Volunteering: A Guide to Serving in the Body of Christ

by Leith Anderson, Jill Fox

Overview

Volunteering can be a rewarding and exciting experience—but to effectively serve you need to understand the why, how, and what of serving others.  Based on the principles and training they have utilized at Wooddale Church, pastor Leith Anderson and Jill Fox will help you better understand: 

• The importance of prayer in ministry
  • Avoiding burnout and serving for the long-term
  • Recruiting others to serve in ways that are natural and easy
  • Enjoying the ‘pay’ that is more valuable than money
  • Finding your fit and serving out of your strengths

 

This short and accessible book will help you to find the resources you need to be inspired and trained to serve in the most vital workforce in the world today—the church of Jesus Christ.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780310519188
Publisher:	Zondervan
Publication date:	08/04/2015
Sold by:	HarperCollins Publishing
Format:	eBook
Pages:	112
File size:	365 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Leith Anderson serves as president of the National Association of Evangelicals. For thirty-five years he was the pastor of Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. He is a graduate of both Denver Seminary and Fuller Theological Seminary.  Anderson is the author of more than 20 books.

Read an Excerpt

Volunteering

A Guide to Serving in the Body of Christ

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By Leith Anderson, Jill Fox

ZONDERVAN

Copyright © 2015 Leith Anderson and Jill Fox
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-310-51917-1

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CHAPTER 1

Making the Case

WHY VOLUNTEER?

It was a special night. This wasn't your typical Wednesday evening kids' program. The fourth graders were gathered together on the floor, waiting in anticipation for their guest. The senior pastor was coming to share about his recent travels, visiting several missionaries from the church in different countries. For kids whose idea of a vacation involved a couple of hours in the family minivan, they were fascinated to hear about flying across oceans to faraway places that some had never even heard of.

Ty was one of the inquisitive fourth graders listening carefully as the pastor began to talk about the countries he'd been to and the people he had met. But then the pastor did something that made Ty sit up straight. He handed each of the kids a single coin and said to them, "Your life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you want. But you can only spend it once." Ty sat quietly clutching his coin in his hand. The words continued to circle in his head. That night a seed was planted in Ty's heart and mind. He began wondering whether his life could be used to make a difference, maybe even by serving people who had never heard the gospel.

Ty is now in his thirties, but that night was the beginning of a journey toward dedicating his life to serving God with his whole heart. For him, that meant eventually becoming a missionary. That initial challenge is still a beacon for his life, and the words have been burned into his soul. Your life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you want. But you can only spend it once. Those simple words pierced his heart and have set a new course for his life. They helped him see both the freedom and responsibility he'd been given to do something meaningful with his time on earth.

The reality is that all Christians have been given our own "coins," our own set of opportunities and responsibilities, as Jesus described in the parable of the talents. How will we spend them? How will we choose among the possible paths laid out before us?

Our lives are valuable; they matter. Even if we haven't always made wise choices, we still have the chance to use our interests, skills, experiences, and gifts to change the world around us. We can show our families, our friends, and our neighbors how they too can live for Jesus Christ. The question is whether we will seize the opportunities that cross our paths.

And this is not easy. It involves changing how we think and what we do. It means nothing less than becoming like Jesus. I know that sounds like an impossible goal. But let me put it in the simplest of terms: Jesus was the ultimate volunteer. As the eternal Son of God, he volunteered himself for a rescue mission. He became human to serve the whole world, dying on the cross to take the sentence for sin that hangs over all of our lives. Jesus himself declared it this way: "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Matt. 20:28). This was his mission, the passion that motivated him to live and to die.

The Bible tells us that we are followers of Jesus. We are Christians who are being changed each day to become more like Jesus. And an essential part of becoming like Jesus, the ultimate servant, involves serving others.

