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How to Write a Great Community Service Essay

College Admissions , Extracurriculars

Are you applying to a college or a scholarship that requires a community service essay? Do you know how to write an essay that will impress readers and clearly show the impact your work had on yourself and others?

Read on to learn step-by-step instructions for writing a great community service essay that will help you stand out and be memorable.

What Is a Community Service Essay? Why Do You Need One?

A community service essay is an essay that describes the volunteer work you did and the impact it had on you and your community. Community service essays can vary widely depending on specific requirements listed in the application, but, in general, they describe the work you did, why you found the work important, and how it benefited people around you.

Community service essays are typically needed for two reasons:

#1: To Apply to College

• Some colleges require students to write community service essays as part of their application or to be eligible for certain scholarships.
• You may also choose to highlight your community service work in your personal statement.

#2: To Apply for Scholarships

• Some scholarships are specifically awarded to students with exceptional community service experiences, and many use community service essays to help choose scholarship recipients.
• Green Mountain College offers one of the most famous of these scholarships. Their "Make a Difference Scholarship" offers full tuition, room, and board to students who have demonstrated a significant, positive impact through their community service

Getting Started With Your Essay

In the following sections, I'll go over each step of how to plan and write your essay. I'll also include sample excerpts for you to look through so you can get a better idea of what readers are looking for when they review your essay.

Step 1: Know the Essay Requirements

Before your start writing a single word, you should be familiar with the essay prompt. Each college or scholarship will have different requirements for their essay, so make sure you read these carefully and understand them.

Specific things to pay attention to include:

• Length requirement
• Application deadline
• The main purpose or focus of the essay
• If the essay should follow a specific structure

Below are three real community service essay prompts. Read through them and notice how much they vary in terms of length, detail, and what information the writer should include.

From the Equitable Excellence Scholarship:

"Describe your outstanding achievement in depth and provide the specific planning, training, goals, and steps taken to make the accomplishment successful. Include details about your role and highlight leadership you provided. Your essay must be a minimum of 350 words but not more than 600 words."

From the Laura W. Bush Traveling Scholarship:

"Essay (up to 500 words, double spaced) explaining your interest in being considered for the award and how your proposed project reflects or is related to both UNESCO's mandate and U.S. interests in promoting peace by sharing advances in education, science, culture, and communications."

From the LULAC National Scholarship Fund:

"Please type or print an essay of 300 words (maximum) on how your academic studies will contribute to your personal & professional goals. In addition, please discuss any community service or extracurricular activities you have been involved in that relate to your goals."

Step 2: Brainstorm Ideas

Even after you understand what the essay should be about, it can still be difficult to begin writing. Answer the following questions to help brainstorm essay ideas. You may be able to incorporate your answers into your essay.

• What community service activity that you've participated in has meant the most to you?
• What is your favorite memory from performing community service?
• Why did you decide to begin community service?
• What made you decide to volunteer where you did?
• How has your community service changed you?
• How has your community service helped others?
• How has your community service affected your plans for the future?

You don't need to answer all the questions, but if you find you have a lot of ideas for one of two of them, those may be things you want to include in your essay.

Writing Your Essay

How you structure your essay will depend on the requirements of the scholarship or school you are applying to. You may give an overview of all the work you did as a volunteer, or highlight a particularly memorable experience. You may focus on your personal growth or how your community benefited.

Regardless of the specific structure requested, follow the guidelines below to make sure your community service essay is memorable and clearly shows the impact of your work.

Samples of mediocre and excellent essays are included below to give you a better idea of how you should draft your own essay.

Step 1: Hook Your Reader In

You want the person reading your essay to be interested, so your first sentence should hook them in and entice them to read more. A good way to do this is to start in the middle of the action. Your first sentence could describe you helping build a house, releasing a rescued animal back to the wild, watching a student you tutored read a book on their own, or something else that quickly gets the reader interested. This will help set your essay apart and make it more memorable.

Compare these two opening sentences:

"I have volunteered at the Wishbone Pet Shelter for three years."

"The moment I saw the starving, mud-splattered puppy brought into the shelter with its tail between its legs, I knew I'd do whatever I could to save it."

The first sentence is a very general, bland statement. The majority of community service essays probably begin a lot like it, but it gives the reader little information and does nothing to draw them in. On the other hand, the second sentence begins immediately with action and helps persuade the reader to keep reading so they can learn what happened to the dog.

Step 2: Discuss the Work You Did

Once you've hooked your reader in with your first sentence, tell them about your community service experiences. State where you work, when you began working, how much time you've spent there, and what your main duties include. This will help the reader quickly put the rest of the essay in context and understand the basics of your community service work.

Not including basic details about your community service could leave your reader confused.

Step 3: Include Specific Details

It's the details of your community service that make your experience unique and memorable, so go into the specifics of what you did.

For example, don't just say you volunteered at a nursing home; talk about reading Mrs. Johnson her favorite book, watching Mr. Scott win at bingo, and seeing the residents play games with their grandchildren at the family day you organized. Try to include specific activities, moments, and people in your essay. Having details like these let the readers really understand what work you did and how it differs from other volunteer experiences.

Compare these two passages:

"For my volunteer work, I tutored children at a local elementary school. I helped them improve their math skills and become more confident students."

"As a volunteer at York Elementary School, I worked one-on-one with second and third graders who struggled with their math skills, particularly addition, subtraction, and fractions. As part of my work, I would create practice problems and quizzes and try to connect math to the students' interests. One of my favorite memories was when Sara, a student I had been working with for several weeks, told me that she enjoyed the math problems I had created about a girl buying and selling horses so much that she asked to help me create math problems for other students."

The first passage only gives basic information about the work done by the volunteer; there is very little detail included, and no evidence is given to support her claims. How did she help students improve their math skills? How did she know they were becoming more confident?

The second passage is much more detailed. It recounts a specific story and explains more fully what kind of work the volunteer did, as well as a specific instance of a student becoming more confident with her math skills. Providing more detail in your essay helps support your claims as well as make your essay more memorable and unique.

Step 4: Show Your Personality

It would be very hard to get a scholarship or place at a school if none of your readers felt like they knew much about you after finishing your essay, so make sure that your essay shows your personality. The way to do this is to state your personal strengths, then provide examples to support your claims. Take some time to think about which parts of your personality you would like your essay to highlight, then write about specific examples to show this.

• If you want to show that you're a motivated leader, describe a time when you organized an event or supervised other volunteers.
• If you want to show your teamwork skills, write about a time you helped a group of people work together better.
• If you want to show that you're a compassionate animal lover, write about taking care of neglected shelter animals and helping each of them find homes.

Step 5: State What You Accomplished

After you have described your community service and given specific examples of your work, you want to begin to wrap your essay up by stating your accomplishments. What was the impact of your community service? Did you build a house for a family to move into? Help students improve their reading skills? Clean up a local park? Make sure the impact of your work is clear; don't be worried about bragging here.

If you can include specific numbers, that will also strengthen your essay. Saying "I delivered meals to 24 home-bound senior citizens" is a stronger example than just saying "I delivered meals to lots of senior citizens."

Also be sure to explain why your work matters. Why is what you did important? Did it provide more parks for kids to play in? Help students get better grades? Give people medical care who would otherwise not have gotten it? This is an important part of your essay, so make sure to go into enough detail that your readers will know exactly what you accomplished and how it helped your community.

"My biggest accomplishment during my community service was helping to organize a family event at the retirement home. The children and grandchildren of many residents attended, and they all enjoyed playing games and watching movies together."

"The community service accomplishment that I'm most proud of is the work I did to help organize the First Annual Family Fun Day at the retirement home. My job was to design and organize fun activities that senior citizens and their younger relatives could enjoy. The event lasted eight hours and included ten different games, two performances, and a movie screening with popcorn. Almost 200 residents and family members attended throughout the day. This event was important because it provided an opportunity for senior citizens to connect with their family members in a way they aren't often able to. It also made the retirement home seem more fun and enjoyable to children, and we have seen an increase in the number of kids coming to visit their grandparents since the event."

The second passage is stronger for a variety of reasons. First, it goes into much more detail about the work the volunteer did. The first passage only states that she helped "organize a family event." That really doesn't tell readers much about her work or what her responsibilities were. The second passage is much clearer; her job was to "design and organize fun activities."

The second passage also explains the event in more depth. A family day can be many things; remember that your readers are likely not familiar with what you're talking about, so details help them get a clearer picture.

Lastly, the second passage makes the importance of the event clear: it helped residents connect with younger family members, and it helped retirement homes seem less intimidating to children, so now some residents see their grand kids more often.

Step 6: Discuss What You Learned

One of the final things to include in your essay should be the impact that your community service had on you. You can discuss skills you learned, such as carpentry, public speaking, animal care, or another skill.

You can also talk about how you changed personally. Are you more patient now? More understanding of others? Do you have a better idea of the type of career you want? Go into depth about this, but be honest. Don't say your community service changed your life if it didn't because trite statements won't impress readers.

In order to support your statements, provide more examples. If you say you're more patient now, how do you know this? Do you get less frustrated while playing with your younger siblings? Are you more willing to help group partners who are struggling with their part of the work? You've probably noticed by now that including specific examples and details is one of the best ways to create a strong and believable essay .

"As a result of my community service, I learned a lot about building houses and became a more mature person."

"As a result of my community service, I gained hands-on experience in construction. I learned how to read blueprints, use a hammer and nails, and begin constructing the foundation of a two-bedroom house. Working on the house could be challenging at times, but it taught me to appreciate the value of hard work and be more willing to pitch in when I see someone needs help. My dad has just started building a shed in our backyard, and I offered to help him with it because I know from my community service how much work it is. I also appreciate my own house more, and I know how lucky I am to have a roof over my head."

The second passage is more impressive and memorable because it describes the skills the writer learned in more detail and recounts a specific story that supports her claim that her community service changed her and made her more helpful.

Step 7: Finish Strong

Just as you started your essay in a way that would grab readers' attention, you want to finish your essay on a strong note as well. A good way to end your essay is to state again the impact your work had on you, your community, or both. Reiterate how you changed as a result of your community service, why you found the work important, or how it helped others.

