Mobilising Volunteers pt 3 – Where to serve?

Administration in the Church, Equipping, Volunteer
Last year I wrote at length in this blog about serving in the church and gave guidance about the course Discover and Serve. There is also a book of the same name. Please read that for more detail about how to help someone develop a Serving Profile. In this series I am addressing the issue of volunteering from the perspective of a leader – how to mobilise volunteers. So far we have looked at what ‘volunteer’ means. Now we shall consider some of the practical day-to-day matters about identifying and managing a volunteer team within the church. Vision In Prov 29:18 we read ‘Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law’ (ESV). Written in the context of the fruit…
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Mobilising Volunteers pt 2 – What does the Bible say?

Administration in the Church, Equipping, Volunteer, Volunteers
Last time we saw how the word ‘volunteer’ often has the associations of ‘charity’, such as helping those who are in need, or of ‘essential service’, such as the volunteer reserves in the armed forces. Both these aspects can be found in the Bible. Old Testament In the Old Testament translations there are several occasions where ‘volunteer’ is used (more in the NASB than in the ESV, which I normally quote from). Ps 110: 3 ‘Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power…’ (ESV), '…volunteer freely…’ (NASB) Judges 5:2 (Song of Deborah and Barak) 'That the leaders took the lead in Israel, that the people offered themselves willingly…’ (ESV), ‘…the people volunteered…’ (NASB). Judges 5:9 'My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel who offered…
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Guinea update

Guinea, News, Poor
People seem to have appreciated my recent updates from around the Newfrontiers spheres with whom I have contact. I have recently heard from Guinea and think that, following ebola and my appeal for sponsorship for school children, this would be of interest. Thank you to all who helped with the ebola appeal and who have offered to sponsor a child. We do still need more sponsors - £10/month. Can you help? If so click here to request details. Newsletter from Nicolas Thebault Last week I was in a taxi driven by a 77 year old chauffeur! This person explained to me as we were returning home that the new drivers do not know how to drive and the new police officers do not know the driving code because everyone buys…
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Mobilising Volunteers. Pt 1 – Who are they?

Equipping, Volunteer
Passionate people The practical energy of the local church comes through the membership. Where else can one find a body of such committed, passionate and unified people who are willing to give of their time and energies so sacrificially for the sake of a cause they believe in? We are a privileged people when we are part of such a living vibrant community of focussed and purposeful individuals. This passion is perhaps first felt in the early church where we see the way they lived together in Acts 2. Immediately after being filled with the Spirit at Pentecost, the church’s birth day, we find that the people ‘devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers’ (Acts 2:42). This sentence embodies the very essence of the…
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