Table of Contents

I. Serve Team Basics
     A. Introduction Letter
     B. GLC Values
     C. Volunteer Expectations
     D. Name Badges

II. Planning Center
     A. Setting up your account
     B. Mobile app use
     C. Desktop website use

III. Serve Teams
     A. Hospitality
     B. Kidlife
     C. Praise Team
     D. Media
     E. Set-up/Tear-down

Introduction Letter

When we think of "volunteer," we almost always think of a great cause.  Maybe it's a temporary situation, where a natural disaster devastates a population, and they need immediate hands on help for a few weeks.  Maybe it's a need that seems like it will always exist, like world hunger or caring for orphans.  But volunteer in the context of the Church has the greatest cause- the spread of the gospel to a lost world.

It's important to recognize a few things about your role as a volunteer at Grace Life Church.  First, your value is found primarily in Christ.  Jesus lived a perfect life during which He showed us how to serve, and because of His death and resurrection, we can serve empowered by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5).  Second, we desire to see you grow closer to God, which is why we provide service opportunities in the first place.  Serving causes the eyes of your heart to open in ways you may have never considered.  It is the training grounds where God teaches us true humility and love (Romans 12).  Third, you are loved not because of your service, but because you are an integral part of the body of Christ.  We have all been given different gifts but we are all connected as we serve the same God (1 Corinthians 12).  We encourage you to serve with a willing heart, and to talk to us if you are struggling.

As you step into the role God has designed for you, know that I am praying that He will continue to show you the extent of His love as He transforms you into the image of Christ.  My hope is that you will find peace and satisfaction in new ways as you find your place in serving God with the people of Grace Life Church.

In Him,

Ben Beck

(Three basics)

Our volunteers recognize the need to connect because of the gospel through Sunday morning services, LifeGroups, and other events in our community.

Our volunteers desire to grow in the gospel as they personally study the Bible as well as engage in discipleship groups.

Our volunteers take on God's mission to influence with the gospel in everyday life as they share Jesus with family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers.

Grace Life Church Values

Teach God’s Word Passionately

John 17:17, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:21

We value God’s Word as the ultimate authority in our lives.  We believe that the Bible was divinely inspired, and we frame everything we do against the standards and commands as set out in the Bible.

Gather Together Frequently

Hebrews 10:24-25, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Acts 2:42-47

We value time spent with other believers as a source of mutual encouragement.  We believe God’s call to strengthen one another as we do life together, speaking Gospel hope into each others’ lives and sharing our burdens with one another.

Serve Others Selflessly

Galatians 5:13, John 12:26, Romans 12:9-13

We value the sharing of our gifts with both one another and with our community.  We believe we are each uniquely designed by God and personally have something to contribute to the church and community.

Give Cheerfully and Generously

Luke 6:38, 2 Corinthians 9:7-11, Deuteronomy 15:10

We value the opportunity to offer a portion of our finances to God.  We believe that God has provided everything for us for daily living and our loving response is to give back.

Pursue Jesus Daily 

Hebrews 12:1, Romans 12:1, Psalm 63:1

We value a close personal relationship with Jesus that encompasses all areas of life.  We believe that our drive toward personal holiness is found in Jesus’ example.

Share the Gospel Daily

Romans 10:17, Isaiah 6:8, Matthew 5:15-16

We value the mission God has given us to tell others about Jesus.  We believe we are called to speak the Gospel into the lives of our families, neighborhoods, and places of work.

Spread the Gospel Globally

Psalm 105:1, Matthew 28:18-19, Acts 13:47

We value the effort of bringing the good news of God’s salvation to all nations.  We support missionaries in their global efforts as they plant churches in places we may never see.

(*I don't think this is the most recent version)

Volunteer Expectations

All volunteers at Grace Life Church are expected:

- To exemplify Jesus in every deed, thought, and word; saturating your life with the Gospel of Jesus. (Colossians 3:17)
     The temptation to live a "churchy" life on Sundays when the rest of your week is empty is common.  We will never be able to live perfect lives as we struggle with our sin nature, but we can combat our sin nature by replacing those things that distract us with the truth of the gospel.  What we watch, where we go, how we speak. . . people are always paying attention.  We desire to come alongside our volunteers to help them exemplify Jesus in their daily life, not just on Sunday mornings.