Compare these two concluding statements:

"In conclusion, I learned a lot from my community service at my local museum, and I hope to keep volunteering and learning more about history."

"To conclude, volunteering at my city's American History Museum has been a great experience. By leading tours and participating in special events, I became better at public speaking and am now more comfortable starting conversations with people. In return, I was able to get more community members interested in history and our local museum. My interest in history has deepened, and I look forward to studying the subject in college and hopefully continuing my volunteer work at my university's own museum."

The second passage takes each point made in the first passage and expands upon it. In a few sentences, the second passage is able to clearly convey what work the volunteer did, how she changed, and how her volunteer work benefited her community.

The author of the second passage also ends her essay discussing her future and how she'd like to continue her community service, which is a good way to wrap things up because it shows your readers that you are committed to community service for the long-term.

What's Next?

Are you applying to a community service scholarship or thinking about it? We have a complete list of all the community service scholarships available to help get your search started!

Do you need a community service letter as well? We have a step-by-step guide that will tell you how to get a great reference letter from your community service supervisor.

Thinking about doing community service abroad? Before you sign up, read our guide on some of the hazards of international volunteer trips and how to know if it's the right choice for you.

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Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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Essay Papers Writing Online

The impact of community service – a deep dive into the power of giving back to society.

Community service essays serve as a powerful tool for individuals to reflect on their experiences, values, and impact on the world around them. Through the process of writing about their volunteer work, students are able to articulate the positive changes they have made in their communities and explore the lessons they have learned along the way.

Community service essays also play a crucial role in highlighting the importance of giving back to society and fostering a sense of empathy and compassion in individuals. By sharing personal stories of service, students can inspire others to get involved and make a difference in their own communities.

Moreover, community service essays can help students gain valuable skills such as critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving, as they reflect on the challenges and successes of their volunteer experiences. By documenting their service work, students can also showcase their commitment to social responsibility and community engagement to colleges, scholarship committees, and potential employers.

Why Community Service Essays Matter

In today’s society, the importance of community service essays cannot be overstated. These essays serve as a platform for individuals to showcase their dedication to helping others and making a positive impact on their communities. Through these essays, individuals can share their experiences, insights, and perspectives on the value of giving back to society.

Community service essays also play a crucial role in raising awareness about different social issues and encouraging others to get involved in volunteer work. By sharing personal stories and reflections, individuals can inspire and motivate others to take action and contribute to the betterment of society.

Furthermore, community service essays provide an opportunity for individuals to reflect on their own values, beliefs, and goals. Through the process of writing these essays, individuals can gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their place in the world, leading to personal growth and development.

In conclusion, community service essays matter because they have the power to inspire change, raise awareness, and promote personal growth. By sharing their stories and insights, individuals can make a difference in their communities and create a more compassionate and giving society.

The Impact of Community Service Essays

Community service essays have a profound impact on both the individuals writing them and the communities they serve. These essays serve as a platform for students to reflect on their experiences and articulate the lessons they have learned through their service work.

One of the primary impacts of community service essays is the opportunity for self-reflection. Students are encouraged to critically analyze their experiences, challenges, and accomplishments during their community service activities. This reflection helps students develop a deeper understanding of themselves, their values, and their role in the community.

Another significant impact of community service essays is the awareness they raise about social issues and community needs. By sharing their stories and insights, students can shed light on important issues and inspire others to get involved in community service. These essays can also help community organizations and stakeholders better understand the needs of their communities and how they can address them effectively.

Overall, community service essays play a vital role in promoting social responsibility, empathy, and civic engagement. They empower students to make a positive impact in their communities and contribute to creating a more compassionate and inclusive society.

Guidelines for Writing Community Service Essays

When writing a community service essay, it is important to follow certain guidelines to ensure that your message is clear and impactful. Here are some tips to help you craft a powerful and compelling essay:

• Start by brainstorming ideas and reflecting on your community service experiences.
• Clearly define the purpose of your essay and what you hope to convey to your readers.
• Organize your essay with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.
• Use specific examples and anecdotes to support your points and showcase your personal growth.
• Highlight the impact of your community service activities on both yourself and others.
• Showcase your passion and dedication to serving your community.
• Be authentic and honest in your writing, and avoid exaggerating or embellishing your experiences.
• Edit and proofread your essay carefully to ensure clarity, coherence, and proper grammar.

Examples of Effective Community Service Essays

Community service essays can have a powerful impact on the reader when they are well-written and thoughtful. Here are a few examples to inspire you:

1. A Well-Structured Essay:

This essay begins with a compelling introduction that clearly articulates the author’s motivation for engaging in community service. The body paragraphs provide specific examples of the author’s experiences and the impact they had on both the community and themselves. The conclusion ties everything together, reflecting on the lessons learned and the importance of giving back.

2. Personal Reflection:

This essay delves deep into the author’s personal experiences during their community service work. It explores the challenges they faced, the emotions they encountered, and the growth they underwent. By sharing vulnerable moments and candid reflections, the author creates a connection with the reader and demonstrates the transformational power of service.

3. Future Goals and Impact:

This essay not only discusses past community service experiences but also looks toward the future. The author shares their aspirations for continued service and outlines how they plan to make a difference in the world. By showcasing a sense of purpose and vision, this essay inspires the reader to consider their own potential for impact.

These examples illustrate how community service essays can be effective tools for conveying meaningful stories, inspiring others, and showcasing personal growth. By crafting a compelling narrative and reflecting on the significance of service, you can create an essay that leaves a lasting impression.

How Community Service Essays Empower Individuals

Community service essays provide individuals with a platform to express their thoughts, share their experiences, and make a meaningful impact on society. By writing about their volunteer work and the lessons they have learned, individuals can empower themselves to create positive change and inspire others to do the same.

• Through community service essays, individuals can reflect on the importance of giving back to their communities and the value of helping those in need.
• These essays can serve as a source of motivation and inspiration for individuals to continue their philanthropic efforts and make a difference in the world.
• By sharing their stories through community service essays, individuals can raise awareness about social issues and promote greater empathy and understanding among their peers.

Overall, community service essays empower individuals to take action, advocate for change, and contribute to building a more compassionate and equitable society.

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Tips for Writing a Standout Community Service Essay

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Through your college applications process, you’re likely to come across the term “community service” many times. In fact, you may be asked to write an essay about it. This post will cover the specifics of a community service essay and how to go about writing one, including what to cover and common mistakes to avoid. 

What is a Community Service Essay?

You may encounter the community service essay as you’re writing your supplemental essays for college. These are school-specific prompts that only go to the college that requests them, unlike the personal statement , which goes to every school you apply to. Not all schools require community service essays, but several do. It’s also a common requirement for scholarship applications, especially if it’s a school-specific merit scholarship. 

The community service essay is an essay that describes the initiatives you have taken outside of the classroom to benefit your community. In a 2018 survey of 264 admissions leaders across the US, 58% said that community service is a tie-breaker between students who are otherwise equally qualified. The community service essay offers you the opportunity to shine light on the work you have done to make an impact on the world and people around you, and is an additional way to help you stand out among other applicants. 

Approaching the Community Service Essay 

Understand the essay requirements  .

As with any essay, it’s important to first understand what is expected of your essay. For a start, elements to pay attention to include: 

• Length requirements
• Focus or subject of the essay prompt 
• Organization of the essay 

Although all community service essays ultimately have the same purpose of having you describe your local service activities, they can come with different types of prompts. Below are three sample prompts. Note the differences in topic specificity, length requirements, and breadth of the prompt. 

From the CGCS – Bernard Harris Scholarship Program: 

Please describe a meaningful volunteer or community service experience, including what you learned from participating.

From the University of California Application :

What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? (350 words).

From the Equitable Excellence Scholarship:

Describe your outstanding achievement in depth and provide the specific planning, training, goals, and steps taken to make the accomplishment successful. Include details about your role and highlight leadership you provided. Your essay must be a minimum of 350 words but not more than 600 words.

Brainstorming for your community service essay 

Once you have an understanding of what is required of the specific you are to write, the next step is to brainstorm ideas for a specific topic. If you have various community-engaged service experiences under your belt, consider the following before you finalize your decision. 

The best topics:

Are substantial in length and scope. It’s better to cover a long-term commitment than a one-off afternoon at the food pantry or animal shelter. 

Are transformative or inspiring. Although community service is “others”-oriented, colleges are looking to learn more about you. The ideal community service essay topic should be an experience that changed or challenged your perspective, and was ultimately fulfilling. 

Illustrate personal qualities or passions that you want to highlight. Given the specific prompt, and taking the rest of your application into consideration, which personal interests do you want to highlight? Which activity illuminates the personal quality that you want to bring attention to? 

These are all elements to consider before you begin writing your essay. 

Tips for Writing Your Community Service Essay 

1. include anecdotes.

Anecdotes are a great way to begin your essay, not only as a way to grab your reader’s attention, but by launching right into the experience of your service activity. You can start with a line about a particularly busy afternoon at the orphanage, or a morning cleaning up the streets after a storm, or the sense of accomplishment you felt when you watched a dog under your care at the animal shelter get adopted. 

2. Show, don’t tell 

We’re sure you’ve heard this axiom of general writing before, but it applies to college essays just as much as with any other piece of writing. Opt for evocative examples over plain explaining whenever possible. Take this sentence: “There was a lot of food waste at our school cafeteria.” It’s not nearly as powerful as this description: “I peered into the tall, gray trash cans to inspect the mountain of Styrofoam trays and discarded food. There were countless pizza crusts, globs of green beans, and unopened cartons of milk.” 

Anyone could write the first sentence, and it’s not a unique experience. In the second description, we’re shown the scene of the writer’s lunchroom. We get a peek into their perspective and life, which makes the writing more vivid and relatable. Aim to bring your reader into your world as much as possible.

3. Share your responsibilities and accomplishments.

The more tangible your community service activities feel to the reader, the more powerful your essay will be. Concretize your work by stating the basic details of what kind of work you did and what your duties involved, where it was based, when you began working, and the amount of time you spent working. 

