and potlucks. · She gets up while others are sleeping and provides daily needs for her physical family, then arrives at the church building early to open the building and start the coffee pot. · She considers bulletin paper and buys it; she has on hand office supplies needed by the minister and other workers. · She shares her desk with the congregation, never knowing what she will find there when she comes in Monday morning. · She sets about her work vigorously; her door is always open for those who have a “little” job that needs to be done immediately! · She sees that her congregation is well informed about deaths, sickness, and other happenings. · She is expected to know where the ministers are AT ALL TIMES! · She is multi-talented. She can talk on the phone, work on the computer, run the copier, take notes, file correspondence, listen to someone in the office, stuff envelopes, and answer the door - ALL AT THE SAME TIME! · She opens her heart (and ear) to church members who call her when they are upset about something or someone. · She shows compassion to those who call or come to the building needing food or other assistance. · She is clothed in strength and dignity; she can laugh (but only to herself!) when wisely answering an obvious question and can single-handedly move a copier three times her weight (because there may not be anyone around when she needs help). · She translates garbled messages and stories into proper bulletin news.

Many secretaries do noble things, but this sister is one of the very, very best!