- To help people live a Jesus-centered life by pointing them to Jesus. (Titus 2:11-12)
     As we learn more about Christ, we will find that we want to help others also discover the realness of Jesus.  We do this explicitly as the goal of our Serve Teams, but we also implicitly are doing this as we encourage one another while rubbing shoulders as we work together.  The good works that God has prepared for us is designed to take the place of those worldly pursuits and bring us closer to God, but the ultimate goal of that service is to show God's love to the world.

- To engage fully in the Discipleship Pathway (2 Timothy 2:2)
     Whether we recognize it or not, we are a disciple of something.  As a disciple of Jesus, we identify three pieces- connecting because of the gospel, growing in the gospel, and influencing because of the gospel- as a collective balance through which we mature in Christ. Serve Teams may have a bent toward one area or the other, but they are also only a part of what Grace Life is about.  Lifegroups, D-groups, Bible studies, family dinners. . . all of these are just as important as serving.

Planning Center Account

Once you have signed up for a serve team, your team leader will enter your information into Planning Center, which is the service we use to coordinate our volunteers.  You will receive an e-mail from Planning Center asking you to set-up an account.  Once you have done so, your team leader can begin scheduling you.  The video below will give you a specific glimpse at what this looks like.

Planning Center Mobile App

The mobile app is a convenient way to use Planning Center on the go.  The video below will show you how to sign-in to accept, and decline requests made in Planning Center.




The mobile app also allows you to set-up blockout dates as follows.

Planning Center Website Use (Desktop)

You can use the Planning Center website to accept and decline requests, either directly or through e-mail.  The following video explains in more detail.
 



You can also blockout dates in Planning Center to let us know when you will not be available, as follows.

Hospitality

The Hospitality ministries are as follows:

• Parking lot attendants
• Coffee Bar
• Next Step table
• Greeters
• Ushers for offering
• Ushers for seats
• KidLIFE Check in

Parking Lot Attendants

• Direct vehicles to designated guest parking. 
• Greet people as they approach building, giving directions as needed.
• Use umbrellas to help people from cars to building during rain showers.
• Help people find parking spaces.

Coffee Bar

• Prepare coffee table for Sunday mornings.
• Keep coffee bar stocked with coffee, sugar, creamer, etc. during Sunday morning services.
• Keep coffee area clean during services.
• Let Matt know when items need to be stocked and purchased.

Next Steps Table

• Provide answers to people seeking the next direction they should take (membership, baptism, life groups, etc).
• Provide directions and answers to guests
• Essentially a concierge.

Guest Relations Table

• Hand out guest bags to new families
• Provide directions and answers for guests
• Essentially a concierge

Greeters and Ushers

• Hand out programs
• Help people find seats
• Help collect offering (then give to Jason Hicks)
• Direct people and help them in any way you can.

Kid Life Check-in

• Check-in every child before they head to class
• Register new children and answer any questions that parents may have.
• Help new parents take their kids to their classroom.
• Help answer questions about KidLife

Things to remember:

1. You may be the first person someone meets at GLC. Smile and help in anyway you can. Your response and attitude towards them could be their deciding factor if they come back a second time.
2. Your job is not meaningless. You are helping people get comfortable in an uncomfortable situation.
3. You may be the person that attracts the guest to our church, which essentially could lead to their salvation.
4. Our goal is to make everyone fill welcomed by humbly serving the people in our community. Serving is never to be done to gain acknowledgement, but to do what needs to be done for the sake of the Gospel.
5. We are one body needing every member to be committed to their role within GLC. (1 Corinthians 12)

Expectations:

1. Arrive to church by 9:30am
2. Stay at your post until 10 minutes after the service starts.
3. If you are scheduled for the front door or the auditorium entrance, please remain there until the preaching begins.
4. Always wear your nametag! This helps new families find someone who can help them.
5. Don’t get caught up in chatting with friends. Always be ready to greet a new face, introducing yourself to them, and helping them in any way.
6. Confirm your availability on Planning Center. If you are not connected, please let Pastor Matt know. 

(**change mission to be closer to our new mission? Also, put a mission statement out for each team, or change mission here to an introductory paragraph?)

Kidlife

To serve in KidLife, we require a completed KidLife Application and Background check. Please thoroughly read the entire KidLife Volunteer Policy and sign and complete the KidLife Application. Please give your completed application to Julie MacNaughton or Becky Lynn. 