Be sure to quantify your work and accomplishments when possible; it’s better to say your fundraiser yielded 125 books than “a large number” of books. It’s important to also elaborate on why the work you did matters. Why was it important? Did the books you collected or purchased after the fundraiser expand the library of the local orphanage that they already had, or did it offer the children easy access to books that wasn’t available previously? Be specific and detailed.  

4. Highlight what you learned and how you’ll use those lessons moving forward. 

Towards the end of your essay, you’ll want to share how you benefited from the community service work you did. This is an important part of the essay, because it shows how you are able to distill your experiences to applicable lessons in your own life. 

Think of this section in two potential parts: skills you learned, and personal development. Did you gain any hard skills, such as public speaking, poster design, or funds management? Then think about how you developed as an individual. Are you more empathetic or patient now? 

Things to Avoid in Your Community Service Essay 

1. don’t list out everything that happened..

You want to keep your essay well-structured and concise. This isn’t a résumé, or a play-by-play of the entire experience. Stick to the most telling details and anecdotes from your experience. 

2. Avoid using a pretentious or privileged tone.

Humility goes a long way, and entitlement can be smelled from afar. The purpose of this essay is not to paint yourself as a savior of any kind, but rather to show what’s important to you in your non-academic life, and how you approach solving real-world and interpersonal problems. 

3. Avoid clichés.

It may be tempting to quote famous people, but doing so can easily seem like a shortcut, plus it shows little of who you are. Try also to steer clear of trite and vague life lesson lines such as “I learned that people can be happy with so little,” or “I learned the importance of giving back.” Not only do they carry a tone of privilege, they are also sweeping general conclusions and don’t convey anything specific of what you learned. 

Community service is only a part of the college application process, which can be daunting and confusing. CollegeVine will help you navigate each step of the process, from building a college list, to calculating your chances at each school using our chancing engine. Create your free account and get started now !

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3 Significant Ways Volunteering at Church Is Important

Posted by Evan Doyle | Dec 2, 2021 | Spiritual Growth | 0 |

Church volunteer work is (or should be) a natural outgrowth of a believer’s love for God and a desire to help the church be ready to embrace those who come through the doors or to help those in need.  Sometimes, though, volunteers may wonder if what they’re doing matters or makes a difference.  

Volunteering at church is important because many roles are necessary each week to keep the church running smoothly.  Church volunteer work also helps those in the community who suffer or have needs they cannot meet themselves. 

If you’re in church leadership or ministry, conveying the importance of the church’s work to your congregation is key to developing and keeping engaged volunteers.  Read on for key points on why volunteering at church is important and how to make it meaningful.

Why is Volunteering at Church Important and What Difference Does it Make?

Volunteering at church is vital for sustaining a healthy ministry and fulfilling the mission to reach those around us.  Without volunteers, much of the church’s work would go undone.  

It’s simply not possible or biblical- nor should it be expected – for the pastor and staff members to meet all of the needs in or outside the church. 

The bible encourages pastors to equip and train people to minister.  Volunteering at church is an excellent way for individuals to identify their gifts and develop a heart for serving others.

Having dedicated volunteers allows church staff to concentrate on more of the vision and direction of the church.  They can provide leadership and support to volunteers rather than trying to do everything themselves.

It’s pretty simple, the mission of the church is to reach and serve people through the love of Christ.  Jesus commands his followers to “go and make disciples.” Whether you help in your local church or go overseas to serve in another part of the world, willingness and availability are what’s important.

Volunteers Help the Church Run Smoothly

For a church to be effective, it does need a strong team of volunteers.  A lot has to happen each week at a church to run smoothly and provide education and ministries to those who attend. 

In a way, volunteers are the heroes of the church.  Much of their work often is unseen, but that is ok.  The fruit their work produces is much greater than the work of just a few.

My pastor often says, “When everyone does a little, it becomes a lot.”

There are no unimportant jobs within the church.  Some volunteer roles may seem inconsequential compared to others, but each one is uniquely necessary. Below are just a few roles at a church; consider how they fit in the big picture. 

• Nursery or Children’s Worker:  Allows parents to attend the service or smaller settings without distraction
• Greeter :  Gives newcomers and first-time guests a sense of welcome
• Facility Team:  Oversees the care of the building or property to ensure safety and function
• Small-Group Leader : Plans and conducts gatherings and reaches out to church members to foster connectedness and a sense of belonging
• Bereavement Team :  Ministers to those who are experiencing difficult situations
• Hospitality Team:  Prepares, serves, or cleans up after special events to help facilitate a better experience for those in attendance.

There’s just no way a church staff can do everything it takes to keep the doors open.  Volunteers at church are essential.  The next time you see one, tell them, “thank you!”

Volunteers Meet Needs in the Community

The world is full of people with needs:  physical, spiritual, emotional, and financial, to name a few.  The church has always been instrumental in taking care of those in need, and church volunteers are a huge part of that mission.

Indeed, you don’t have to be a church member to give back to your community.  Plenty of volunteer opportunities are available through non-religious organizations.  However, churches can be a massive catalyst for community impact and often partner with local agencies that have a similar desire to eliminate specific problems by serving others.

Volunteers Grow Spiritually and Feel a Sense of Higher Purpose

Church volunteer work benefits the giver too .  Most people want to be involved in a cause that is bigger than themselves.  Contributing to the greater good of the world and their community leads to a feeling of purpose and fulfillment.  

In Matthew 25:40, Jesus says, “whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Jesus came to serve people so, by helping others, volunteers develop a deeper relationship with God and become more like Christ over time.

How To Make Volunteering At Church Easier With Good Communication

Great communication is key to inspiring church volunteers to engage with your mission. Church leaders often struggle with how to best get their message across to the congregation.  The invitation for volunteering at church must be timely, clear, and have a direct call to action.  

Below are three guidelines to engage and keep more volunteers at your church.

3 Guidelines To Engaging And Keeping More Volunteers At Church

Communicate the mission of your church with clarity & consistently.

It’s vital to keep the church’s mission as the central focus when asking for volunteers.  People will rally around a definite purpose, but volunteers often fade away when the church loses its focus.  – Carey Neiuwhof  

Whether your main focus is on the homeless, foster care, unplanned pregnancy, or addressing hunger, be diligent in communicating that to the church clearly and consistently. 

Represent The Mission With Excellence

Excellence is about doing your best with what you have.  Technology has brought a wealth of communication tools to your fingertips.  Nowadays, we are accustomed to and expect quality print and online materials.  Most will ignore a hand-drawn poster, even if the messaging is valid.  

Anyone with a computer can create professional-looking flyers and print newsletters.  With just a smartphone, you can make an engaging, informative, and quality video.  Better yet, expand volunteering at church by allowing those with this skillset to serve!

And let’s talk about how technology helps you get your message directly to the people.  There are many ways you can target an individual or a group with specific communications that give them the exact information they are looking for:

• Church Texting Software
• Social Media
• Websites and Apps
• Church Project Management Tools

Establish Clear Expectations For The Volunteers At Church

No one likes to feel inadequate. That’s why you must let volunteers know the expectations ahead of time and ask if they need any special resources to complete the task.  Offer training opportunities so that everyone is on the same page and can feel confident about doing what they signed up to do.

To help simplify volunteering at church, we offer a handful of transferable training manuals that any leader can use to equip their team.  To view the training manuals, click HERE .

What Do People Need To Consider When Volunteering At Church?

Church volunteers should consider a few key points as they plan to respond to a volunteer opportunity at church.

• Alignment:  Am I in alignment with the mission, teaching, and leadership of the church?
• Purpose:  Does this task or opportunity have a Kingdom focus?  Is this what God wants me to do?
• Motive:  Why do I want to help?  Am I doing it for the right reasons?
• Talents:  Is this the best use of my particular talents or skill set?  Will I be effective?
• Time:  Am I willing to put in the time to do a good job?

Volunteering At Church Summary

Volunteering at church offers meaningful ways to love God by serving others.  By helping those in need, serving in various areas on Sunday mornings, or using our skills in a leadership role, we are obediently following Christ’s example of love, humility, and compassion.  

Volunteering At Church Sources:

Carey Nieuwhof

About The Author

Evan served in pastoral ministry for 18 years and is the founder of dailychristianhelp.com. His mission is helping faith based leaders learn to prepare and communicate effective messaging and content in order to lead effectively and serve their community at the highest level. Passionate about leadership, Evan emphasizes the importance of team culture, personal development, and building trust to achieve impactful outcomes. His insights and expertise have been featured in renowned publications such as Truity, Catalyst, Creative Results Management (churchleader), and The Christian Post. Beyond his written work, Evan also shares his knowledge as the host of the "Evan Doyle Thinks" YouTube channel.

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10 Tips for Providing a Great Church Volunteer Experience

Volunteers give of their time to help a church fulfill its mission. Successful volunteer programs are able to create a positive experience by providing structure and support for the volunteer and their job assignments. People who donate their time come to the role with an expectation of having a positive experience.  Good volunteer management incorporates many things that contribute to a positive experience for the volunteer.

1. Provide Organized Systems and Processes

Everyone appreciates organized systems and processes because they make our lives easier. We have all had the experience of going to a service provider only to witness the clerk behind the desk buried under piles of paper and can’t seem to find the paperwork for your visit. Or going to a lender to sign loan papers and the employee frantically digs pieces of paper from here and there trying to gather all of the documents. This kind of disorder frustrates everyone and doesn’t elicit confidence in the process.

Maintain organized systems behind the scenes to create positive processes for volunteers.

“People are smart. If your church is disorganized in the places they can see, they will assume it is even worse behind the scenes.”  Andy Stanley, andystanley.com

2. Use Volunteer Time Wisely

Volunteers generously give of their discretionary time and want to use that time wisely. When volunteers show up for a scheduled shift, they want to be productive and make their time count. This requires ensuring there are enough people to do a project but also that there are enough job tasks to keep those people busy. Provide detailed job descriptions so volunteers know what to do and inform them of the approximate time it will take to complete the task.

Overestimating or underestimating the time it will take to accomplish a task can result in a negative experience. However, if you error on the side of overestimating the time needed, volunteers may finish sooner than expected and have the option of going home early. When things take longer than planned it can conflict with other commitments volunteers have and possibly make them think twice the next time an opportunity to help is presented to them.

