Wait, so what exactly is a Serve Cycle? Is this just another thing I’m expected to sign up for?
“Oh great, another ministry. I’m already helping with enough – why are we adding one more?”
If any version of the previous sentence ran through your head, we totally understand your frustration. Yes, the church is supposed to refresh us, but after we join a handful of committees and help out in five other areas – Sundays slowly transform into something it was never supposed to be. We catch ourselves dragging our feet into the church building because we have more things to take care of than we have simply to attend.
Trust me: we’ve all been there.
Even though our Kids Ministry team prioritizes the spiritual health of our kids (obviously), we passionately believe they are not our only mission field. Along with parents and with family units, the spiritual health of our volunteers is a critical portion of our ministry’s responsibility.
Over the past two years, our ministry team has been prayerfully seeking a program where we can teach our volunteers the joy in obediently serving as part of their own discipleship while also prioritizing the needs of their spiritual health.
This, dear reader, is where the idea for our Serve Cycle program was born.
Beginning October 1st, 2024, Serve Cycles will NOT change what serving looks like. You will still show up on your scheduled week and participate in your volunteer area with its familiar classroom routine, as always.
Instead, Serve Cycles WILL REPLACE the current STRUCTURE of how we run our volunteer ministry program. That means:
- Every volunteer will sign up to serve for one year. Your commitment will end the week before Promotion Sunday in early August.
- At the end of your commitment, you will have the freedom to jump off the schedule, switch to a different position, or recommit to your volunteer spot! (Volunteers spots will be given first priority to whoever served in that position the previous year.) This also gives our ministry team an opportunity to check in with you and see how you are doing mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
- Throughout the year you’re serving, you will have access to a calendar on your ChurchTeams profile with every Sunday/Wednesday you are scheduled, the ability to contact Kids Ministry staff directly about your availability, and a Master List of all Kids Ministry volunteers to find substitutes when you can’t make it. We hope this will help with your annual planning and keep you fully “in the know!”
- The week before you are scheduled, you will receive a reminder email and text to confirm your availability (and just so you don’t forget!).
Our goal for the launch of our Serve Cycle Volunteer Ministry is to protect our volunteers from burnout while creating a ministry of ownership and commitment, where we understand that we GET TO serve these families.
Where WE GET TO disciple the next generation of believers by creating a consistently welcome and safe space to hear about God’s love for them.
Where WE GET TO learn how to disciple our own families through intentional discipleship in our volunteer positions.
Where WE GET TO grow in our own faith and be spiritual fed ourselves by preparing or helping with lessons and getting to answer the fascinating, strange, and sometimes humorous questions kids come up with.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out via email at emily@lamarbaptist.org or check out the resources provided below. We look forward to you joining our team!
Are you already a volunteer and are looking for:
- A copy of the Volunteer Handbook? Here’s one!
- A link to your ChurchTeams profile to see your volunteer schedule? We have you covered here!
- (Not sure if you have your ChurchTeams profile setup? Contact dallas@lamarbaptist.org!)
- How to go about finding a sub? Check out this PDF!
- ¿Una página web de voluntarios en Español? ¡Clic aquí!
Are you NOT a volunteer and are interested in learning more about how to get involved?
Fill out the form below!
Serve Cycles Interest Form
Don’t forget: our volunteers and Kids Ministry staff begin our mornings at Leader Huddle!
We will see you there at 9:00am!
