I love the fact that amid all the powerful works of the Holy Spirit, the frenetic growth of the church, and the towering figures of the apostles, Luke takes the time to tell the story of Tabitha. In her, we catch a glimpse of the church at work in its everyday ministry of love and service.

The church is the continued ministry of Jesus Christ. We have already seen how the apostles carry on that work in their teaching and healing. In the story of Tabitha we see how the ministry of Jesus is carried on through every member of the church.

As a member of the fellowship of believers at Joppa, Tabitha is remembered as "always doing good and helping the poor" (9:36). Her special gifts were in the physical ministry to needy people, especially in making clothes for poor widows. In those days, widows often had a rough time because they were without family and financial support and were left to survive on their own. Tabitha helped make their lives easier.

In this story Luke is reminding us that the ministry of Christ isn't just in the more public and spectacular gifts of preaching and teaching, or in the miracles of healing and deliverance. It's to be found in the humble service of people like Tabitha who make love tangible with their hands.

When Tabitha died, the whole community at Joppa felt destitute. In their distress they called on Peter, who happened to be in town. What did they expect from Peter? They had, after all, prepared the body for burial, so maybe they thought he might lead the funeral. Perhaps they just wanted to hear gospel words of consolation and hope from an apostle who had been with the risen Lord. But perhaps they hoped for something more from a man who had seen Jesus raise people from the dead.

What a scene Peter found there! Tabitha is laid out in an upstairs room. All around the widows are weeping and showing him the fine clothes Tabitha made for them while she was alive. Moved to action, Peter got on his knees beside the bed where Tabitha lay. The whole scene reminds me of the time when Jesus healed Jairus's daughter, sending away the mourners, kneeling, and gently inviting the little girl to get up. Again, the apostles are continuing what Jesus "began to do and to teach."

"Tabitha, get up." What a simple command for a tremendous miracle. For the first time, the apostles raise the dead, just as Jesus had done. Many people believed because of this great miracle.

One of the things the kids in your group can learn is that everyone in the community, even kids like them, are part of the ministry of Jesus. Urge them, in practical, hands-on ways, to be part of the church's ministry. And make sure that the congregation expects and values kids this age as an integral part of the ministry of the church.