For example, three volunteers have been recruited to plant flowers around the church campus.  They are asked to show up to help from 9:00 am to noon.  When they arrive, it’s important to have someone there waiting for them with all the supplies (plants, gloves, hand shovel, mulch, etc.) staged and ready to go.

If the volunteers show up and no one is there to greet them it could result in wasting valuable (free labor) time. However, when volunteers are eagerly greeted and put to work upon arrival they benefit from the satisfaction that comes with accomplishing something significant for the church.  Hence – a good use of their time!

3. Provide Clear Expectations

Volunteers are very much like employees in that when they come to work they want to know what is expected of them.  The more clear the direction the more comfortable the volunteer will be in completing their assigned tasks. For example, a volunteer might be assigned to empty trash cans during a church event.

Vague expectations:   “You’re assigned to emptying the trash cans”.

Clear expectations:   “You’re assigned to emptying the trash cans around the campus.  There are 15 cans located here (show on map) .  Please empty them once an hour and take the full bags of trash to the dumpster on the back side of the building (show on map ).  The trash bags and gloves are located in the janitor’s closet (show on map) .  If you have any questions or perhaps need help with a heavy can please go to the information booth and have them radio the set-up team leader whose name is Jack.  Do you have any questions?”

The more detail you can provide the better.  It answers their questions before they think to ask them and it eliminates being asked the same questions by multiple people during an event.  A clear job description, training on job duties and a mentor (go to person) are crucial to this.

4. Provide Detailed Job Training

Whether a volunteer is scheduled to work in the nursery, as an usher or greeting guests there needs to be training to do their job tasks. This includes a global understanding of the church, specific departmental training and lastly job specific training.  All three areas should be covered to ensure the volunteer is comfortable performing their job duties.

For example, if a volunteer is scheduled to work in the nursery, they will need training on sanitation procedures, drop off/pick up procedures, child discipline protocol, and emergency response before they begin their first shift. Detailed training helps volunteers feel confident in completing their job duties and fosters a positive worker experience.

5. Invite Volunteer Ideas

Church volunteers are people who are committed to the organization and its mission. Because of this passion, they have a vested interest in the systems and processes that make church happen.  Allowing volunteers to share thoughts, ideas and opinions helps them feel valued and keeps them engaged.

For example, volunteers often have great ideas for improvement. If a volunteer works in the nursery and is given the opportunity to offer suggestions on how to improve how the children are ministered to, they feel valued and involved in the organization.

6. Show Volunteer Appreciation

Volunteers donate many hours of free labor and like to be shown appreciation for their contributions. An occasional thank you goes a long, long way in showing someone that their efforts have been recognized and are appreciated. There are also countless formal ways to recognize and reward volunteers.  Invest time and dollars into making volunteers feel appreciated.

7. Demonstrate Care for Them

Whether the volunteer is new to the church or has been around for a while, everyone wants to know they are cared about on a personal level. Volunteers love when church leadership takes an interest in them and encourages them to talk about their family and personal lives. This sense of belonging fosters relationships that are invaluable in times of personal crisis.

8. Commit To Consistent Communication

Volunteers appreciate consistent flows of information. This is achieved by creating a predictable and consistent communication process so volunteers know  when  to expect  what  kinds of information. For example, volunteer schedules can be done monthly, quarterly or annually – it doesn’t matter.  What does matter is ensuring that the volunteer knows when to expect the schedule in the mail.

9. Fix What’s Broken

Volunteers are the hands and feet of the church and have a good understanding of what is working and what is not.  These workers should be given the opportunity to point out areas that may need to be fixed and be given the assurance that it will be.

For example, a volunteer in the parking ministry may use radio headsets to communicate to each other.  If a worker points out that some of the equipment is malfunctioning, they should be assured that it will be fixed within a reasonable amount of time.

10. Maintain a Professional Environment

The credibility of a church is built on its ability to create and maintain a professional environment.  Volunteers enjoy helping an organization that takes pride in everything that it does.  Churches that are committed to quality by continually improving their systems and processes, strive, not for perfection, but professionalism – which everyone appreciates.

Volunteer labor is the engine of the church.  Anticipating volunteer needs in exchange for their time commitment is an important step in making sure they have a great experience.  One way to do this is to simply ask volunteers how the organization can improve their experience. Creating a great experience for this valuable group of people can go a long way in recruiting and retaining a church’s free labor force.

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Volunteering — My Volunteering Experience: A Journey of Giving

My Volunteering Experience: a Journey of Giving

• Categories: Personal Experience Volunteering

About this sample

Words: 1267 |

Updated: 16 November, 2023

Words: 1267 | Pages: 3 | 7 min read

Works Cited

• National Service.gov. (2021). Volunteer at a National Park.
• Corporation for National & Community Service. (2021). Benefits of Volunteering. Retrieved from https://www.nationalservice.gov/serve-your-community/benefits-volunteering
• Goodwill Industries International. (2021). About Goodwill.
• The Salvation Army USA. (2021). About Us.
• Cradles to Crayons. (2021). About Us.
• Points of Light. (2021). Corporate Volunteering. Retrieved from https://www.pointsoflight.org/what-we-do/corporate-engagement/corporate-volunteering/
• National Council of Nonprofits. (2021). Engaging Volunteers.
• Independent Sector. (2021). State of the Nonprofit Sector. Retrieved from https://independentsector.org/resource/state-of-the-nonprofit-sector/
• The Chronicle of Philanthropy. (2021). Nonprofit News For Nonprofit Leaders.
• VolunteerMatch. (2021). Find Volunteer Opportunities Near You.

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The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Vibrant Volunteer Work Essay

Table of Contents

Are you struggling to write an essay about volunteer work? This guide will provide you with essential tips and techniques to effectively showcase your experiences, motivations, and impact as a volunteer. Learn how to structure your essay, highlight your achievements, and convey the significance of your volunteer work. Start crafting a compelling essay that captures the essence of your volunteer journey.

Volunteer work is not only an opportunity for individuals to give back to their communities, but it also provides invaluable experiences and personal growth. When tasked with writing an essay about volunteer work, it is crucial to approach the topic with an organized and insightful mindset. By presenting a well-structured piece that effectively conveys your experiences and the impact it had on you, you can inspire others to get involved in their communities as well. In this article, we will explore the essential steps and key elements to consider when crafting an impactful essay about volunteer work.

Introduction

Writing an essay about volunteer work can be a meaningful and impactful way to showcase your experiences and highlight the importance of giving back to the community. Whether it is for a scholarship application, a college admissions essay, or simply to share your story, this guide will provide you with valuable insights on how to effectively write about your volunteer work.

Understanding the Purpose

Before diving into the writing process, it is crucial to understand the purpose of your essay. Reflect on why you are writing about volunteer work and what message you want to convey to your readers. Is it to inspire others to get involved, shed light on a particular issue, or demonstrate personal growth? Clarifying the purpose will guide your writing and ensure a coherent essay.

Selecting a Relevant Experience

Choose a volunteer experience that is significant to you and aligns with the message you want to convey. It could be a long-term commitment or a one-time event, as long as it resonates with your values and showcases your dedication. Selecting a relevant experience will make your essay more authentic and engaging.

Describing the Impact

Showcase the impact your volunteer work had on both the community and yourself. Describe the positive change you witnessed, whether it was improving the lives of individuals, addressing social issues, or contributing to a cause. Also, discuss how your involvement in volunteer work has shaped your character, values, and worldview.

Highlighting Personal Growth

Discuss how your volunteer work has contributed to your personal growth and development. Share any challenges you faced, how you overcame them, and the valuable lessons you learned along the way. Emphasize how your experiences have helped you become a more compassionate, empathetic, and socially aware individual.

Connecting to Your Field of Study

If applicable, connect your volunteer work to your field of study or career aspirations. Explain how your experiences have influenced your academic or professional goals and how they have provided you with unique insights and skills. This will demonstrate your passion and dedication in making a difference within your chosen field.

Structuring Your Essay

A well-structured essay is essential for effectively conveying your message. Start with a compelling introduction that grabs the reader’s attention and clearly states your thesis statement. Then, organize your main points in separate paragraphs, each focusing on a specific aspect of your volunteer work. Finally, conclude your essay by summarizing your key points and reinforcing the overall impact of your experiences.

Adding Supporting Evidence

Support your claims and statements with specific examples and evidence from your volunteer work. Whether it is through anecdotes, statistics, or testimonials, providing supporting evidence will strengthen your arguments and make your essay more persuasive. This will also help your readers understand the significance of your volunteer work.

Editing and Proofreading

After writing your essay, take the time to edit and proofread it carefully. Check for any grammatical or spelling errors, ensure a smooth and logical flow of ideas, and verify that your essay effectively conveys your intended message. It is also beneficial to have someone else read your essay and provide feedback to ensure clarity and coherence.

Inspiring and Motivating Others

Ultimately, the purpose of writing an essay about volunteer work is to inspire and motivate others to get involved and make a difference. Use your essay as a platform to share your passion and enthusiasm for volunteerism, and encourage others to explore their own opportunities for giving back to the community. By sharing your experiences, you can create a ripple effect of positive change.

Writing an essay about volunteer work is a powerful way to articulate your experiences, growth, and impact on the community. By following these guidelines, you can effectively convey your message, inspire others, and showcase the value of volunteerism. Remember, your essay has the potential to make a lasting impression and create awareness about the importance of giving back.

When writing an essay about volunteer work, it is vital to create an engaging introduction that captures the reader’s attention. Start by emphasizing the significance of volunteerism in society, discussing how it benefits individuals and communities alike. Provide a brief overview of the specific volunteering experience you will focus on in your essay.

Research and Reflect

Before diving into the essay, take time to research and reflect on your volunteer experience. Investigate the organization you volunteered with, the work they undertake, and the impact they have on the community. Reflect on your personal motivations for volunteering and any insights gained from the experience to enrich the content of your essay.

Define Your Thesis Statement

Craft a well-defined thesis statement that will guide your entire essay on volunteer work. It should clearly state the purpose of your essay and your stance on the topic. Whether you want to emphasize personal growth obtained from volunteering or the positive impact it has on the community, make sure your thesis statement is direct, concise, and arguable.

