Helping at church.

[RamiC]

Help, as in for me...I just offered to help at Junior Church. I said I could do art and crafts, and I can...it is just that children are like beings from another planet to me. I know Jesus will help with that part, the Bible is not exactly ambiguous about His feelings about the little people. I did explain to our Family Minister, and she is a gift from heaven in her role, so I am sure it will be just fine when it comes to it.

How are all of your churches doing for volunteers?

 

[seeking.IAM]

I have been fortunate to be part of churches blessed by sufficient volunteers to get things done. Not everybody certainly, but enough. I have had Rectors who were very good at getting a variety of people engaged. They are unafraid to tap folks on the shoulder and just ask? "Will you..." -- which is particularly dirty trick to pull on someone like me who whose lips have a hard time framing the word, "no."

 

[RileyG]

May God bless you in your ministry!

Peace

 

[Paidiske]

I have a lot of very good people in the parish, for which I'm grateful.

There is a challenge, I find, that sometimes the things that need doing, are not a good match for the gifts, personality, experience, etc., of the people available. Our parish has had a vacant warden's position for over six months now; I can't find anyone willing to take it on. (For example).

 

[Shane R]

The church I serve the most has a great altar guild team. However, sometime in the last 6-8 months the choir dissolved. One place that I had an ongoing once a month appointment with had terrible communication, never knew what the bulletin would have listed for the readings or anything. They were perpetually in the wrong color. Half the time they didn't know if they were having communion or not. Sometimes they'd forget to pay me for a week or two. I finished my commitment to them and recently the dean asked me if I would go out there again on short notice, since all of the regular pastor's got sick at their pastor's retreat. I turned that down.

The church we attend when I'm not booked has a remarkable number of volunteers for a group that's graying considerably. About half of the regulars are up for most any event that gets scheduled. A few more would like to participate but have been warned off by their doctors or have difficulty getting transportation and other such issues.

 

[RamiC]

May God bless you in your ministry!

Peace

Thank you Riley, I hope for this.

He gave me my creativity in plentiful supply, so I am quite excited to be sharing it with the next generation of believers.

 

[RamiC]

I have a lot of very good people in the parish, for which I'm grateful.

There is a challenge, I find, that sometimes the things that need doing, are not a good match for the gifts, personality, experience, etc., of the people available. Our parish has had a vacant warden's position for over six months now; I can't find anyone willing to take it on. (For example).

What I just offered to do is only an option for me because other people who know children and work in their environment all the time will be there with me. Could a job share arrangement work for your vacancy? It is just a thought....

 

[Paidiske]

What I've tried to do is sort of set up a bit of a team; one person to be the official warden, but with two or three others who can work with them to look after the actual work involved. I haven't really got anywhere so far.

I think part of the problem is that what the church (and, in fact, the secular world) expect of people in roles like that is becoming ever more demanding and complicated, (I'm thinking of things like OH&S, safeguarding, various forms of compliance etc), but people don't necessarily have the experience or confidence that they can handle those demands.