How to Volunteer at Church (without the stress)
6 Tips on how to be a Church Volunteer
Volunteering at a church is a great blessing to others.
However it can also be easy to burn out if you're not careful.
Here are a 6 tips on how to be a church volunteer without burning out:
1. Pray
Trying to serve without prayer is like trying to vacuum without plugging it in.
Pray for:
Your own spiritual health
Your preparation for teaching
Those you serve
This makes work spiritual.
2. Serve from love
There are many wrong motivations to serve:
Admiration
Feeling fulfilled
Keeping up appearances
Once the drudgery and difficulties of ministry strike, these motivations won’t be enough to help you persevere.
Instead, serve from a love for God and a genuine desire to please him.
3. Be aware of your capacity
It's easy to look at the Super-Server in your church and be discouraged.
God knows your frame.
You may be limited by:
Spiritual maturity
Health (mental and physical)
External challenges (e.g. needy family members)
Be realistic of what you are able to do.
4. Aim to please God not people
You can't please every one.
A musician will find some people moaning about old hymns, others about new songs.
A preacher will be told by one person he was too simple another he was too complex
And if you work with teenagers… good luck getting a smile!
Rather than chasing people-pleasing, do what you think is honouring to God.
In the long run, this is what is best for the people you serve too.
5. Don't aim to be like full-time staff
Most youth ministry books are written by full-time youth pastors. The same goes for preaching books, womens’ ministry book, evangelism books and so on.
The problem is, if you are doing ministry alongside a full-time job you don't have their:
Time
Experience
Lack of external commitments
If you work one evening a week, you don't have to be perfect.
6. Know you're saved by grace not serving
When you think service saves us, it is a harsh task master.
People who serve out of love to God and neighbour rather than guilt will always be more caring to others.
Don't guilt yourself into service. Grace yourself into it.
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P.S. Substack is asking you for donations without me asking. Very kind of some of you to think of donating but there are better causes out there. Sorry for the confusion, it's their business model so I can't turn it off.
P.P.S. Will be taking two weeks break for Easter madness. Would appreciate your prayers for souls to be saved!