Are you interested in becoming more like Jesus? Do you want your life to reflect the life of the ultimate volunteer, Jesus? You are reading this book, which means you are at least somewhat interested. Maybe you're thinking about volunteering. Maybe you're already serving and interested in finding more ways to help others become like Jesus. I'd like to invite you to take a journey, a journey to discover what it means to be a volunteer in your church, in your community, and around the world. And on the way, my hope and prayer is that you will become more like Jesus, discovering the specific opportunities God has in mind for you—the volunteer opportunity with your name written on it!

So where are you today? Let's get started by reading through the following categories to see where you fit. This will help you as you process the information in this little book, and it will help your leaders, whether you are looking to volunteer at church or in a parachurch organization, to guide you along the way. Please be assured that whatever category you find yourself in is absolutely fine. Each person reading this book will be at a different place on the journey of volunteering, but know that you are all heading in the same direction. We are all working out how we can grow to become more like Jesus, the ultimate servant.

Categories of Volunteers

1. The "On the Fence, Thinking It Over" Volunteer

You've heard the announcements; you've seen the invitations in the weekly communication at church. They seem to be following you everywhere you go. To volunteer or not to volunteer? It all seems a little scary. What if you don't like it? Will you be stuck doing something you hate? What if someone in a particular group or activity asks you something you can't answer? What if—horrors!—they don't like you? Your concerns are genuine. On the flip side, you've seen others happily and successfully volunteering. You can't help but wonder whether you are missing out on something. And maybe even worse, whether Jesus is missing out on you, missing the skills, talents, energy, creativity, and passion for others you would bring.

2. The "Let Me at 'Em, Can't Wait to Start" Volunteer

You have been watching all the excitement at church, hearing friends talk about their satisfying, fulfilling volunteer situations, and you are champing at the bit to jump in and be a part of the action. You have only one issue: Where do I start? Children's ministry, welcome team, youth, music/worship, helping the elderly, and on and on—which one is right for me? There are so many appealing, interesting choices! You know you are going to love volunteering once you get going, and you want this process to begin moving yesterday!

3. The "I Haven't Found the Right Fit, Maybe They Don't Need Me" Volunteer

You've been trying your hardest, but things just haven't clicked for you. You've attempted to find a place as a volunteer, but the experiences you've had so far haven't worked out the way you'd hoped. To be honest, volunteering has felt more like a chore than a life-giving and encouraging experience. Maybe you've even been tempted to quit or not show up for your serving stint. Volunteering shouldn't remind you of your childhood chores. You haven't found your right fit yet, but you really want to volunteer, to give back. You are on a quest to see if there really is a right fit for you, a role that you'll love, a role that will mean something to those you serve, to you, and to God.

4. The Veteran Volunteer

You've been volunteering for years now, and you still love it. Sure, there are times it's exhausting, but you've seen God do amazing things through you and through other volunteers. You can't imagine not volunteering; it makes you feel alive—closer to God, closer to those with whom you serve, and closer to the ones you serve. As a matter of fact, you love it so much you've even offered to lead a team. You are ready to learn more about recruiting, training, nurturing, and maintaining a group, and you're hoping this book will help you do that.

* * *

These are just a few examples of different types of volunteers. We are all at different places when it comes to serving and volunteering. Some of you know you want to volunteer, but you need to take the next couple of steps to find the right spot. For others, it might be about helping to lead a volunteer team in an even stronger direction.

Take some time to think through a few things about volunteering. We have a few questions for you to work through individually or with a group. The goal of this process is for you to feel confident in your decision to volunteer or lead teams of volunteers. We want to make sure you have all the information you need to make good decisions.

Volunteering Is Biblical

Let's begin by looking at what the Bible has to say about volunteering. The Scriptures tell us that God has chosen his people—you and me—to share the transforming message of Jesus Christ with others. Romans 12:4–8 paints a picture of exactly what God was thinking:

Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

This portion from the letter to the Romans clearly shows that each member of the family of God is significant, chosen, and designed to be part of the divine master plan!