Structure Your Essay

Ensure your essay has a logical structure that is easy to follow. Begin with an introduction that provides background information and presents your thesis statement. Follow this with body paragraphs that discuss specific aspects of your volunteer work. Each paragraph should include a topic sentence, supporting evidence or examples, and a clear transition to the next paragraph. Conclude your essay with a strong summary of your main points and a restatement of your thesis.

Showcase Your Personal Involvement

To make your essay about volunteer work compelling, draw upon your personal experiences and emotions. Include specific anecdotes from your volunteer work to highlight the challenges you faced, the impact you made, and the skills you developed. Your personal involvement will help demonstrate your commitment to the cause and engage the reader on a deeper level.

Highlight the Benefits

While sharing your personal experiences, do not forget to emphasize the broader benefits of volunteer work. Discuss how volunteering helps address social issues or improve the lives of others. Highlight the positive changes witnessed within the community as a result of your volunteer efforts. Presenting these benefits will showcase the larger impact of volunteer work and support your argument.

Connect to Future Goals

In your essay, establish connections between your volunteer work and your future goals. Explain how your volunteer experiences have shaped your aspirations, whether you aim to pursue a career in a related field or simply want to continue making a difference. Demonstrating this connection will help validate the significance of your volunteer work and showcase its lasting impact on your life.

Edit and Revise

After completing your essay, thoroughly review it for grammar, spelling, and formatting errors. Ensure your ideas flow cohesively and that your arguments are clear and concise. Read your essay aloud to identify any awkward phrasing or inconsistencies. Consider seeking feedback from peers, teachers, or writing tutors who can provide constructive criticism to further enhance the quality of your essay.

In writing an essay about volunteer work, it is crucial to adopt a professional voice and tone to effectively convey your thoughts and experiences. Below are some key points to consider:

Introduction:

Start with a captivating introduction that grabs the reader’s attention.

Briefly explain the importance of volunteer work and its impact on both individuals and communities.

Include a thesis statement that clearly states the purpose of your essay.

Body paragraphs:

Organize your essay into coherent paragraphs, each focusing on a specific aspect of your volunteer work.

Support your claims and statements with relevant examples and evidence.

Use descriptive language to vividly portray your experiences and convey your emotions.

Highlight the skills and personal growth you have gained through your volunteer work.

Discuss the challenges you have faced and how you have overcome them.

Explain the positive impact your volunteer work has had on the community or the target group you have served.

Conclusion:

Summarize the main points discussed in your essay.

Reflect on the significance of your volunteer work and its lasting effects.

End with a powerful closing statement that leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

Tone and language:

Adopt a professional tone throughout your essay, maintaining a balance between formality and personal reflection.

Use clear and concise language to effectively communicate your ideas.

Avoid slang or informal expressions that may undermine the professionalism of your essay.

Proofread and edit your essay to ensure proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

Engaging the reader:

Consider using storytelling techniques to captivate the reader’s interest.

Include relevant statistics or facts to provide context and support your arguments.

Pose thought-provoking questions or challenges to encourage the reader’s engagement.

Ensure a logical flow of ideas between paragraphs to maintain the reader’s attention.

By following these guidelines and adopting a professional voice and tone, your essay about volunteer work will effectively convey your experiences, showcase your growth, and inspire others to engage in meaningful community service.

Thank you for visiting our blog and taking the time to read our article on how to write an essay about volunteer work. We understand that writing an essay can be a challenging task, but with the right guidance and approach, it can become an opportunity to showcase your experiences and passion for volunteering.

When it comes to writing an essay about volunteer work, it is crucial to start with a strong introduction that grabs the reader’s attention. Begin by providing a brief overview of your volunteering experience and why it is important to you. This can be followed by a clear thesis statement that highlights the main points you will discuss throughout the essay. Remember to use transition words such as firstly, in addition, or finally to create a smooth flow between your ideas.

In the body paragraphs of your essay, you should delve into the specific details of your volunteer work. It is essential to provide concrete examples and anecdotes that illustrate the impact you have made and the lessons you have learned. Whether you volunteered at a local shelter, participated in community service projects, or worked abroad, make sure to explain the significance of your actions and how they have shaped your perspective on the world.

Furthermore, it is crucial to emphasize the personal growth and development you have experienced through your volunteer work. This can include the skills you have acquired, the challenges you have overcome, and the relationships you have built. By highlighting these aspects, you will demonstrate not only your commitment to helping others but also your ability to learn and adapt in different situations.

In conclusion, writing an essay about volunteer work can be an enriching and rewarding experience. By following the tips provided in this article, we hope that you feel more confident in crafting an engaging and impactful essay. Remember to use a professional tone, incorporate transition words to enhance the flow of your ideas, and provide concrete examples to support your statements. Your essay has the potential to inspire others and showcase your dedication to making a difference in the world through volunteer work.

Thank you again for visiting our blog, and we wish you the best of luck in your writing endeavors!

People also ask about How To Write An Essay About Volunteer Work:

What should I include in an essay about volunteer work?

In your essay about volunteer work, you should include the following:

• A brief introduction explaining the importance of volunteer work.
• Your personal motivations for getting involved in volunteer work.
• The specific organization or cause you volunteered for and why you chose it.
• The activities or projects you participated in as a volunteer.
• The impact your volunteer work had on the organization, individuals, and yourself.
• Any challenges or obstacles you encountered during your volunteering experience and how you overcame them.
• A conclusion summarizing the overall significance and lessons learned from your volunteer work.

How can I make my essay about volunteer work stand out?

To make your essay about volunteer work stand out, consider the following tips:

• Choose a unique angle or perspective to present your volunteer experience.
• Showcase specific examples and personal anecdotes that highlight your contributions and the difference you made.
• Highlight any special skills or qualifications you gained through your volunteer work.
• Emphasize the personal growth and positive impact your volunteer work had on you.
• Use vivid language and descriptive details to engage the reader and create a compelling narrative.
• Proofread and edit your essay to ensure clarity, coherence, and correct grammar.

Should I mention any challenges or difficulties faced during my volunteer work?

Yes, it is important to mention any challenges or difficulties you faced during your volunteer work. This demonstrates your resilience, problem-solving abilities, and commitment to the cause. However, make sure to focus on how you overcame these challenges and what you learned from them, rather than dwelling solely on the negative aspects.

Can I include volunteer work that I did in a different country?

Absolutely! Including volunteer work you did in a different country can add an extra layer of cultural awareness, global perspective, and diversity to your essay. It shows your willingness to step out of your comfort zone and engage with different communities and cultures.

Is it necessary to explain why I chose a specific organization for volunteering?

Yes, it is important to explain why you chose a specific organization for volunteering. By providing the reasons behind your choice, you demonstrate your thoughtfulness, alignment of values, and commitment to a particular cause. This helps the reader understand your motivations and the genuine interest you have in the organization and its mission.

Should I discuss the impact of my volunteer work on the community or individuals?

Yes, it is crucial to discuss the impact of your volunteer work on the community or individuals involved. This showcases the significance of your contributions and the positive change you helped bring about. Provide specific examples and anecdotes that illustrate the difference your volunteer work made, whether it be improving lives, raising awareness, or addressing a specific issue.

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The Big List of Church Volunteer Opportunities

By: Vanderbloemen

Volunteering is a great way to get plugged into your church, feel like part of a community, and serve Jesus at the same time.

God has uniquely equipped every person in the Church with specific skills and gifts. As Christians, we are tasked with utilizing these gifts   in our community and within our local church. Using your God-given skills as a volunteer is a fantastic way to serve the church while simultaneously lightening the load of a church’s staff.

Volunteering has a spiritual benefit as well. By volunteering, an individual will often want to dive deeper into the life of the church. At the same time, they serve not only as a helping hand but also as a witness of the Gospel message within the community.

However, while many may want to give their time, it can be difficult to align schedules and balance other obligations. So while the desire to volunteer may exist, people often run into roadblocks that prevent them from giving their time.

Many people travel for work, others live far from their church, and some have families who claim their time during the week. And everyone has unique God-given gifts. So it's critical for churches t o be inclusive and provide a variety of opportunities to volunteer .

That's why we've put together a comprehensive list of different volunteer opportunities for your church that will help engage your congregation in creative ways. We've divided them into 5 categories to help you determine what might work best at your church:

1. Holiday or special event opportunities

2. Family-oriented opportunities

3. Short-term commitment

4. Specific positions for key needs

5. Outside the box 

Let's dive in!

1. Holiday Or Special Event Opportunities

One-time events are ideal volunteer opportunities for those whose busy schedules don’t allow them to commit weekly. Christmas and Easter services tend to take more hands to pull together all the details, and numerous volunteers are needed . Normal Sunday volunteer roles are multiplied; more greeters, more children’s ministry volunteers, and more parking attendants.

Here are a few roles you could implement for holidays or special events:

Fellowship volunteer: have this person pick up donuts, snacks, or bake cookies, and prepare coffee for a table at the front of the event. Great opportunities for this are at Christmas services, Easter services, special events, or group meetings.

Carnival volunteer: have someone volunteer to set up or tear down games, run a face painting booth, or host a table of crafts.

Handyman: know a dad or granddad (or lady!) who is great with a hammer? Put them to work building things, helping with set designs for special holiday programs.

Set up and tear down: this person is particularly vital if you are a portable church, but you will always need someone to fold up chairs and direct others where they go or reorganize rows of chairs into the right order. This person could also make sure all the technical parts are put away and secured.

Children’s ministry holiday volunteer: this person could help organize holiday parties, make valentines or Halloween treats, find creative holiday-themed programming for Sunday school or church preschool classes, help make laminated or cutout projects, organize supplies and colored paper, and so much more.

Organizer for Christmas child boxes: Operation Christmas Child is a fantastic way to get little kids excited about being generous during the holidays. This person could set up a way for people to get assigned to a box, turn it in, make sure all the pieces are correctly submitted, and coordinate mailing them off. This person could also do similar volunteering roles with an Angel Tree or caring for a specific family or coordinating with a homeless shelter to bless a family during the holidays. Another great way to do this is to organize a “Christmas in a box” - including presents, dry goods/ingredients for a Christmas dinner, ornaments, lights, and a small faux tree to deliver to someone who otherwise wouldn’t have a Christmas .

