Volunteering at Good Shepherd
It is our hope & encouragement that every member & regular attender is volunteering in at least one area of service. You don’t have to do the same thing each week–serving on 3 or 4 teams would lighten the load for others, while each individual only need do one (different) task each Sunday.
Sunday School
Calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matt 18:2-3
Children are a vital part of Good Shepherd. Their humility, trust, and wonder, teach the rest of us how to be children of God. Our Sunday School class is full of Bible stories, songs, and activities. Most of all, the children learn about Jesus, the saviour of the world.
Currently we have one dedicated teacher serving children ages 5-11 Sunday mornings during the Worship Service. We are looking for volunteers to be helpers, or assistants, in the Sunday School. No teaching experience is required, however completion of Vulnerable Sector screening is required. Our goal would be to have a rotating team of volunteers so that each would serve one Sunday per month.
Please speak to the Rector if you are interested in serving our children.
Sunday Fellowship (Coffee Hour)
Currently happening once per month, we would love to have Fellowship after Worship Service every Sunday. To make that happen, we need volunteers to join our Fellowship Team!.
There is a joy, comfort, and welcome that the coffee, tea, juice and baked goods bring to both adults and children during fellowship after worship services. The ways to serve include bringing food, setting up the food and drinks before each service, and/or cleaning up afterward. Our goal would be to have a Fellowship Team with enough members that each team would serve one Sunday every 3—4 weeks.
Please speak with Bev Miles if you are interested in helping with fellowship.
Prayer Ministry
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Colossians 4:2 (NIV)
Prayer, the spiritual practice of conversing with God, involves both speaking to God and listening for His response. Prayer is vital to everything we do as a church, and our desire is to make dependence on God through prayer foundational to our church.
The Prayer Ministry has several aspects, and we welcome your participation in any of the prayer initiatives.
Prayer Chain is made up of active church members and regular attenders who receive requests by email. When you make a request of the Prayer Chain, each member of the chain prays for that request. Requests for the prayer chain are for those who attend Church of the Good Shepherd, members of their families, and for people closely connected to us.
Worship Prayer Team: This team has been on hiatus due to the pandemic. It is our hope to start up this prayer service again.
Two people from the Worship Prayer Team are available during Eucharist, and immediately following the service, to pray with anyone for healing, thanksgiving, intercession for another, or anything that is on their heart that they would like to lift to the Lord in the presence of another. All prayers are held in confidence. All members of the Sunday prayer team receive training.
CONFIDENTIALITY
The prayer team recognizes the fact that God works in our lives in many ways, both privately, deeply within us, and corporately, as we are ‘members one of another’. An individual requesting prayer may ask for privacy, and that request will be respected. At the same time, we affirm our bond as a community in Christ, in which the natural out-flowing of our prayers is a reaching out to one another in loving concern and follow up.
Add information regarding:
- Prayers of the People
- Friday Prayer Group that meets in person—get description from Marion.
If you would like to know more, contact Marion Crook.
Audio Visual
We now livestream our worship services every Sunday, along with projecting the Order of Service onto a screen. If you’d like to be part of a rotating team of tech-minded individuals running either the projection or livestream equipment, contact Ian Davison.
Greeters/Ushers
Greeters arrive early to welcome the congregation, create an orderly environment, assist during Communion, and keep the sanctuary tidy. Currently, one greeter from our team of four is present at every service; each one serves as often as they are able, maybe once or twice a month.
The purpose of the Greeters Ministry is to ensure that everyone who enters our doors is greeted with a spirit-filled welcome, a warm smile, and see and feel the love of Jesus Christ. Because greeters are His “doorkeepers” and the “first impression” of Good Shepherd, they have a wonderful opportunity and an awesome responsibility to touch every heart and to set the tone for worship. The Greeter’s Ministry is a face-to-face, hand-to-hand, and heart-to-heart ministry. Greeters serve for 10 minutes before each Sunday worship and whenever required at other church events. To join the Greeters Ministry, contact:
Readers
The Reader’s Ministry is a wonderful way to be involved in the worship service and participate in what the Spirit can do when God’s Word is read publicly. We believe that God’s Word does not come back empty but goes out to achieve His purposes (Isaiah 55:11), so it is a joy and a privilege to be part of that work. Team members are scheduled to read approximately every 4–6 weeks, with additional volunteer opportunities available for those who wish to read more frequently. Speak with the Rector to get involved.
Altar Guild
Altar Guild has the joy, privilege, and responsibility of caring for the sanctuary and the vessels used in worship. Specifically, they assist the clergy by preparing the altar prior to the worship service, e.g., Morning Prayer, the Holy Eucharist. Team members are paired up and asked to serve on a regular basis. Though much of what we do is behind the scenes, our labor of love is to the glory of God and to the benefit of His people. New members are most welcome! Contact Vicky Kerr if you would like further information or would like to join the Altar Guild ministry.
Offertory Counters
A team of dedicated members record the offerings and prepare the bank deposit following each Worship Service. This is a highly confidential ministry, and we welcome more volunteers so that each team member could serve once per month. Please speak to either Ian Davison or Zandra Pennylegion to learn more about this volunteer opportunity.