VOLUNTEERS: There is absolutely no way that a local church could function without volunteers. Volunteers are everywhere in the life of the church (Pre-school Ministries, Children’s Ministries, Student Ministries, Adult Ministries, Kitchen Staff, Greeters, Ushers, Deacons, Trustees, Bible Fellowship leadership, Musicians, Choir, Soloist, Praise Teams, Media, Office Staff, Hostess, Ministry Teams, Recreation, Missions, Men’s & Women’s Ministry, Building and Grounds, Construction, Special Projects, Transportation, and many other areas.) Needless to say, we would be a very ineffective, small, boring, chaotic church without volunteers.

In writing to the church at Corinth about the believer using his spiritual gift(s), the Apostle Paul states: Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant… (1Cor. 12:1a) Then he moves on to inform them, and us, of the things that he did not want them to be “ignorant.”

The Maxwell Leadership Bible gives 10 great insights into the believer and the local church (he refers to as “team”) and their gift(s):

1) The team possesses a variety of gifts or positions, but pursues the same goal and God (v. 4-6).
2) Everyone has a contribution to make which benefits the team (v. 7).
3) God is the source of each gift, so He deserves the glory (v. 8-10).
4) God chooses who has what gifts, so we must not compete or compare (v. 11).
5) Team members are to function like the organs and muscles in a body (v. 12-4).
6) No team member is less important than another; all are necessary (v. 15-21).
7) Sometimes, the players who seem less important are actually more important (v. 22-24).
8) God’s goal is team harmony and mutual care (v. 25-26).
9) Although members are equally important, they are meant to be diverse (v. 27, 28).
10) We should not compete with each other, but complete each other (v. 29-31).
(John C. Maxwell, The Maxwell Leadership Bible (Nelson), pg. 1403)

These 10 insights ought to challenge each of us to seek to know the gift(s) that God has given to us and seek to find a place to use our gift(s) in ministering, complimenting and completing the mission of the body of Hillcrest for the glory of God.

Should you be one who has yet to find a place of service and would desire to serve there are many needs (Greeters—parking lots, doors, information center and parlor; our recent construction on the West side of the campus; office staff; and many other areas).

To the few hundred of you that are already volunteering and using your gift(s), I would like to say thank you. We could never be what we are without you being in your place(s) of service. To those of you that have yet to use the gift(s) that God has given you, I would like to say that we need you and we will never be all that we can be without you.