Volunteers: Discerning Your Ministry
I’ve been a volunteer Sunday school teacher on an off for the past 30 years–ever since I was a teenager. It wasn’t until last year that, when I offered to contribute to a program, did the staff person ask,What at your gifts and where would you like to offer them? The question was refreshing–a reminder of the water poured over me at baptism. It was a reminder that at that baptism, God gave me specific gifts for ministry. Her question reframed how I think of volunteering in the church: When considering volunteering start with discerning my gifts Now, I had done exercises in discerning gifts–there are some wonderful resources that I’ll mention below. But no one had approached forming a team by looking at gifts first. Usually, the starting place is what jobs are yet to be filled: “We need another 2nd grade teacher,We don’t have anyone for altar guild in May, “Could you organize the coffee hour” and a general,Could you help? (Note: I once tried coffee hour and realized that’s not my gift. Other people in my church absolutely love it.) I’m not suggesting that asking people to fill a need doesn’t match people’s gifts with the needs of the Church. What I’m suggesting is that reframing the question with gifts starts the process by looking for the abundance of gifts God has given every community, instead of identifying the scarcity of people. So, how do we begin with gifts? Paul’s wrote to the Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians and Romans about gifts (see 1 Cor. 12:4-11; Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11-14; Galatians 5:22-23. What can we learn from Paul? (1) There are a variety of gifts and each of us has been given a particular gift. (2) No one has all the gifts needed. (3) God has given every community and abundance of gifts necessary for it to fulfill the ministry to which it is called. (4) Using one’s gifts will not only fulfill the ministry of the Church but will bear fruit–joy, generosity, patience, and faithfulness among others. What uplifting promises! God has given me a gift of my own. I don’t have to do it all. We have what we need. And using my gifts is filled with joy. With such promises how can we not succeed in designing a program for the church? So, how can you prepare as a volunteer to offer your gifts and respond to requests? Preferably gather others who are interested in discerning gifts and engage in exercises of gifts discernment. We discern gifts in community because others might see gifts, we do not and others might pose questions that will help clarify your thinking. I recommend not using a gifts inventory. Your gifts may be quite different than what the list suggests. Try a more open-ended approach through prayer and listening. Discerning Your Spiritual Gifts (pp. 55-640 by Lloyd Edwards has a number of exercises that you can complete in a few hours. If you have more time, use the more comprehensive Hearing with the Heart by Debra Farrington and the accompanying meditations, Learning to Hear with the Heart. (These exercises take about 6 weeks.) Another approach is to ask these three basic questions identified by Boston College Professor Fr. Michael Himes: 1. Will this bring me joy? 2. Does this use my talents to their fullest? 3. Is this genuine service to my community? I’d add to this list,Do I have the time? Take on only those ministries that you can wrap in prayer. Ministry is not always easy. It takes preparation and ongoing prayer. Jenifer Gamber is a member of the Board of Directors of Forma and author of My Faith, My Life: A Teen’s Guide to the Episcopal Church; Your Faith Your Life: An Invitation to the Episcopal Church, and Call on Me: A Prayerbook for Young People. She writes occasional prayers on the Facebook page “Episcopal Prayer.” She worships and teaches Sunday school at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, PA.