Volunteering at your local church can be such a joy to be able to give back to your church’s ministry with your time. I volunteer with the kid’s ministry and look forward to working with the kids each Sunday.
Why should Christians volunteer at their local church? Christians should volunteer at their local church to help their church minister to others. Christians are called to serve one another. We are living like Jesus did when we serve others.
God is wanting to use you in your local church to create community and reach others. Are you willing to give up a couple of hours a week to see God move in your life and in others when you use your skills in the Church to bring glory to God?
Why Volunteer At Your Local Church?
Being a part of a church is an amazing experience. Creating community and growing deeper in your relationship with Christ are some of the benefits of being involved in the church.
Sometimes it is not that easy to create such a close community especially if you are new to a church. It is hard to find people with similar lifestyles or interests as you when there are so many people and only so little time to meet everyone.
If you looking to grow your relationships and community at your church then volunteer. There are many benefits and reasons to volunteer at church, but you will get to meet people interested in the same area you are interested in.
You will also get to naturally spend time with people you might not otherwise, an amazing opportunity to connect with others at your church.
If you are already well connected there are even more people you can connect with and can get to know through volunteering.
The community you build while serving can be a huge blessing on your life as well. They will help encourage you and grow as you volunteer and in your general walk with Christ.
Volunteering at your church will also be a great chance to learn. You may get to work in new situations growing in your knowledge of perhaps coffee, or soundboards.
What you learn while volunteering can lead to opportunities in the future. I had a friend in high school who wanted to work in a coffee shop but had no experience, so she started serving at the cafe at church to gain experience while also growing her community and helping the church reach others.
Not sure what you are good at? This is the time to find out, you will get to try new things maybe like working with lighting or teaching kids, and from these experiences, you may find a new talent or passion.
When Jesus came to earth he served others, he even gave up his life when he died on the cross. He teaches us to serve as well.
Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
John 13:12-14
Jesus’ life on earth was characterized by his serving. Even as the Son of God he was serving others and teaching us to do the same.
We are called to serve others. As Christians, we want to serve wherever and whenever we can. We show the love of Christ to others when we serve.
The church exists to bring glory to God, to grow closer to God, and grow closer to others in the church. The church also desires to reach out and be known for their love.
The church wants to minister to the world around them and be the hands and feet of Jesus, and we can be a part of that.
Being a member or regular attendee of a church can impute certain responsibilities on you, and one is to be a part of ministering to others. Serving is not required while attending church but can be a great blessing to you and your church.
You may be surprised at the benefits of serving at your local church, and how they reach into other areas of your life. Serving helps make church a priority, if you are serving you now have an obligation to go to church and can’t make up excuses not to go because others are counting on you.
Serving will help you grow in ways you may not expect. While serving others count on you helping you grow in personal responsibility.
You may need to dive deeper into God’s word to teach a lesson for Sunday School. Serving will help you live generously in more situations. Serving at church is the start to living a life of generosity.
As the church desires to reach out to others and share the good news, you can be a part of that by serving.
You can be a part of helping the church grow and reach more people, not only can it be a lot of fun and a great way to build new relationships, but we are commanded by God to use the gifts God has given us to glorify God through serving others.
Where To Start Volunteering
If you want to start serving at your church but don’t know where to start, here are some steps you can take to get started.
1. Talk with your pastor or another leader at your church who can help you get connected. Some churches have monthly opportunities to help you figure out where and when you want to serve.
Ask where their biggest needs are for volunteers, and where they want to grow. There may be some opportunities that have plenty of volunteers already working and may not be available to volunteer in, but there should always be some opportunities available.
Also identify where you may want to serve, whether you have a gifting in a certain area, or would love to learn in a certain area. We have God-given gifts that we are commanded to use according to the Bible.
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.
1 Peter 4:10
2. If you are not quite sure where you want to serve or want to know what you are getting into beforehand, ask to shadow someone to see what happens in any desired position.
After shadowing you will get a better idea of what is included in positions and if it is a good fit for you.
3. Prayer is a very important piece of serving. Ask God for guidance as you decide where to serve.
God has given you talents and skills, ask God where he might use you to bless others in the church.
4. If you think you know where you want to serve ask your church what information they need before you start. They may need contact information or even a background check if you plan on working with children or with money.
5. Next, you are ready to be trained. You may need little training, or a lot depending on where you are serving but take this time to be the best volunteer you can since we are not simply working for men, but for the Lord.