When you put your faith in Jesus Christ, you became part of his family, his team, his tribe, his cohort (whatever you want to call it). God expects that you will use your gifts, talents, and abilities for his glory and the advancement of his kingdom. We do all of this to make God look good, for his glory. If you like sports, think of it this way: God didn't sign you up for his team to simply have you to sit on the sidelines of life; he designed you to play. And he has just the right position in mind for you.

Kennedy had the cleats, socks, pants, and hat. She even had the shirt with her name on the back. She looked like a softball player, but she was far from it. This little eight-year-old girl had found herself on a team with a highly competitive coach who wanted to win every game regardless of the needs of the girls on this elementary-school team. Because the coach wasn't sure of Kennedy's abilities, she spent most of her time on the bench, watching softball rather than playing softball. Week after week, it was the same thing. She sat on the hard, metal bench, watching her teammates participating and having fun, wondering when her turn would come. As she sat, something else was happening as well. Kennedy was getting annoyed, agitated, and irritable. She wanted to play. She knew she could play. She just needed the chance.

Finally Kennedy's opportunity arrived. One of her teammates was hurt, and just like that, Kennedy was up to bat. As she walked up to the plate, all the frustrations she'd had while sitting on that bench boiled up inside her. Today, she meant business. Kennedy took up her batting stance, just as she had watched her teammates do, perfectly imitating the form she had been taught. She grasped the bat tightly as the softball soared toward home plate, and then she swung at it for dear life. Crack! Just like that, the ball went flying into left field, and Kennedy was off running the bases.

After crossing home plate, Kennedy arrived in the dugout and her coach was standing there in shock. She looked at the girl and said, "I didn't know you could hit." Kennedy looked up at her, pushed her hair out of her eyes, straightened her cap, and said in a firm voice, "You never gave me a chance. Of course I can hit!"

Unlike Kennedy, we have a coach who knows we can hit. And instead of keeping us benched, he is nudging us off the bench and into the game. You have a thoughtful and purposeful heavenly coach who created you and made you for something special and unique. He doesn't want you to miss out on playing the game. He wants and needs you in the game; whether you hit home runs or catch fly balls or bring water to the players, he made you to be part of what he is doing. He's called you to take part in the most important game of all: the game of life. You are a key member of his team.

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

1. Think about your life right now in terms of a softball or baseball game. Are you sitting on the bench, or are you playing the game? How would you describe yourself and your volunteer readiness today?

2. What are some of the ways you serve others throughout your week at home, at church, and in your workplace? though we may not be volunteering in formal ways, each of us is involved in serving in some capacity.

3. What things are you doing that you don't consider to be important or worthy enough to be valuable? the ways you are naturally serving can become stepping stones to something else, opportunities that might stretch you beyond your comfort zone.

4. What are some of the gifts, talents, and abilities that god has given to you? What are the experiences you've had that god might use? Assuming there are no barriers to serving in a ministry (skill, education, time, etc.), what would you most like to do as a volunteer?

We'll spend more time thinking about this, but for now, list ways your passions, skills, and experiences might be used by god to help others become a part of god's kingdom and grow as Christians.

5. What are some ways you have seen god using volunteers in your church? What did you appreciate about these volunteers and the service they performed?

Volunteering Grows Your Faith

Even though eighteen years have passed, Molly can clearly remember Jenny's short blonde hair and her enormous blue eyes. Each time she thinks of Jenny, she also recalls a moment that would change them both forever.

It had been an amazing week at summer camp. And now, as they sat and talked, Jenny looked up at Molly and had a question for her. Jenny said to her counselor, "I want to live for Jesus. How do I do that?" Molly's heart began to beat faster. As a teenage camp volunteer, she didn't feel prepared to answer that question. She understood what Jenny was asking, but she had never answered it before. She took a breath and pointed out a spot for them to sit under a nearby oak tree. The short walk over to the tree gave Molly some time to think.

