"... just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve ..."
Matthew 20:28
Servant volunteers are the heart of ministry just as serving was the heart of Jesus's ministry. There are many ways to step into serving at FUMC Saline. Whether you want to serve during worship on Sundays or volunteer your time during the week, you will be making an impact. Serving is a great way to get connected with others and make a difference. It's also a great way to make FUMC Saline feel like your church. Thank you for serving!
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
OFFICE STAFF ASSISTANCE
Volunteers help with special projects or answering phones while staff are in meetings. People who can help regularly are welcome as well as those who can only volunteer on an occasional basis. Tasks might include folding bulletins or preparing mass congregational mailings.
WORSHIP MINISTRY
Worship services present several opportunities that can be rotated among volunteers from week to week. These include greeters, worship readers, and ushers. Communion servers are needed the first Sunday of every month at the 9 am and 11 am services. If a weekday time slot works better for you, consider helping to keep our sanctuary organized and the seatbacks filled with prayer cards, offering envelopes and pencils.
Music connects us to God in unique ways and fulfills God's command to "make a joyful noise unto the Lord....". (Psalm 98:4) It adds energy and vibrance to our worship. We invite you to share your musical gifts! Instrumentalists, singers, and handbell ringers are needed in both our traditional worship and our praise services.
Hospitality covers a wide range of activites. It includes greeting worshIpers as they enter the church, hosting our Sunday Coffee Connection, manning the Welcome Center, and assisting with funeral luncheons or other church events. Most importantly, though, showing hospitality is offering a warm smile and friendly welcome to our guests and members.
If you enjoy welcoming and helping others, this may be the right spot for you. Knowing all the answers is not required. It is more about offering a warm smile and sense of welcome to those who walk through our doors and helping them find answers to their questions. Welcome Team members are needed during both services.
Congregational Care exists to take care of one another's needs. We do this though person-to-person support such as organizing home or hospital visits, calling on the phone, or sending a card of encouragement. It could also be participating in phone or email prayer chains. Our Shawl Ministry and Prayers and Squares teams combine compassion with their creative skill in a prayerful ministry that reaches out to those in need of comfort as well as in times of celebration and joy. Other volunteers help prepare and set up monthly luncheons for our J.O.Y (just older youth) group.
Volunteers who are interested in this program are given fifty hours of basic training as well as ongoing continuing education every month. The initial training is 2.5 hours per week at the church with a group of other volunteers. It provides the skills you need to be an effective Stephen Minister. Once you are commissioned the program would require approximately eight hours a month of your time and efforts. The training is free, and the program pays for your training materials. You volunteer your time and the program takes care of the rest.
Trained volunteers are assigned to someone who has requested to meet with a Stephen Minister. You will meet with them once a week as they work through situations in their lives.
Ongoing support is provided to the Stephen Ministry team through monthly peer group meetings. You will not be expected to volunteer without support from the rest of the team.
Persons with handyman skills such as carpentry, electrical work, plumbing, painting or other light maintenance are particularly needed to support our facility. You do not need a professional trade background!
Our church grounds create a beautiful and inviting first impression to our community. Adopt a landscape bed to care for or spend some time pulling weeds. Watch for our annual spring clean up. Many hands make light work! It is a volunteer opportunity for the whole family.
We are in need of someone to lead this important ministry as well as adult class facilitators. You don't have to be perfect to lead a group. And you don't have to be a Bible scholar to be used by God to lead others. Prayerfully take a step and see how God can use you to create a place for people to connect and grow.
Children are one of God's greatest blessings, and it is important to help them grow in faith. Being a volunteer teacher, assistant, chaperone or helper for special events, or providing meals or supplies can be a rewarding experience both for the volunteer and the children. Our active Children's Ministry can always use help, and welcomes all levels of committment.
A dynamic Student Ministry requires a team effort that brings together a variety of spiritual gifts and talents. The programs offer a variety of growth opportunities for both the student’s and volunteer’s faith journey. In addition to small group leaders, we need game leaders, Sunday morning teachers, and open gym supervisors. Other volunteers are needed to assist with dinners, events, and be retreat chaperones. If you have a passion for working with youth, we look forward to hearing from you.
Our church library is self service, but it does not run itself. We need a volunteer to record books checked out and check them back in when they are returned. A short training session on our library software will be arranged. A few hours a month, scheduled at your convenience, should be suffcient to keep the libary in order. Library experience is helpful but not necessary.
The committees below are an important part of the church, and they are a great way to be involved in the life of the church. To volunteer for any of these committees, please contact the church office at 734-429-4730. Thank you for serving!
Church Council: This group manages and administers the ongoing life of the church, focusing on planning, implementing, and evaluating the mission and ministry of the church. Members include the chairs of the committees below and some additional volunteers.
Staff Parish Relations Committee (SPRC): This team serves as the Human Resources department of the church. Skills needed: compassion, ability to listen, and management experience is helpful.
Trustees: This committee supervises the maintenance and use of all facilities and equipment owned by the church. They also set policies and plan for future maintenance.
Planned Recognition and Giving: This team manages the memorials and endowments donations made to the church, and manages the investments for several scholarship funds. They also use scholarship funds to provide scholarships to college students and students pursuing ministry degrees.
Stewardship and Finance Committee Member: This group helps the church manage its money. Skills needed: a fiscally wise person to be a part of this essential ministry.
Audit Team Convener and Members: This group meets in March and follows a prescribed program to review how we are handling our money and our meetings. It is a short-term commitment that really helps the church. Help us make sure that we are doing everything well!.
Lay Member to Annual Conference: Are you wanting to become a Metho-nerd and be a part of the Michigan Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church? Plan on going with our team to Traverse City at the end of May to be a part of our annual gathering. Travel expenses are not included.
Underground Small Group Leader: Two Sunday nights a month, join the student ministry for games and worship. Lead a brief discussion with 6-8 middle or high school students using a scripted curriculum on the topic of the day. You do not need to be a Biblical expert - you just need to have a willing heart!
Sunday School Substitutes: As needed, assist the lead teacher in an elementary classroom in Bible activities and discussion to help build a foundation of faith for our children.
Little Town Volunteers: Set up, supervise, and clean up our Little Town play space one morning a month. Enjoy the young children and their families who come to play!