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.
Colossians 3:23
6. Now you are ready to volunteer.
Areas To Volunteer In A Church
There is a place for everyone. God has created everyone uniquely with different talents, skills, and interests that the Church can benefit from.
Depending on the church you go to, opportunities may vary. Going to a small church may offer a larger variety of volunteer opportunities because they have less staff to take care of everything, but big churches also need a large number of volunteers.
Below is a list of some of the most common volunteer positions needed within the church.
Greeter– When you walk into church, a greeter is probably the first person you see. They typically open the door for you and ask you how you are doing. If you love getting to know people and love to smile, this would be a great position for you.
Usher– An usher helps people in the church service. They may help direct you to an open seat, pass out the bulletin, pass the collection plate, and anything else needed during the Church service.
Kids Check-in– If you are good with the technical and organizational side of things you may do great in kids check-in. In this position, you will help kids check-in, but also register them if they are new.
Help the parents understand the kid’s ministry and print name tags for kids as they head into their classes.
Kids Lesson– Planning out lessons for kids can be difficult but very rewarding. Putting together a lesson plan includes a lot of organization and creativity as well as knowledge of the Bible so you can teach an accurate but attention keeping lesson for the kids to learn from.
Nursery– Working with younger kids is a privilege as they are still learning to talk, and walk but your impact still matters. If you are willing to help kids in many ways you may want to work in the nursery.
Even if kids sleep the whole service, it will make a big impact on the parents who will enjoy that their children are safe and in a loving environment.
Elementary and Middle School Helper– If you want to get involved with kids you can jump into the Elementary and Middle School groups as they dive into God’s word in a way that is biblically correct and understandable for the age group.
If you love to work with kids this is the group you may want to get involved with.
Junior High School and High School– Jr. High and High School groups are the perfect opportunities to jump in and make relationships and help students grow.
Jr. High and High School groups are fun and fast-paced but also a perfect space to help them grow in their walk with Christ, you will be able to share wisdom with them while also having fun and building relationships.
College Leader– You can work with college students and lead a small group as you help them navigate life, share wisdom but also a time to have fun.
If you have a heart to help those in college then helping lead a college group may be for you.
Special Needs Ministry– Working with those with special needs is very important. Everyone is a part of the Church, but some need more assistance and this is where you can come in. You can help be a buddy with those with special needs or work in a sensory room.
Connection Booth– When people want to get connected within the church, the connection booth, table, or stand provides all the needed information.
While volunteering at the connection booth you can help people create a community in the church and get to know many people.
Cafe- Not all churches, but many have coffee available and maybe even some donuts and other drinks. There is always someone needed to help serve the coffee and snacks as well as keeping the area sanitary, and collecting money.
Coffee ministry– is becoming very effective as it gives opportunities for people to sit down and grow in community.
Parking Lot Volunteer– The parking lots can get busy real fast before church starts, and this can be confusing for someone new to the church. A parking lot volunteer can help direct traffic and direct those who are new to a good parking spot.
Security– Having someone volunteer to keep the church secure can be a big help. Security may simply keep an eye out for anything out of place, but can also make sure doors are locked when they need to be and lights turned off at the end of the day.
Communion– Communion is a very important aspect of the Church. Volunteering to help with communion could look like buying the bread, filling up the cups with wine/juice, cleaning up following service, or passing out the communion itself.
This position could vary from church to church as some only serve communion once a month, and many are moving to pre-packaged communion cups.
Worship– Joining the worship team could be a great opportunity to use your talents to serve and worship. If you love to sing or play an instrument you could help lead worship in front of the Church or with kids. There are many opportunities for those musically talented.
Recording– In this day and age, much of what happens at Church including worship and the sermon is recorded. You can serve by helping record the service.
This position usually includes using a camera in the back of the room to video the pastor as he preaches. This is a much-needed position today as many people who are not able to attend in person will watch online.
Technical– If you are skilled in working with technology, then there may be a plethora of options to volunteer with.
Graphic design, making videos, putting slides together and operating slides are just some of the positions you could help in at your church. Maybe your church has an app they use, or social media they need someone to post on as well.
Soundboard– Many smaller churches do not have someone employed to work the technical side of the Church service. Running the soundboard during a church service is a lot of work but very necessary. Some technical knowledge may be required but you may also be trained before starting.
Lighting– From church to church lighting varies. Some churches love to add extra fun light and create a more energetic atmosphere. Other churches find simple lights work best, some to light up the stage but nothing overwhelming.