Organizer for holiday military care packages: deployed servicemen and women are appreciative of care packages, especially at the holidays. Have someone coordinate and organize supplies, packing, shipping, and all the details to keep track of who and where to send it, and what you can and can’t send. This could be several volunteer roles, too.

Christmas decorating volunteer: include someone who has a great taste for design and decor in decorating and trimming the entire church with Christmas cheer!

Easter egg hunt egg stuffer volunteer: this person is vital to a successful egg hunt . Several volunteers could make a great assembly line of stuffing candy and treats into plastic eggs.

Children’s Christmas program/play director volunteer: designate your theater teacher/play director/actor/actress at your church to pull off the best Christmas Pageant ever.

Other special events that your church puts on will all take many hands to pull off. You might be surprised who will step up to volunteer when they can commit just a few hours.

2. Family-Oriented Volunteer Opportunities

Opportunities that invite the whole family to join in will allow those with young children to serve alongside teens and their parents. Whether it’s inviting whole families to greet on Sunday mornings, or intentionally creating outreach projects for families of all ages, these opportunities will help to include those who might not be able to commit to other volunteer projects.

This might involve entire family-friendly mission trips: everyone can do something, whether that’s building walls, pulling weeds, or serving dinner at the end of the day. Regardless of capability, age, or experience, there’s always a job for everyone.

Family-oriented volunteer opportunities - or really any volunteer opportunity - don't have to be limited to only Sundays and Wednesdays. Try incorporating weekday or weeknight opportunities to serve and you may just find a whole new set of ready and willing volunteers.

Shut-in communion ministry: this is a really cool opportunity to bring a little of the church service to someone who can’t physically make it to church. As a family, you could talk to your communion team at church who will equip you with juice, bread, and maybe even a short liturgy to go.

Volunteer to take cards to a nursing home: Kids can make cards and pictures/drawings to share with folks at a nursing home. Your visit and something to hang on their wall will stay with them a long time after you leave.

Pet therapy volunteer: if you have a qualified pet, get involved in visiting those in your congregation that is in a nursing home or assisted living. Kids and cute pets will always brighten someone’s day and share Jesus' love.

Volunteering at a food bank or clothes closet: kids and parents alike can help sort clothes and pack or assemble food kits.

Have a one-day mission trip in your community and do some yard work: raking leaves, picking up sticks, mowing grass, planting flowers or plants, repainting buildings, etc.

Volunteering during church-wide “mission week”: Lots of churches have a church-wide mission-driven initiative to get everyone involved in short-term mission projects around their community. There are tons of roles under this umbrella:

Volunteer as a family to read a scripture passage and light an Advent candle.

Collect unused make-up, perfume, and other cosmetics, as well as clothes and shoes, for a center for abused women – this small gesture can mean the world to them. They can dress up with clothes and makeup which will help them feel better for the holidays.

Distribute leaf bags during the fall – this will encourage residents to clean leaves from their streets and yards. If it’s snowing where you are, offer to clean an elderly or sick neighbor’s driveway after the snowfall.

Read a book to someone who is not able to – this one is also for older kids. Are there people in the local seniors’ home who are blind or have other disabilities so that they are not able to read? You can bring some joy into their lives, by reading a book to them.

Put together hygiene kits to pass out to the local homeless shelters – you can request donations in your community of mini soaps and shampoos and other things like hand sanitizer and tissue. Get your friends and family involved to make an assembly line to get them done faster.

3. Short-Term Commitment

Many opportunities to serve require a long-term commitment. Serving communion, reading scripture, and having an “extras” list for Children’s classes are all great opportunities to invite new volunteers to join. However, it can often feel intimidating to commit to a team setting with no limit on how long someone might serve. Brainstorm ways to invite volunteers into large and small spaces or activities, places where they can use their gifts to glorify God but in a way that is sustainable for them.

Usher: Especially great for more traditional churches, this person could help people find their seats, especially if they came in late and are nervous about finding a place to sit without disrupting the service. This person could also be in charge of bulletins, devices for hearing assistance, collection plates, and giving a cue to an acolyte to head down the aisle.

Greeter: Post someone at the front door with a smile and a name badge that says “here to help!” It’s the ultimate welcome and good morning to have someone open the door for you and ask you how you are.

Connection table: this person is ready to answer questions about small groups, community groups, service times, where and how to give, how to serve, and more. This volunteer is crucial to helping visitors and members take the next step on their journey toward discipleship.

Kid’s check-in volunteer: Designate someone to run an iPad or tablet to check kids into Sunday school or childcare services to make sure the children's area is safe and secure.

Coffee ministry: this is often the first table people stop at on their way into church. Have someone ready to make coffee, refill coffee, and make sure the coffee is full and hot before every service.

Roaming greeter:  this person plays a key role. They are roaming around the sanctuary intentionally looking for newcomers, first-time visitors, or people sitting by themselves. If it’s your first day at a new church, there’s nothing more intimidating than sitting by yourself as people mill around and chat before the service starts. A friendly face is a new friend and an immediate point of connection and inclusion, especially if you have discipleship or new member structures to introduce people to community groups or membership at the church.

Parking volunteer: Park (pun intended) someone in the parking lot to direct cars to parking in the most efficient manner, and designate another member to have an umbrella on the sidewalk to accompany people if the weather is bad. Another idea is to create a “parking ministry” to facilitate the opportunity for members to either pick up, drop off or carpool with other church members. They can even drive a golf cart from the parking lot to the front door in bad weather or if someone needs assistance walking.

Security volunteer: this person has a simple but important job. If you have a lot of entrances and lots of kids running around, this person stands guard at the door (or doors) and makes sure no kids escape, and that anyone coming in is supposed to be there. This is especially relevant if you live in a big city or in a neighborhood where you might have lots of people who aren’t regular members. They also act as the first person to call if there is an emergency.

Communion volunteer:   Perhaps you could wait until Sunday morning to ask someone to help serve communion. They may not be able to commit to a particular schedule, but if they are already there, they will most likely be willing. This person could also make sure the bread is broken into pieces and juice is restocked for each service, and the cups and trays are collected and cleaned.

Breakfast team: You may ask this person the night before Sunday to pick up or organize breakfast for the worship band or any volunteers or staff that have to get there early on Sundays and stay for most of the day. If your church has the budget for it, you could even arm this person with a gift card and tell them to pick up breakfast tacos or donuts specifically for the early morning teams.

4. Create specific volunteer positions for key needs

There are likely some volunteer opportunities that you don’t have yet because you may not have needed or thought of them yet. Thinking through ways to find volunteer positions for unique positions can help you expand your volunteer base and give people with unique skill sets a chance to jump in.

Disaster Response Coordinator: This person would oversee all volunteer efforts that pertain to the crisis, like home repairs and temporary shelters, as well as oversee supply and donation coordination. If a tragedy strikes your community, the Body of Christ should be on the front lines of offering hope and healing to those impacted. In a time of crisis, the church needs to be proactive, not reactive. Good fits would be former or current first responders, military professionals, event planners, or public safety officials.

Stewardship Director: This could easily transition into a full-time role if needed. Stewardship of your church’s resources is vital, and so is the stewardship of its personal finances. The Stewardship Director would be a trusted advisor to the church and the congregants, with experience and expertise to lead the “business side” of the church with major financial decisions and debt management. Good fits would be financial planners, investment professionals, banking executives, and retirement planning experts.  

Community Liaison: This role would be the eyes and ears of the church in the community. We often hear stories of churches that are full of people ready and willing to serve their community, but simply lack the knowledge of where to start. This person would network with public officials to stay in touch with current needs in the community or connect with local clubs, scouting organizations, and nonprofits to create partnerships in supporting the community.  When a need arises, this person should coordinate and provide volunteers with opportunities to serve the community. He/she should also find and organize resources that are needed within the community. Who would be a good fit? Retirees, local entrepreneurs, retired city officials, and community organizers.

5. Think outside the box

Don’t be afraid to get creative with these types of opportunities. These opportunities may require some out-of-the-box thinking, but they’re likely to end up as special volunteer roles that emphasize the unique strengths of your congregation.

Know someone who is a great baker? Have them bake the communion bread. This is a low-key way to get someone involved creatively using their unique gifts, and it is also a low-key commitment that may get them thinking of more ways they’d like to be involved.

Is your church located in an ESL community? Find someone who is gifted in linguistics and have them teach an English bible study or class to help reach non-native English speakers in the church.

Are there other kinds of artists in your church body? Technical/AV-gifted members in your congregation could help with lights and videos during worship.

Photographers, painters, sculptors, and other visual artists could display their work in the halls of the church

Photographers could also lend their creative eye to taking pictures for baptisms or events. Think beyond the worship band and see how you can utilize other creative skills that are represented in your church community.

You may find a need for a new fitness class taught by a qualified fitness instructor to create fellowship and friendship through working out.

Pastoral care roles with counseling, phone calls, home visits and more are another great way to get those who love to sit and visit or pray with people involved. It is also a great way to take a burden off the pastoral clergy staff at the same time.

Start a Military Ministry and have a volunteer organize events, especially focused small groups or support groups, and parent’s night outs for single parents of military spouses. A great fit for this would be a retired military couple or even a younger couple who has already experienced these unique seasons of life.

Similar to the Military Ministry, you could also start a single-parent ministry and have volunteers organize a babysitting directory, fun kid-friendly events, support groups, and more.

Church office volunteers: sometimes the most cheerful part of a visit to a church during the middle of the week is the smiling volunteer answering the phones and helping coordinate all the day-to-day office activities of the church office.

Bulletin folding volunteer: if you don’t already get your bulletins folded, this is a great job for a team of volunteers. They could stock the sanctuary with Sunday bulletins and make sure all the pew cards are restocked.

Marriage mentoring: this is a great volunteer opportunity for a married couple, maybe a retired couple, to share some wisdom with newly married or engaged couples. This will create friendships and mentorships to last a lifetime. They could also organize a list of books and resources your church recommends for marriage and relationship enrichment and growth.

Meal ministry: have someone coordinate an ongoing calendar of people in the hospital, having surgery or babies, and delegate to others to make meals, deliver food, and make sure they are cared for well while they’re focused on other things.

