Every church has them. Quiet saints. Faithful elders. You know those ones in church who are just always there? The ones who sit in the same pew each Sunday, dressed in their Sunday best, holding worn Bibles and belting out their favorite hymn or song. The ones with a story etched in the lines on their faces? Sometimes, we don't realize the incredible powerhouses of faith they are, the amazing things they've seen God do.

At our church, one of those hidden figures was Mother Norma. To me, she was the sweet lady who sang in the senior choir with her fancy hat and joyful spirit as she served as a Deaconess. That’s all I ever knew her to do. Until one day, my aunt casually shared something that blew my mind. “Did you know that Mother Norma co-led a prayer room in town? People drove from everywhere for prayer, and God worked miracles in that room!”

Wait! What? I was completely floored!

The next Sunday, there she was, Mother Norma, on her usual pew, hat and all. I practically ran to sit next to her. "Mother Norma, my aunt told me about the prayer room! Tell me everything!" Her face just lit up, like someone flipped a switch. And she started sharing story after story of these incredible moments where God's power was so real, so undeniable, lives changed and people were healed!

I was so full of excitement and tears of joy were overflowing. Right there, before the service even started, I just had to ask her. "Mother Norma," I said, "would you ever think about leading and teaching the power of intercessory prayer with the kids on Wednesday nights?" Her cheeks got all rosy, and this huge smile spread across her face. Her voice, a little crackly with age, was so full of life when she said, "Yes!" And just like that, she became one of the most impactful people in our ministry. Way past 75 years old, Mother Norma showed up every single week, full of joy and ready to teach the children how to pray. Real prayer. She taught them how to talk to God and how to listen to Him. She taught them to intercede and to pray for others with faith that moves mountains.

Week after week, she didn’t miss a beat. I watched our kids begin to change. One little boy looked at me with wide eyes after prayer one night and said, “When she prays, the hair stands up on my arm!” Something was happening. They were learning how to touch heaven, their prayers weren’t small, they were big, and they were learning it from someone who had spent a lifetime doing just that.

I will never forget that shortly after Mother Norma started teaching, a friend of my sister was pregnant and going through serious complications. The doctors were concerned. I brought the photo of the expecting mom to our kids and told them the situation. And just like they’d been trained by Mother Norma to do, they gathered and began to pray. With boldness. With power. With faith. And a few months later, she gave birth to a perfectly healthy baby boy. That was their miracle. That was fruit from Mother Norma's teachings and God’s response to “child-like faith” prayers!

Eventually, her health started to decline, and she couldn’t come as often. A few years passed, and I ran into her at a local store. She pulled me into a big hug and thanked me for giving her the opportunity to serve. But she didn’t know that I was the one who was grateful because of her; our kids were ready, armed, and equipped to pray miraculous prayers!

Our churches are full of “Mother Normas.” Seniors who have walked with God longer than some of us have been alive. Seniors who’ve seen His faithfulness, who carry stories of healing, faith, deliverance, and answered prayer. They may not be loud. They may not be on the schedule. But they are powerful. And if we invite them in, our kids can gain something the latest curriculum can’t teach, and that is living testimonies that say, “God is real. God is near. And God still moves.”

If you're leading a children's ministry, don’t overlook the seniors in your congregation. That sweet sister in the corner might be a spiritual giant in disguise. That older gentleman might carry a healing anointing from years of quiet service. We don’t need to entertain our kids into faith. We need to anchor them. And sometimes the best anchors are the people who've been holding on to Jesus for a long, long time. Ask them to share. Invite them to pray. Give them space to serve. Because hidden figures like Mother Norma don’t just bless the church; they build the next generation and leaders, like you and me, who are called to serve.

​Angela Marks is a passionate children’s ministry leader with 12 years of experience serving in various churches and ministries. She resides in Fayetteville, North Carolina where she has yielded to the call of reaching young people inside and outside the walls of the church.