When We Work Together
By: Kristen L. McNulty
Reprint rights available on request. Email the author at kristenmcnulty@hotmail.com.
What would you do if someone you knew needed a barn built to replace one destroyed in a natural disaster? Where would you start? Even the most accomplished builder would struggle to take on a project like this alone. But incredible things can happen when people work together. Which is exactly what happened recently in the United States.
Picture it: a wide, empty field where a barn once stood. The ground is still scarred from the storm that tore it down. The family who owned it watches the horizon, knowing the work is too big for them alone. Then, one by one, members of the Amish community arrive on foot and in wagons. They keep coming until there are hundreds—brothers, neighbors, strangers—ready to help. Not only do they build a new barn, they do something almost unthinkable: with their bare hands, they lift the entire structure and walk it—yes, walk it—into place.
This incredible story from an Amish community is more than a marvel of strength and coordination; it is a living example of what God's people can do when they work together. We are told in the book of Ecclesiastes:
"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up." — Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
A Group Effort
The barn wasn't lifted by one man—it was raised by a large group of people, each committed to help and do their part. In the same way, God didn't call us to carry the weight of His work alone. He created us for community, for cooperation, for kingdom-building together.
We can't feed a city alone, but we can volunteer with others at the local food bank and help ensure no family in our community goes hungry.
We can't preach the gospel in every nation on our own, but if every Christian shared the hope of Christ with their neighbor, the good news would soon stretch from doorsteps to continents.
We can't mend every broken family, but stats have showed that if even a few families in every church in the USA alone adopted a child, there would be few orphans in our world.
We Can't Do It Alone
I can't do it alone. You can't do it alone. But together? That's where we see the world change. When you and I say no to selfish living and instead through our time, passion, and energy into serving God, great things can happen. In the book of 1 Corinthians, the apostle Paul writes:
"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." 1 Corinthians 12:27
Like parts of a body, we each have different gifts, callings, and strengths. But together, we become something powerful: a living, breathing representation of Jesus on earth. One finger can't carry a barn, but hundreds of people using their arms can.
That Amish barn didn't move because of brute strength. It moved because every man knew his place, locked arms, and trusted the person beside him. That's what ministry looks like when the Church comes alive, every believer carrying a portion of the weight.
Small Things Can Bring Big Change
It might not always be dramatic. Sometimes, it looks like showing up early to set out chairs. Like making a meal for a sick friend. Like praying over a name written on a Post-It. Like visiting the sick or caring for a neighbour. These things may seem small, but in God's hands, small things can bring about big change.
So, what's your place in the kingdom? Whose load can you help carry? Which corner of the barn can you lift?
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