Church van and bus ministry: You could have these volunteers take the buses and vans for regular maintenance, make sure they have gas, etc. This could also include golf carts if applicable.

ASL interpreter for services: if you have someone in your church who speaks sign language, this is a great way to bless those in your congregation who are deaf or handicapped.

Mercy Ministry Team: This person could walk alongside individuals from the community who approach the church for benevolence.

Special Needs Buddy: This person could provide one-on-one or small group assistance, support, and friendship to a child with a special need in an inclusive class setting.

Utilizing volunteers in a variety of roles is vital not only for a church and its growth, but also an important way to connect with your congregation. By having a wide range of opportunities, your church will have a better chance of connecting with people who cannot make a consistent commitment or may be struggling to find the best way to utilize their gifts.

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Smart Church Management

Helping Churches Manage Their People, Time And Money

12 Things Volunteers Expect

June 29, 2020 by Patricia Lotich, MBA

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

Volunteers give of their time to help a church fulfill its mission and have basic expectations.

Successful volunteer programs can create a positive work experience by providing organization and support to the volunteer and their job assignments.

People who donate their time naturally expect to have a positive experience.

Effective volunteer management incorporates many things that contribute to a positive experience for the volunteer.

1. Organization

We all know that some people are more organized than others, but most would agree that everyone appreciates organized systems and processes – because they make our lives easier.

Think about going to the doctor’s office. Imagine the clerk behind the desk is buried under piles of paper and can’t seem to find the paperwork for your visit.

Or, imagine going to a lender to sign loan papers, and the employee digs pieces of paper from here and there, trying to gather all of the documents.

This kind of disorder frustrates everyone and doesn’t elicit confidence in the process.

2. Good Use of Time

Volunteers generously give up their time but want to use that time wisely.

When volunteers show up for a scheduled shift, they want to be productive and make their time count.

This requires ensuring there are enough people to do a project but also that there are enough job tasks to keep those people busy while they are there.

It is important to think through all job duties and make sure volunteers know what to do by providing a volunteer job description , and the approximate time it will take to accomplish the task.

Overestimating or underestimating the time it will take to accomplish a task can be a negative, but if you error on the side of overestimating the time needed, volunteers may finish sooner than expected and have the option of going home early.

When things take longer than planned, it can conflict with other commitments volunteers have and possibly make them think twice the next time an opportunity to help is presented to them.

For example, three volunteers have been recruited to plant flowers around the church campus. 

They are asked to show up to help from 9:00 am to noon. 

When they arrive, it’s important to have someone there waiting for them with all the supplies (plants, gloves, hand shovel, mulch, etc.) staged and ready to go.

If the volunteers show up and no one is there to greet them, it could result in wasting valuable (free labor) time. 

In addition to it wasting time, it can also result in having a negative impact on the volunteer experience.

But when volunteers are eagerly greeted and put to work upon arrival, they benefit from the good feeling that comes with accomplishing something significant for the church.  Hence – a good use of their time!

3. Clear Expectations

Volunteers are very much like employees in that when they come to work, they want a clear understanding of what is expected of them. 

The more clear and concise the direction, the more comfortable the volunteer will be in completing their assigned tasks.

For example, a volunteer might be assigned to empty trash cans during an event.

Vague expectations :  “You’re assigned to emptying the trash cans.”

Clear expectations :  “You’re assigned to empty the trash cans around the campus.  There are 15 cans located here (shown on the map).  Please empty them once an hour and take the full bags of trash to the dumpster on the backside of the building (shown on the map). The trash bags and gloves are located in the janitor’s closet (shown on map).  If you have any questions or perhaps need help with a heavy can, please go to the information booth and have them radio the set-up team leader, whose name is Jack.  Do you have any questions?”

The more detail you can provide, the more the volunteer helps in two ways. 

It answers their questions before they think to ask them, and it eliminates being asked the same questions by multiple people during an event.

A clear job description, training on job duties, and a mentor (go-to person) are critical to this.

4. Job Training

Whether a volunteer is scheduled to work in the nursery, usher, or greet guests, there is a basic expectation that they will receive the necessary training to do their job tasks.

This includes a global understanding of the church, specific departmental training, and lastly, job-specific training. 

All three areas should be covered to ensure the volunteer is comfortable performing their job duties.

For example, if a volunteer is scheduled to work in the nursery, they will need training on sanitation procedures, drop off/pick up procedures, child discipline protocol, and emergency response before they begin their first shift.

Proper volunteer training helps them feel confident in completing their job duties and fosters a great worker experience.

5. Involved In The Process

Church volunteers are those people who are committed to the organization and have a passion for its mission. 

Because of this, they have a vested interest in the systems and processes that make the church happen. 

Allowing volunteers to share thoughts, ideas, and opinions helps them feel valued and keeps them engaged.

For example, if a volunteer works in the nursery and is given the opportunity to offer suggestions on how to improve how the children are ministered to, they feel valued and involved in the organization. 

In addition, the volunteers who do the day-to-day job tasks often have great ideas for improvement.

6. Feel Appreciated

Recognizing a volunteer’s contribution and showing appreciation is critical to volunteer oversight . 

Volunteers give many hours of free labor and have a basic expectation that there is some level of appreciation for what they do.

A simple thank you once in a while goes a long, long way in showing someone that their efforts have been recognized and are appreciated.

7. Part Of A Team

Church members volunteer for many reasons, but one of the biggest motivators is the sense of community that comes with working with other congregants.

Feeling like one is part of a team is a major motivator for people, and providing the environment that fosters that social interaction is key to a positive experience.

8. Care About Them As A Person

Whether the volunteer is new to the church or has been around for a while, everyone wants to know they are cared about on a personal level.

Volunteers love when they are encouraged to talk about their family and their personal lives, and when church leadership takes an interest in them. 

This sense of belonging helps to foster relationships that are invaluable in times of personal crisis.

9. Consistent Communication

I’m a firm believer that there can never be too much communication. 

We often experience information overload, but volunteers appreciate consistent flows of information.

This is achieved by creating a predictable and consistent communication process, so volunteers know when to expect what kinds of information.

For example, volunteer schedules can be done monthly, quarterly, or annually – it doesn’t matter. 

What does matter is ensuring that the volunteer knows when to expect the schedule in the mail.

If the communication and information flow is unpredictable, the volunteer may not have the needed information in a timely manner. 

It is important to communicate when and how the information will be shared. 

This helps them to be prepared and can be done as part of the volunteer orientation process .

10. Fix What’s Broken

Volunteers are the hands and feet of the church and are down in the trenches doing the work.  

Therefore, they have a good understanding of what is working and what is not. 

These workers appreciate when they are given the opportunity to point out areas that may need to be fixed and the assurance that they will be.

For example, a volunteer in the parking ministry may use radio headsets to communicate with each other. 

If a worker points out that some of the equipment is malfunctioning, they should be assured that it will be fixed within a reasonable amount of time.

Employees and volunteers alike should be given the (functioning) tools to perform their job duties. 

It is important to fix the problems that cause worker frustration and make job assignments easier.

11. Follow Through On Promises Made

A leader’s credibility is built on their ability to do what they say and say what they do.

This means every area of leadership, but specifically on promises made.

When an organization makes a promise to do something, employees and volunteers expect that promise to be followed up on, and if things change, they expect to be communicated the why there was a change in direction.

12. Error-Free Process, Documents, And Follow Through

Volunteers enjoy helping an organization that takes pride in everything that it does, and the credibility of a church is built on its ability to create and maintain a professional environment.

Churches that are committed to quality by continually improving their systems and processes strive not for perfection but for professionalism – which volunteers and church members alike appreciate.

This includes things like a volunteer application that is free from errors and typos or an application process that is streamlined and efficient.

For example, a volunteer has just completed a volunteer application , gets a phone call interviewing them and asking about job interests, and are told that they will receive a schedule in a welcome packet within a week. 

Three or four weeks go by, and the volunteer doesn’t hear anything and wonders what happened.  It is important for systems to support a positive experience.

The volunteer department is responsible for making sure that volunteer interactions are positive and that every effort is made to provide an efficient, error-free, and responsible communication to the volunteer.

Volunteer labor is the engine of any church, ministry, or nonprofit. 

Thinking about what volunteers need and expect in exchange for their time commitment is an important step in making sure they have a great volunteer experience. 

Talking to volunteers and asking how the organization can improve their experience is one of the best ways to flush this information out. 

Meeting the expectations of this valuable group of people can go a long way in recruiting and retaining a church’s free labor force.

Does your leadership need to learn church administration skills?

About Patricia Lotich, MBA

Patricia Lotich is a Certified Manager of Quality and Organizational Excellence through the American Society for Quality and is the author of Smart Church Management: A Quality Approach to Church Administration . She helps churches fulfill their mission by managing their resources of - people, time and money.

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Church of England head Justin Welby resigns after sex abuse coverup controversy

Archbishop of canterbury's resignation follows outcry over abuse at christian summer camps.

Archbishop of Canterbury resigns over child sex abuse scandal

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Justin Welby, the head of the Church of England and spiritual leader of the global Anglican Communion, has resigned after an investigation found he failed to inform police about serial physical and sexual abuse by a volunteer at Christian summer camps as soon as he became aware of it.

Pressure had been building on the Archbishop of Canterbury after release of the finding kindled anger about a lack of accountability at the highest reaches of the church. Some members of the General Synod, the church's national assembly, started a petition calling for Welby to step down, saying he had "lost the confidence of his clergy."

"I believe that stepping aside is in the best interests of the Church of England, which I dearly love and which I have been honoured to serve," he said in a statement.

The strongest outcry came from the victims of John Smyth.

Smyth, who died in South Africa in 2018 at age 75, physically, sexually, psychologically and spiritually abused about 30 boys and young men in the U.K. and 85 in Africa over five decades, a 251-page report released last week and commissioned by the church found. Smyth is believed to be the most prolific serial abuser associated with the church.

‘Horrific allegations’ in Church of England report, U.K. PM says

Archbishop knew of abuse claims a decade ago

Andrew Morse, who was repeatedly beaten by Smyth over a period of five years, said that resigning was a chance for Welby to start repairing the damage caused by the church's handling of historical abuse cases more broadly.