Molly did her best to explain the gospel to Jenny, and several minutes later, under the shade of the oak tree, Molly saw her little elementary-school camper give her life to Jesus. Molly hugged Jenny after saying the commitment prayer, and as Jenny headed off to her cabin, Molly could hardly catch her breath. It was an indescribable feeling. Overwhelmed and amazed, she sat on the grass and cried. How had God used her—just a simple camp counselor—to be part of such a marvelous thing, such a life-changing moment?

That moment changed Jenny's life forever, of course. But the experience of leading someone to know Jesus Christ also changed Molly's life. She knew on that day that following Jesus Christ and sharing his story with others was the best thing in life. Seeing someone come to faith propelled her to move forward in her faith. She wanted to know God more deeply. She wanted to share him more easily, more fully. She wanted to live for him more faithfully. Now, at the age of thirty-four, Molly is still convinced that sharing God's love with others is the best thing in life. It not only transforms the lives of others; it continues to make a profound difference in her own life.

When we volunteer, we become the hands and feet of Jesus. We become the eyes and ears to see or hear of a need, and we follow the nudging of the Holy Spirit to say or do what is necessary. And ultimately this pushes us forward in our faith. As volunteers, we get to experience things we never would if we didn't jump in to be part of it all. Through his church, his family, God is unfolding his plans, building his kingdom, and developing and expanding his mission in this world beyond what we can imagine. As volunteers, we get to play in the greatest game ever played. Instead of sitting in the stands, it's like being in the state finals and feeling the adrenaline flow. It's getting to stand hand in hand with the cast after the curtain call and celebrating because you did something great together—you pulled off a great performance.

You and I are invited to play a part in a grand story that God has been writing since the creation of the world. It's a story that began in a garden and led to a man dying on a cross. It's the story of new life, of resurrection, and of how the rescue mission of God is continuing today through you and through me. We are a part of the story of Jesus Christ transforming lives. And God uses many different people in a variety of ways to write this story. Your part could be feeding the hungry at a shelter and talking with them while the rest of the world turns a blind eye to their needs. Or you may be the one who spends hours reciting memory verses with third graders so they can remember what is true—truth that combats the lies they are told on the playground, truth that they may still recall thirty years from now.

Or maybe your part in the story involves opening the front door for the first-time visitor and welcoming him or her to the church. You may be visitors' first introduction to Jesus Christ, even though they might not realize it.

We all have a role to play in the story, a place on the team. These are just a few of the ways we can get involved. Don't just be an observer. Volunteering is how we grow as Christians, it's how the local church fulfills its mission, and it is how God is accomplishing his purposes in this world.

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

1. When was the last time you felt like you grew in your faith? How did you feel while it was happening? How do you see it now, as you look back on it?

2. Have you ever been part of a group—whether in church or someplace else—where you did something you really enjoyed with a group, all together? What did that feel like? What did you accomplish together?

3. What makes you nervous about volunteering? Have you felt this apprehension in similar situations? What are some ways you were able to overcome it and be successful, despite how you felt?

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Volunteering by Leith Anderson, Jill Fox. Copyright © 2015 Leith Anderson and Jill Fox. Excerpted by permission of ZONDERVAN.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

1. Making the Case It all begins and ends with prayer---corporate and individual. Discussion of “the priesthood of believers,” what it meant to the first believers and how it applies in today’s culture. 2. Getting Involved Doing the things that matter to God, to his church, to you. 3. Team Spirit The Holy Spirit draws volunteers into a particular ministry, then draws them together into a cord that cannot be broken. Benefits for the individual volunteer, and the volunteer benefits the team. 4. Finding Your Fit Are you the right one for a particular position? What are some good ways you can find out? 5. Recruiting Is Everyone’s Job “Networking” on another level as you learn how to work your connections to identify others just waiting to be asked. 6. Volunteer Pay Compensation for volunteers comes in many other ways than $$--riches that can be taken with you! 7. Storytelling Collect and share your opportunities, challenges, triumphs.