Welcome Young Believer! We talked earlier about what roles of leadership look like in the Church and what it means to be a Church Member, but if you've spent any time in Church you've probably realized that there is a long list of jobs that various people have to make each ministry work on a day to day basis. Today, we're going to talk about a few of these roles so that you can be praying and thinking about how to get involved in service at your local church.
Sunday Service Roles
Set-Up/Tear-Down Crew - No matter how big your church is, there are some behind-the-scenes jobs that happen every time the doors open whether for Bible Study or Sunday morning service. In smaller churches, that might mean setting up all of the chairs, sound, and video equipment plus making sure bulletins and extra Bibles are ready to go. In wintery places, it might mean shoveling and salting sidewalks or even plowing the parking lot. These tasks are so important for making gathering together possible but often don't get very much attention or thanks.
Greeters - These are the warm wonderful people who welcome you to the church on a Sunday morning. Often these folks will hand out the bulletin along with warm hugs and sturdy handshakes. While you may not realize just how much of a difference this role makes, the Greeters set the tone for how friendly, especially outsiders, will see your church to be.
Nursery - The wonderful people who volunteer for Nursery give a much-needed break to tired parents who will be able to focus more on Worship and the Sermon without worrying over their infant to toddler age children. Loving on these kids even at such an early age is also a very important part of beginning to share the Gospel with them!
Children's Church Leaders - The age range for Children's Church will probably vary depending on the size of your church, but generally, these kids are old enough to sit for a short Bible story, eat a snack, and maybe do some kind of game or fun craft. This is where we really start sharing the Gospel and discipling these precious little ones.
Sunday School Teacher - Similar to Children's Church Leaders these people are generally responsible for a short Bible lesson and some kind of activity. Where this one is going to differ is that your age groups or generally more separate and a Sunday School class may be provided even for adults.
Communion - This one is also going to depend upon your specific church's way of doing things. However, I've been to several churches where they rotate someone being responsible for making bread and preparing it for Communion as well as filling all those little Communion cups. They also will generally make sure everything is cleaned up when the service is over from the platters that hold the bread and juice to the garbage that some people will have left in the sanctuary.
Worship Leader/Team - In many churches, the Worship Leader has now become a Pastoral position, but it's certainly not that way everywhere especially in smaller churches. The worship team is generally made up of a mixture of people who sing or play instruments. Besides coming early for a soundcheck on Sunday morning, they also usually have a practice day during the week where they rehearse the next week's songs.
Media Team - Speaking of soundcheck, the folks on the Media Team run the soundboard and any other technology that may be in use for Sunday morning service. In many churches, this has come to include the cameras/streaming devices that allow people who didn't make it to the building to participate online.
Other Ministry Service Roles
Your church may offer a wide variety of other ministry service roles throughout the week. Here are a few of the common ones that I have seen.
Youth Ministry Leaders/Volunteers - Depending on your church's Youth Ministry this could mean middle school to high school-age kids. Traditionally churches will provide this ministry gathering on a Wednesday night. Where I grew up they had the Awana program which actually had various age groups gathered from pre-school through middle school.
Bible Study Leaders/Hosts - For adults, you could possibly lead a small Bible study or host one in your home. Some churches are calling these small groups and they usually run during the school year when most people aren't out traveling and enjoying the summer weather.
Women's Ministry - Along the same lines of Bible Study, many churches will provide a ministry specifically for the women of the church to gather together. This could include Bible Study, worship, service projects, or even resources to help them in their pregnancy and parenting journeys.
Other - Your church may have a special heart for the poor in your city/region and have a ministry to gather food, clothing, and other much-needed items for these people. Your church may do a lot of evangelical outreach knocking on doors and throwing community service events. Your church may have a pregnancy outreach ministry to help women dealing with unexpected pregnancies or who perhaps need a little extra aide that they can't pay for or isn't provided at the hospital. Your church may actually host a home school group or Private school on their property.
These are only some of the most common ministries that I've seen, but churches are ever-changing and expanding to better serve their members and the communities in which they're located. If you have a calling or gift that you're not already seeing a ministry for at your church then continue praying about it, maybe you're the one that will lead the charge to start that ministry!
If you have any other questions about service roles in the church, please feel free to leave them in the comments below. I highly encourage you to find a mentor in the faith who can help personally walk you through many of these issues as you grow into a mature believer. This is one journey you were never meant to take alone!
Comments