Coach's Corner

Why Volunteering is Important

vol⋅un⋅teer⋅ism : the policy or practice of volunteering one's time or talents for charitable, educational, or other worthwhile activities, esp. in one's community.

What a marvel San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge is! Just consider one aspect of this engineering marvel: the cables. At the south end of the bridge, a cross section of one of the two main cables is open to public view. When you look at it, you think "Wow, that's one massive cable!"

The diameter is slightly more than thirty-six inches. The length is 7,650 feet. But it gets even more interesting. There are 27,572 wires in each of those cables, with a total length that could stretch for 80,000 miles (more than three trips around the earth).

A cable like this reminds me of the power of volunteer teams. If we gather individuals together in groups of diverse sizes, allow them to wrap together and form a bond in the unity of the Spirit, they work like the individual wires of the strands that make up a large cable. They move as one; they have the strength of many. The weight of the main cables in the Golden Gate Bridge totals 24,500 tons, which means the bridge carries the suspension weight of 49 million pounds—all hanging by two mega-cables. The reason the bridge can stand, and can carry the weight of multitudes of vehicles is because, although they are each separate wires, they work and come together to form two mega-cables.

A volunteer team works much the same way. On an average Sunday around King Street Church there are over 50 volunteers that serve, whether on a weekly basis or on a rotation basis. From greeters to ushers, singers to musicians, sound technicians to information booth attendants, student ministry volunteers to caregivers in the nursery, many hands and bodies are needed to make King Street a safe place to grow. Without one or two of those volunteers each week, our success as a church community begins to slip. Each person, serving in their unique giftings and abilities is needed to create a cable which will help to serve as a bridge to persons on their spiritual journey.

In his first letter to the church in Corinth, Paul (writer of a majority of the New Testament) compares the body of believers to that of the human body. Paul brilliantly observes that, "the way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don't, the parts we see and the parts we don't. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance" (1 Corinthians 12 The Message).

As followers of Christ, when we begin to use the talents and giftings that God has given to us, we are able to not only grow and stretch ourselves but also help others grow, both spiritually and emotionally.

For those who are currently serving in a volunteer position, no matter how small or unimportant you deem it, thank you for contributing your time, talents and passion to making the community at King a stronger one.

For those who are still searching for a ministry area to get involved in or who are holding back because they don’t know how they will be able to effectively contribute, please do not hesitate any longer. Our pastoral staff and department leaders would be more than willing to talk with you and get you plugged in to a suitable area of ministry; it is our goal at King Street to have people serving in their strengths and enjoying their experience as a volunteer.

Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "When you cease to make a contribution, you begin to die". I guarantee that as you contribute your attention and talents into helping others, you will feel alive!

Yours for serving one another,

Katherina Amyotte
Children’s Pastor

Posted January 01, 2009