The alarm clock buzzes. You smack it off and consider sleeping in a few more minutes. If you do, you’ll be late to meet your friend for jogging. You’ll still need to shower, eat breakfast, get the kids ready for the day, and leave for work to be on time.

At work, you remember that you agreed to pick up a friend’s son for soccer practice and you still have to make dinner. Maybe it’s a good night for Little Caesar’s? You get the Tuesday email from Lighthouse Community recapping Sunday’s sermon. You remember it being pretty good so you click to look over the notes and download the podcast.

As you scroll down, you see an image: a preschool kid and an adult, smiling together in the kid’s area at church. In large letters, the image reads, “Make a Difference – Volunteer Today!” Yeah… one more thing to do. Get in line.

“Who has the time to volunteer in ministry? I don’t have any extra time to give.” We have found that those who volunteer don’t necessarily have the time; they just have the heart. Research and experience shows us that volunteering in ministry is valuable, fun, and grows us into the character of Christ.

 

Recent studies reveal remarkable benefits tied to volunteering. Serving others affects your physical health. Volunteers experience decreased high blood pressure development and older volunteers in the US experience 44% lower mortality rate compared to those who do not volunteer.

Serving in ministry improves your mental health. Volunteering combats depression, stress, anger, and anxiety. 96% of people who volunteer have reported that their sense of purpose in life has deepened. Over two-thirds of people said volunteering improved their relationships at work and at home.

Serving in ministry has numerous advantages for your personal life.

It’s common for people who serve at Lighthouse Community to laugh together and build meaningful friendships that extend well beyond ministry time. Volunteering connects you to others who are a part of the church family. This is especially valuable to people who are new to Hancock County or are seeking to build a new network of friends.

Many Sundays, you will even find entire families serving together. They may help create warm environments through greeting, provide coffee and snacks before and after worship services, or serve together in Lighthouse Kids.

Serving in ministry is real treat!

This is the most critical reason for serving in ministry. Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45 | NLT).

When you volunteer in ministry, you are serving others in a similar way that Jesus served you. Jesus gave his very life so that you could receive forgiveness of your sins and enjoy a healthy relationship with God. Volunteering is giving a portion of your life (your time) to help others discover the good news of Jesus Christ.

Each time you serve, you grow a little more into the character of Jesus Christ.

It’s normal for believers to try out serving in ministry. Your next step could simply be to click on this link and sign up to volunteer on a ministry team. You can try it just one time. You can try it two times. You can join a team if it’s the right fit.

There’s no guilt or obligation and you can take a break anytime you like. Click on this link to sign up right now.

Winston Churchill, the prime ministry of England during World War II said, “You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.” Make your life matter. Try volunteering today!