Either way, lighting can make a big impact on the overall service and can be a way for you to volunteer especially if you have expertise in the area of lighting.
Photographer– If you love to take photos then the Church can utilize your skills. Pictures can help capture memories as well as display what is going on in the church to those visiting a social media site or googling your church. You can give people an idea of the atmosphere of the Church through photos.
Photography can also be important to use while special events are occurring such as baptism to help preserve the memory for the family.
Church Office– Throughout the week when church service is not occurring the church office may be open. You may be able to volunteer at the front desk answering phone calls and helping schedule, this is ideal if volunteering on Sunday is not a good day for you.
Church Van Ministry– If there are people in your area who would love to come to church but don’t have a car or any other mode of transportation then they may need a ride, and if your church has a van then you can help transport people to church.
Many churches have vans but may need someone to drive it around Sunday morning and afternoon to drive people to and from the church. A driver’s license is needed if you want to volunteer to drive and you may need to be a certain age depending on your church’s insurance.
Interpreters– Is there anyone in your church who does not speak English, or communicates through Sign Language? If you are knowledgeable in English and another language find out if you can be of use translating or maybe with ESL classes.
Smaller Ministries– There are so many opportunities to serve within the church, and one way is through outreach ministries. Outreach ministries will be different depending on your church but they are chances to reach out and help the community in several ways.
Some smaller ministries include a singles group, a group for those who are retired, military ministry, or a homeless ministry are just some ideas.
Ask your church what opportunities they have available now. You can find a group that already exists, or create one and start bringing together a God-centered community to those who need it. Groups may meet any time and may be a great alternative for those who are not available on Sundays.
Holiday Volunteering– If week to week is hard to commit to, then always look out for extra volunteering opportunities around the holidays, especially Christmas and Easter. Many times extra hands are needed to complete projects and higher capacities are expected.
Deciding Where & When To Volunteer
There is a place for everyone to volunteer, there may not be a position for it at the moment but ask your church and they will be able to help you.
Even with time constraints or lack of ability in some areas you can be used to help better the church.
If you and your family all want to serve look for opportunities involving everyone. You may all get to serve together by all being greeters, or all work at the connection booth. When I was in middle school I got the chance to work with my mom when she volunteered with the nursery.
Make sure to look at your availability before committing to something your schedule may not allow.
You can always choose to volunteer on the basis of every week, every other week, every other month, or even once a month. Just check with those who schedule so they know in advance when you can and cannot serve.
Some churches have an app to sign up for volunteer spots, others schedule via email or a paper on Sunday.
Make sure to communicate clearly with whoever is in charge of volunteering so there is not a mix-up and they are short a volunteer for the week.
You want to make sure that you also make time to attend a service, although it is important to serve we also come to church to grow in our knowledge of God’s word and our relationship with him.
We need to make time to listen to hear what God says through people like our pastors on Sunday morning. You may be able to create a schedule where you serve every other week to both serve within your church and hear your pastor speak.
Find out what days and times work best for you and your family to make sure you get to take part in the joy of serving while also getting to enjoy sermons regularly.
If two services occur at your church you may be able to attend one service and serve during the other service. This will help you still be able to enjoy the sermon while also helping your church’s ministry.
If you are sick do not come in to serve. Many churches have those willing to step in when something unexpected occurs, so know that your church probably has it under control even if you are not able to make it. Being able to step in for those who do not make it may also be an opportunity to serve in your church.
If there are many places you would love to serve make sure to pray over your decision and ask your church for their greatest needs. You may also overtime get to volunteer in many areas as needs change within the church.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10
God has given us all tools and talents to use to glorify him. And as we read in scripture God has prepared for us opportunities.
God may be working in many areas of our life but he will use the time that we use to volunteer with the church in amazing ways.
It can be such a joy to volunteer. Make sure to approach your position with the right attitude, and be ready for God to work in amazing ways even if you are just recording the sermon because those stuck at home appreciate that someone volunteers to record.
I am excited to serve on Sunday because I know I will leave with a full heart. I get to create relationships with other volunteers and with the kids I serve with. I also grow in my relationship with God as I rely on him to help me lead the kids in my Sunday school class with wisdom.
God will use you in amazing ways wherever you serve. You will be amazed and overjoyed in the ways God can use you to bless others by serving as well as growing yourself by simply giving up a couple our a week to help your church reach others.