James 1:25 "But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in
it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”

The Myth of Just a Job

Volunteering can be a burden sometimes. After a long week of work/school/kids/other hectic things, sometimes the last thing that we want to do is more work! We can be tempted to think “I just want to come and enjoy church and ‘take in’ this week” or “Sunday is a day of rest, so I should just take it easy”. While we do need to take time to rest and relax (even Jesus had times like this), we also need
to remember that volunteering in ministry is not work – rather, it is contributing to the ministry itself. Yes, even cutting carrot sticks or cleaning the toilets are acts of ministry. They are tasks that need doing, but if in even some small way, whether tangible or abstract, if they contribute to bringing someone closer to Jesus, then you are part of the ministry.

It is something that we need to change our way of seeing. Instead of seeing our tasks as jobs that need doing, perhaps we can ask ourselves the question “How will what I need to do today contribute to the ministry?” Even those of us who might be employed by the ministry might be tempted to see what we do in the light of just jobs and tasks, but the reality is, every person that encounters the presence of God through our ministry, every child that comes to know Jesus because of the education, every person encouraged through an outreach of the Church is because of what WE as a team have contributed! Both employees and volunteers. It’s easy to lose sight of that in the mundane.

Lessons from the Kitchen

Brother Lawrence, a monk in the 1600s, wrote a small book called The Practice of the Presence of God (available here). In this book, he talks about he was able to practice spending time in the Presence of God while working in the monastery… Not just while in services, or transcribing Scripture, but also while washing the pots and pans or cleaning out the stables! It’s a complete mind shift… When we realize that Accelerate is not a ‘Bless Me’ club, but a ministry that is trying to ‘Equip people to honour God’, then we can start to frame everything that we do within that.

Which is all very well and good to say, but how do we see ‘equipping’ happening while we are volunteering? Here are a few examples.

• Catering/Coffee – Hebrews 10:24-25 reads “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” We can preach ‘love and good deeds’ from the stage, but that is not enough. It is actually the job of fellow believers to encourage one another, and to spur people on (not in a judgmental way) to keep serving the Kingdom! And when we create a warm, family space for fellowship after church, this can happen – it’s not just about socializing! Obviously, it’s not the only space to do so, but many times in the New Testament, they fellowshipped over food (and would have over coffee, but it hadn’t been discovered yet). Equipping happens when we encourage one another to KEEP loving and KEEP doing good works – your encouragement might give someone the courage or push that they so desperately need to honour God in the coming week.
• Bush Schools – This is not a Sunday morning thing, but there are volunteers who come in during the week to sort workbooks and laminate flash cards etc. This is literally putting the Gospel in the hands of teachers and students in remote areas of the world. The best way to help someone honour God is the start at the beginning – help them start a relationship with Jesus (salvation).
  
• Kids Church – Being that Accelerate is big on education, Kids Church (yes, I know, you have to be a special kind of called to lead Kids Church) is also about getting the Gospel and the Bible into young minds EARLY. As Ps. Lou has been sharing, it’s better to not let people get lost, than try to bring in lost later once they are lost! Even in the sometimes chaos, equipping is happening, whether you are leading the group, or scrubbing crayon out of the carpets.

Instead of asking “What will I get from church today?”, maybe ask yourself, “What can I contribute to the Kingdom today?”. “How can I help to equip people to honour God, through my service today?”

This doesn’t just apply to Accelerate by the way, it can apply anywhere – as Christians, even our secular workplaces are mission fields!

Practical "Next Steps"

We don't want you to serve instead of worshipping, but view service as an act of worship. If you find yourself becoming resentful, let’s talk about finding the right rhythm or the right role that fits your spiritual gifts. Sometimes, it might be hard to figure out what you can do. Or sometimes, you might not even know you can contribute in an area until you give it a go! Obviously with some, like music team or tech, some base knowledge or skills are required, but some questions you could ask yourself are:

• Are you a Task-Master? (Facilities, setup, cooking/catering/coffee)
• Are you a People-Person? (Welcoming, kids ministry, prayer)
• Are you a Tech-Whiz? (Sound, slides, social media, livestream, cameras)
• Are you a Musician? (Music Team)
  

There is a more comprehensive list on our Volunteer Registration form here
https://accelerate.elvanto.com.au/form/ff617251-6187-4e80-80c5-8385815eb265

You are also not limited to one area! If there are multiple areas that you would like to partner it, go for it!

Partners, not employees

We opened with James 1:25, so what does it means to be "blessed" in what they do?

The "blessing" isn't necessarily a reward for the work, but a transformation that happens through the work. We become more like Jesus when we serve, because Jesus Himself  "came not to be served, but to serve."

We’re not looking for slaves. We’re looking for partners, fellow ministers. And when we see what Accelerate’s impact is, both here in Australia and abroad, we are encouraged with what God does through us, but also challenged that we could be doing so much more!

So to our past, current, and future volunteers, THANK YOU! Together, we are changing the world for Christ!