Ministry Involvement FAQ

Common Questions about Sunday Ministry Involvement:
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(1) Will my kids be okay in three-hours of children’s ministry if I commit to serve on Sunday mornings?  Won’t they get bored?

  A: Our children’s ministry team works hard to keep the kids engaged through three-hours of ministry.  The teachers from each hour teach different material, and the classes incorporate live music, activities, crafts, and playtime to keep the kids involved.  Ultimately, children pick up on our attitudes as parents about church involvement.  If we have a good attitude about staying for three hours, our kids will begin to understand how important church life is to our family and develop a positive attitude toward church.

 
(2) What if I can’t commit to be at church every weekend because I travel some for work or family reasons?

  A: We all have conflicts that keep us out of church from time to time, but ministry involvement is a commitment.  We all make time for what is most important to us, and each family has to evaluate the importance of church-involvement for them.  Different ministries have various requirements, some needing weekly consistency, and some needing early or extra hours.  Before you commit to a ministry area, make sure to evaluate your priorities and your availability.

 
(3) What if I have young kids that need naps and/or meals on Sunday mornings?  Won’t Sunday service negatively impact my family life?

  A:  Staying at church through both hours of worship does have the potential to tire out young kids.  However, many families find that they take great naps when they get home from church!  Also, kids tend to adjust to the expectations that parents set for them.  The children’s ministry teachers make sure to feed snacks to the kids during second-hour in order to win the hunger battle.



 
(4) What if I’m going through hard things personally right now and need some time to just get fed myself?

  A:  Times of deep hurt and dryness may dictate that we take a break in order to re-energize.  However, the danger can come when challenging times lead us to completely withdraw and retreat from the life of the church.  It is during hard times that we most need to stay connected to others in the body.  We believe that the right ministry involvement can help us stay connected to other believers and grow spiritually, even during tough times.


 
(5) What if I already serve outside of Sunday morning?  Does the church leadership expect me to do two ministries?

  A:  As a church, we generally ask people to prayerfully find a primary and secondary ministry.  A primary ministry is one that uses your spiritual gifts and energizes you as you serve.  Primary ministries tend to be more time-demanding and usually involve preparation during the week before Sunday morning.  A secondary ministry may not involve use of your primary spiritual gift, but will more likely be one through which you can help the body with only a small commitment of time.  Secondary ministries require no preparation for Sunday morning.  A good example of the primary/secondary ministry distinction is a small-group shepherd who also serves as a greeter on Sunday morning.


 
(6) Won’t serving on Sundays take away from our family time, which is so important to us because of our busy schedule during the week?

  A:  As a church, we affirm parents’ role in the home as their highest calling.  However, parents are not hurting their kids by serving in ministry.  In fact, they are doing just the opposite – helping their kids learn very early in life how important church involvement is to healthy spiritual growth.  For most families, the commitments that negatively impact family-time are not 90-minute ministries on Sunday mornings, but other activities.  We encourage families to constantly evaluate their schedule in light of what is most important to them.



 
(7) Why should I consider children’s ministry if I’m not good with kids and am afraid to teach them the Bible?

  A: We understand that not everyone is designed to work with kids.  However, we are not ashamed of our strong sense of calling from God to steward the next generation.  You can work well with kids (or anybody) if you simply have a heart of compassion for them.  Our CM leadership team will equip you with both the skills and curriculum to ensure that you can succeed in the classroom.  We also believe that when you stretch yourself in ministry, God will show you that His grace is sufficient and you will grow spiritually.