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There's something deeply moving about witnessing a volunteer wholeheartedly serve their church.
Whether it’s youth leaders passionately investing into the lives of teenagers, elderly volunteers welcoming people at the front doors, or trusted accountants managing church finances, it’s heartwarming to see volunteers give their all to their church.
Every Christian—no matter their season of life—can make a meaningful impact by serving their local church community and surrounding areas. At its best, volunteering at church can truly have an eternal impact on many lives.
Yet it’s important to remember the practical obstacles that stand in the way of volunteering. It can be challenging for members with demanding schedules to find time to volunteer at church regularly. Additionally, many congregants are busy parents, travel for work, face health battles, or perhaps even live far from the church. As a result, some churchgoers may hesitate to serve.
That’s why it’s so important that your church offers a variety of church volunteer opportunities that suit various levels of time commitment, interests, and skills. This allows more members to overcome obstacles, share their God-given abilities, and commit to making an ongoing kingdom impact.
Here is a comprehensive list of volunteer opportunities to help engage your congregation, empowering all believers to serve others and make a difference for the gospel.
Holidays and special events are essential to the church calendar. Volunteer activities around these events can provide one-time or short-term church volunteering opportunities that often require several people.
Some holiday and special events ideas include:
Some events may require more jobs than others. However, consider having either a director or small group committee to ensure the event planning stays on track. You’ll need members volunteering at church who can help plan, organize, and gather necessary resources, as well as those who can help set up and tear down on the day of the event.
Here are some best practices for recruiting volunteers for these holiday or special occasion events:
Families often are seeking opportunities to do things together and have an active role in the church. Providing local church volunteer opportunities can allow your members to bond as a family and with other church members while doing meaningful work.
Here are some family-oriented opportunities to choose from:
For some activities, you may need to coordinate with local organizations such as a food bank or homeless shelter. Be clear about time commitments and the minimum age limit of volunteers, so families with kids of varying ages can know if the opportunity is right for them.
Another option is to look for specific volunteer positions that address current needs either within your church or community.
These opportunities may be one-time events or in response to something occurring in your church or community. They also can be liaison positions so your church has someone who local service or community groups (e.g., homeless shelters, food banks, libraries, fire department) can directly contact when they have a need or volunteer opportunity.
Some examples of specific church volunteering positions for key needs include:
Pro Tip: If your congregation is open to helping in cases of natural disaster, talk with local groups like the American Red Cross to see if they’d provide special training or a workshop so those who want to be “on call” for these opportunities feel prepared to help for the type of disasters that may occur in your area.
There are many opportunities for volunteers within the church who want to work with children. These roles can focus on teaching Bible studies, fostering spiritual growth, and helping with core academic studies like reading, writing, and math skills.
Some teaching and childcare opportunities include:
For any volunteers at church positions working with children, prioritizing safety should be your first concern. This means having all volunteers complete background checks and establishing protocols for check-in and check-out so you know each child is returned to the right adult at the end of events.
Ideally, you should also create a space for different age groups, like infants, preschoolers, elementary school aged kids, etc.
Youth ministry is one of the best ways volunteers at church can have a long-term kingdom impact! That’s because volunteers are discipling the next generation, directly investing into future Christian leaders, and teaching them important scriptural truths & doctrines.
There are many opportunities for people of different ages to get involved in youth ministry, including:
Church volunteering in youth ministry can be a rewarding experience that makes a significant impact on younger church members—helping to deepen their faith and create meaningful relationships across generations. It could be helpful to talk with the younger church members to see what types of activities they would enjoy to help increase interest and engagement too!
You’ll also want to provide specialized training for church volunteers, who are taking on a mentoring role to ensure they understand their purpose, limits, how to handle difficult situations and emotions, and have effective communication skills. It’s also a good idea to perform background checks to ensure safety for your youth and staff.
Most importantly, you’ll want to make sure your volunteers are always “prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15). Youth volunteers may need to tackle deep and complicated conversations, as youth are often unafraid to discuss important topics head-on. The truth is that a volunteer’s faith and testimony can be a beacon of hope for youth. Just taking the time to listen and get to know them will be a huge blessing in their life.
In today’s digital world, church production teams are hugely important. Whether it’s tackling sound, technology, audio/video, lighting, worship slides, live streaming, social media, and more, there are so many ways for congregants to get involved and use their giftings. You likely already have people in your congregation who have backgrounds and special knowledge in these areas—especially young people!
A production team helps with special events as well as regular services. They can help with managing your cameras, and even sharing your church videos on social media and your website.
You can create a plethora of volunteer positions that cater to these giftings to help with your church’s technological needs. Depending on the interest in your congregation, you could even create rotating teams so those involved only volunteer once or twice a month.
These volunteer roles can be especially demanding, as it often runs through several Sunday services and may take up the majority of the day. Helping with multiple church services on Sundays is a big commitment!
Finding special ways to make the production team feel valued and appreciated can go a long way, especially when incorporating thoughtful church volunteer appreciation ideas. Be sure to recognize their unique contributions and dedication publicly and privately.
Creating a music/worship team can provide ways for members to share their musical gifts and lead the congregation in meaningful worship. Some churches even plan worship auditions to help create excitement and buzz around joining the worship team on Sunday mornings.