"I believe that now is an opportunity for him to resign,'' Morse told the BBC before Welby stepped down. "I say opportunity in the sense that this would be an opportunity for him to stand with the victims of the Smyth abuse and all victims that have not been treated properly by the Church of England in their own abuse cases."

Welby's resignation comes against the backdrop of widespread historical sexual abuse in the Church of England. A 2022 report found that deference to the authority of priests, taboos surrounding the discussion of sexuality and a culture that gave more support to alleged perpetrators than their victims helped make the Church of England "a place where abusers could hide."

A secret report of the Smyth abuse was compiled by a minister in 1982 and other church officers were aware of it, but police were never contacted, last week's Makin Report said.

Church officials, including Welby, had another opportunity to report Smyth — and prevent any potential further abuse — when they learned of it in 2013, the report said.

Welby, who attended the Christian camps and had known Smyth, said he was unaware of the abuse before 2013.

"Nevertheless, the review is clear that I personally failed to ensure that after disclosure in 2013 the awful tragedy was energetically investigated," Welby said last week. The report said that if Smyth had been reported to police at that time, it could have uncovered the truth and led to a possible criminal conviction.

"Despite the efforts of some individuals to bring the abuse to the attention of authorities, the responses by the Church of England and others were wholly ineffective and amounted to a coverup," Keith Makin, who led the review, said in the report.

Word of Smyth's abuse was not made public until a 2017 investigation from Britain's Channel 4.

Smyth moved to Zimbabwe in 1984 and later relocated to South Africa. He continued to abuse boys and young men in Zimbabwe, and there is evidence that the abuse continued in South Africa until he died in August 2018.

Leader of world's 85 million Anglicans

Welby's position has put him in the spotlight in the past two years, in church ceremonies surrounding the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the coronation of King Charles.

• Archbishop of Canterbury promises release of residential school records in England following survivors' calls
• Church of England apologizes, admits it 'colluded' with bishop to hide sexual abuse

Now 68, he was made the senior prelate of the Church of England in 2013, becoming the spiritual head of 85 million Anglicans in 165 countries.

Welby was cheered by admirers for his vocal campaigning on societal issues such as fighting poverty, and had been very open about his own past, including discussing his parents' struggle with alcoholism and his own temptation to self-harm.

Statement from the Archbishop of Canterbury.<a href="https://t.co/aNnuLBMapo">https://t.co/aNnuLBMapo</a> <a href="https://t.co/pIIR1911QU">pic.twitter.com/pIIR1911QU</a> &mdash; @JustinWelby

But his tenure covered a decade of major upheaval in which he was forced to navigate rows over homosexual rights and women clerics between liberal churches, mostly in North America and Britain, and their conservative counterparts, especially in Africa.

His successor's main challenges will include holding together the increasingly fractious worldwide Anglican community and attempting to reverse a decline in church attendance, which is down a fifth in Britain since 2019.

Church procedures for the appointment of a new archbishop of Canterbury require a body of clerics and a chair, nominated by the British prime minister, to put two names forward to him.

With files from Reuters

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Church of england leader who married harry and meghan resigns over pedophile scandal.

The head of the Church of England who married Prince Harry and Meghan Markle said Tuesday he will resign after a stinging report found he did not act quickly enough to help stop a heinous serial pedophile.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby — who as head of the church also presided over the coronation of King Charles III and the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II — said he is stepping down over the revolting crimes of then-church-camp operator John Smyth.

Welby said in a statement that the Makin Report, an independent probe into the sick scandal that was released Friday, “has exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the heinous abuses” that Smyth, who died in 2018, committed in Britain and South Africa. 

As many as 130 boys and young men in Britain and Africa are believed to have been sexually abused by Smyth, who operated children’s camps connected to the Church of England, which Welby has led since 2013.

“When I was informed in 2013 and told that police had been notified, I believed wrongly that an appropriate resolution would follow,” said Welby, who also leads the global Anglican Communion, of which the US’s Episcopal Church is a member.

“It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and re-traumatizing period between 2013 and 2024,” the cleric said.

The Makin Report set off a firestorm in Britain, although Welby initially said he would not resign. Then pressure mounted over the weekend.

Welby’s office told The Post that the “precise timings” of his departure would be announced after “a review of [his] necessary obligations.”

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My Volunteer Experience ; feeding the hungry at a church /Common App

dumi 1 / 6795   Dec 15, 2012   #2 Any opportunity to perform an act of kindness, be it large or small, thrilled me. You are a good guy! :) Good start :) I was able to gain experience for this by volunteering at the Emanuel Baptist Church Feed the Hungry Program. I volunteered at the Emanuel Baptist Church Feed the Hungry Program. During this time I assisted in preparing meels, setting tables, and greeting people at the door. ...."During this time" - no need to say because it's implied. Each Wednesday, there would come a time when everyone was sitting down eating and all the volunteers knew that no one else would come in for a while . I dont get your ideas in the highlighted part :(

zdv 12 / 68   Dec 15, 2012   #3 i think it is very genuine. i like your writing and it conveys the emotions you have. very well for an extra-curricular essay.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigns amid sexual abuse case—Who is he? What’s the scandal? All you need to know

Archbishop of canterbury justin welby resigned amid a sexual abuse scandal after failing to report a volunteer's abuse to authorities. his resignation follows an independent investigation revealing that his inaction allowed further abuse..

Britain Church of England Abuse FILE - The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, addresses the media during a press conference in Canterbury, England, Friday, Jan. 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File) (Frank Augstein/AP)

LONDON — (AP) — Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, head of the Church of England and spiritual leader of the global Anglican Communion, resigned Tuesday after an investigation found that he failed to tell police about serial physical and sexual abuse by a volunteer at Christian summer camps as soon as he became aware of it.

Pressure on Welby had been building since Thursday, when the archbishop’s refusal to accept responsibility for his failure to report the abuse in England and in Africa in 2013 kindled anger about a lack of accountability at the highest reaches of the church. By Tuesday afternoon, Welby acknowledged that mistake.

“It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatizing period between 2013 and 2024,” Welby said in the statement announcing his resignation. “I believe that stepping aside is in the best interests of the Church of England, which I dearly love and which I have been honored to serve.”

Welby’s resignation will send ripples around the world. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the symbolic head of the Anglican Communion, which has more than 85 million members in 165 countries, including the Episcopal Church in the United States. While each national church has its own leaders, the Archbishop of Canterbury is considered first among equals.

Welby, a former oil executive who left the industry in 1989 to study for the priesthood, was a controversial figure even before the scandal. A skilled mediator who has worked to resolve conflicts in Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa, he struggled to unite the Anglican Communion, which has been riven by sharply divergent views on issues such as gay rights and the place of women in the church.

The Church of England on Thursday released the results of an independent investigation into the late John Smyth, a prominent attorney who the report said sexually, psychologically and physically abused about 30 boys and young men in the United Kingdom and 85 in Africa from the 1970s until his death in 2018.

The 251-page report of the Makin Review concluded that Welby failed to report Smyth to authorities when he was informed of the abuse in August 2013, soon after he became Archbishop of Canterbury. Had he done so, Smyth could have been stopped sooner and many victims could have been spared the abuse, the inquiry found.

Welby said he didn’t inform law enforcement agencies about the abuse because he was wrongly told that police were already investigating. Even so, he took responsibility for not ensuring that the allegations were pursued as “energetically” as they should have been.

As late as Monday, Welby’s office said he had decided not to resign, even as he expressed his “horror at the scale of John Smyth’s egregious abuse.”

Helen-Ann Hartley, the bishop of Newcastle, said Welby’s position had become “untenable” after some members of the General Synod, the Church of England’s national assembly, started a petition calling on him to step down because he had “lost the confidence of his clergy.”

But the strongest outcry came from Smyth’s victims. Andrew Morse, who was repeatedly beaten by Smyth over five years, said resigning was a chance for Welby to start repairing the damage caused by the church’s broader handling of historical abuse cases.

“I believe that now is an opportunity for him to resign,’’ Morse told the BBC before Welby stepped down.

Welby’s resignation comes against the backdrop of widespread historical sexual abuse in the Church of England. A 2022 report by the Independent Inquiry Child Sexual Abuse found that deference to the authority of priests, taboos surrounding the discussion of sexuality and a culture that gave more support to alleged perpetrators than their victims helped make the Church of England “a place where abusers could hide.”

Welby’s supporters had argued that he should remain on the job because of his role in changing the culture of the church.

Church officials were first made aware of Smyth’s abuse in 1982, when they received the results of an internal investigation into complaints about his behavior at Christian summer camps in England. The recipients of that report “participated in an active cover-up” to prevent its findings from coming to light, the Makin Review found.

Smyth moved to Zimbabwe in 1984 and later relocated to South Africa. He abused boys and young men in Zimbabwe, and there is evidence that the abuse continued in South Africa until he died in August 2018, the investigation found.

Smyth’s actions weren't made public until a 2017 investigation by Britain’s Channel 4 television station, which led police in Hampshire to start an investigation. Police were planning to question Smyth at the time of his death and had been preparing to extradite him.

Stephen Cherry, dean of the chapel at King’s College Cambridge, said Welby could no longer represent the people.

“There are circumstances in which something happens whereby a person in a position of prominent leadership essentially loses the trust and the confidence and the capacity to do that really wonderful thing that someone like an archbishop does, which is represent everyone at a certain moment publicly,’’ Cherry told the BBC before Welby resigned.

“And the pain in the victim community and the history of not listening to people and not responding to people who are profoundly hurt by those in positions of power means that this is no longer a person who can carry the representative role of that office.”

Associated Press Writer Jill Lawless contributed.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Church of England head Justin Welby resigns over handling of sex abuse scandal

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Mary Theresa (Terry) Webb is director of Theodosian Ministries, Princeton, New Jersey, and serves on the advisory councils of Christian Recovery International, Brea, California, and the British-based International Substance Abuse and Addiction Coalition.

Terry Webb, Derevo Obnovlennoi Zhizni [Tree of Renewed Life] (on the Christian roots of 12-step programs)