Once your application has been received and processed, you will be added to Planning Center (our scheduling software). You will receive an e-mail from Planning Center/Checker to complete a background check as well as to set-up your Planning Center account. You can access Planning Center via desktop or download their app.

Planning Center will allow you to see when you are scheduled to serve and will also allow you to block-out days you know you will be unavailable. When you are scheduled to serve, you will be notified via Planning Center. We ask that you respond to the request as soon as you can so we can ensure we have enough workers scheduled.

If you have any questions regarding the Volunteer Policy, Application process or Planning Center, please reach out to Julie MacNaughton.

We are excited to have you serving on our team!

(*redo this into other format?  Or take away format from other team pages?)

Praise Team

Whether you are lending your voice or playing an instrument, being a member of the Praise Team inherently makes you a part of a visible ministry of the church.  Because of this, it is vital that we connect as a team as we learn and rehearse the music each week.  The following guidelines are in place to help us be faithful in this ministry.

1. Be ready to practice by 8:40am on Sunday Mornings.

Arrive at 8:30 to get things ready and help with last minute setup. Being ready for practice at 8:40 means your music is on your stand, you’re plugged in, and possibly even sound checked. 

Practice should be over by 9:20. This time allows us to do sound check, run through Sunday’s songs, learn a new song, and pray.  This also allows for you to do what you need to do in another serving position (KidLife, Hospitality).

2. Be prepared for Sunday

Knowing the songs we are singing will help you be able to communicate the truths contained within the lyrics. If you need additional help learning the songs, contact Ben or Courtney. 

3. Make practices efficient.

As much as possible, save non-praise team related conversations for before practice or after practice.

4. Make much of Jesus and less of everything else

Ultimately we are striving to be "lead worshippers" through music, and we achieve this primarily by keeping God as the object of our affection and attention not only on Sunday mornings but also throughout the week.

Things to remember:

1. You may be the first person someone meets at GLC. Smile and help in anyway you can. Your response and attitude towards them could be their deciding factor if they come back a second time.
2. We never want to be a distraction as we are on stage: be wary of extraneous talk, style of clothing, being fully prepared, etc.
3. Our goal is to make everyone feel welcomed by humbly serving the people in our community. Serving is never to be done to gain acknowledgement, but to do what needs to be done for the sake of the Gospel.
4. We are one body needing every member to be committed to their role within GLC. (1 Corinthians 12).
5. We must be worshipping throughout the week if we are to be effective on Sunday mornings; please never be afraid to call out and say “my heart is not in the right place today.”  I would rather have few lead well than many on stage out of obligation.

Media

The media team serves an important function in helping the Sunday morning service run smoothly.  Without you, we won't be heard, people will have to guess at the lyrics, and the message will be much harder to follow!

     1. Be ready to practice by 8:40am on Sunday Mornings.

Arrive at 8:30 to get things ready and help with last minute setup. This is the time for the sound engineer to work the board and for the computer tech to look through ProPresenter and make sure everything is functional for the morning.

Practice should be over by 9:20. This time allows us to do sound check, run through Sunday’s songs, learn a new song, and pray.

     2. Be prepared for Sunday

Although the media team is not “out in public” like the Praise Team, we still must be careful to guard our hearts through the week and come Sunday mornings ready to fight away any distractions that will keep us from doing our job.

     3. Please help tear down Sundays after church.


On Sundays you are assigned to the sound board or computer, please stick around to help us get the media equipment put away.

     4. Make much of Jesus and less of everything else

We achieve this primarily by keeping God as the object of our affection and attention not only on Sunday mornings but also throughout the week.
The 
Things to remember:

-You may be the first person someone meets at GLC. Smile and help in anyway you can. Your response and attitude towards them could be their deciding factor if they come back a second time.

-Our goal is to make everyone feel welcomed by humbly serving the people in our community. Serving is never to be done to gain acknowledgement, but to do what needs to be done for the sake of the Gospel.

-We are one body needing every member to be committed to their role within GLC. (1 Corinthians 12).

-In the rare event that something goes wrong, remain calm.  Grace Life is pretty easy going :)

Set-up/Tear-down

Set-up

Tear-down

Name Badges