Opportunities to get involved in the worship team can include:
It’s important to keep in mind that different generations often prefer different types or genres of music. Your worship team may want to evaluate how your worship service can appeal to all generations so no group feels excluded.
Many churches solve this problem by offering “contemporary” and “traditional” worship services separately. However, if your church has only one service, having a mix of hymns and choruses, bands, tempos, and acoustic sets on Sunday mornings may be a great solution for your church.
Care support teams are central to the church’s ability to nurture and support its members. Not only do these volunteers know what’s going on with your congregants, they’re often on the frontlines caring for members and visitors during emergencies and crises.
This church volunteer group often provides assistance to those who are experiencing acute or chronic illness, difficult circumstances, life-changing events, dealing with loss, and more. Most of these volunteer opportunities are flexible and can have varying time commitments.
Those volunteering at church can provide help by:
Pro Tip: If you have church volunteers who drive members to appointments, services, or on errands, you’ll want to ensure they’ve completed a background check, application, and have a valid driver’s license. Also, check with your local laws to see if there are other requirements.
Most of all, it’s crucial that the care support team is frequently joined by pastors and church staff so that there’s no disconnect between staff and volunteers. Since the care team often carries a significant emotional burden, it’s also essential to make them feel seen, valued, and emotionally and spiritually supported at all times.
Missions can be a powerful way to combine community service, spiritual growth, and cultural immersion. While many missions are geared toward serving individuals in other countries, you can also create local outreach opportunities as well.
Some examples of global and local mission outreach include:
Whether local or global, volunteering at church through missions provides members with meaningful ways to live out their faith in action. Even short-term mission trip volunteers often return with a deeper understanding of compassion, a strengthened sense of purpose, and lasting impression of Christ’s work globally.
Encouraging both short-term and long-term mission opportunities helps foster a culture of outreach and generosity within the church community that extends beyond your four walls.
Your hospitality team has one of the most important jobs of all—welcoming visitors.
First impressions at church are everything. If a first-time visitor does not have a good experience, it’s likely they’ll never come back.
That’s why the hospitality team is key. Their primary responsibility is to help visitors and existing members feel welcome and connected within the church. These volunteers are the friendly faces that people can turn to when trying to build new connections within the church.
There are a variety of opportunities within this team, including:
Each of these roles can make a huge difference in how people relate to your church!
Small group leaders focus on helping adult members grow their faith and spirituality.
This team can create different types of groups depending on the needs of your church, such as:
By equipping and supporting your small group leaders, you create a powerful environment for connection and spiritual growth. These groups become the heart of community life, helping members build deeper relationships and strengthen their faith—key factors in fostering a vibrant, engaged church family. Investing in small group leadership is an investment in the long-term health and growth of your church.
Volunteering at church isn't limited to public-facing roles—church administration volunteers provide essential behind-the-scenes support that keeps everything running smoothly. These dedicated individuals help staff members manage day-to-day operations and ensure the church office and various ministries function efficiently.
Church administration volunteers can assist by answering and making phone calls, returning emails, handling mail, scheduling appointments, organizing documents, and assisting with event or service registration.
They may also help with maintaining the church’s website or blog, managing databases, inputting attendance or giving records, creating spreadsheets, and producing weekly bulletins or newsletters.
For admin volunteer roles, it is important to:
Volunteering at church in this capacity is a meaningful way to use organizational skills and attention to detail to serve God and the community—making a lasting impact behind the scenes.
Facility volunteers help ensure your church and the grounds are well-maintained, clean, safe, and welcoming.
These can include one-time opportunities, such as updating the church playground, fixing something broken in the church, or painting a room. You also could have ongoing positions where volunteers regularly inspect aspects of the church or grounds or help with seasonal tasks like clearing leaves or snow.
For instance, for seasonal activities, like clearing leaves, maintaining the grounds, or clearing snow, consider getting teens involved to provide a way for them to meaningfully give back.
If it didn’t happen on social media, it didn’t happen. Okay, while we know that isn’t true…it can kind of feel that way!
In a world driven by technology, churches are finding it increasingly important to maintain a strong presence on social media.
Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube are not just tools for outreach—they are vital spaces where communities connect, share, and grow together. To keep up with the demands of consistent and meaningful online engagement, churches need dedicated social media volunteers (or staff) who can help create, curate, and easily manage church content that reflects the heart of the ministry.
Social media volunteers play a crucial role in extending the church’s reach online. Through engaging church graphics, posts, stories, videos, and live streams, they help tell the church’s story, share its message, and invite others to become part of the community.
Whether it's promoting weekly services, highlighting community events, or offering spiritual encouragement, these digital ambassadors help ensure your church remains visible, relevant, and accessible all year long.
Encouraging your congregation to volunteer helps them give back to the church and community, build friendships, and strengthen their faith. It’s also a great way to attract new members who share your church’s values. And by opening more avenues to volunteer, people are free to use their spiritual gifts in the ways God has equipped and called them to serve.
Most importantly, committing to serving the Church reminds volunteers that it’s not about them—it’s about God’s kingdom. While it may be tempting to motivate a congregation to volunteer out of a sense of obligation, there’s a better way.
Volunteering at the local church is really about one thing—serving Christ. Encouraging congregants to serve not out of obligation, but out of love for the Church, Jesus’s Bride, makes all the difference. May we all be so wholeheartedly committed to serving the Church in all seasons of life.
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