Ways to Encourage #10 - Volunteer Your Time

This is the last suggestion I have for the "Ways to Encourage" series. This one focuses on volunteering our time to help others.

Places to Volunteer Your Time 

1. Serve in the church of your choice.

• Music (Singing or Instrumental)
• Worship Team
• Teaching / Preaching
• Leadership
• Nursery
• Children’s Ministry
• Senior’s Ministry
• Ladies Ministry
• Men’s Group
• Youth Group
• Kitchen help
• Library
• Yardwork Janitorial services, Maintenance
• Various committees: Flowers, Hospitality, Missions, Christian Education, etc.

2. Serve in a community organization

• Boy Scouts / Girl Scouts
• 4-H Club
• Food pantry

3. Serve in a school setting

• Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
• School Cafeteria
• Classroom help
• Plan events for local Homeschool group

4. Be part of a mentor program.

• After-school program
• Big Brothers / Big Sisters

5. Christmas

• Fill shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child (Franklin Graham’s ministry)
• Choose a child from the local Angel Tree
• Donate to Toys for Tots

6. Those who enjoy writing, develop articles for:

• Christian magazines
• Newsletters
• Blogs 

7. Those who are musically talented, begin a music ministry.

• Local church
• Travel to other churches
• Conferences
• Community events

8. For MORE ideas, check out these websites:

• Christianvolunteering.org can help you find a volunteer opportunity in your area. 
• Volunteermatch.org is a website that provides ideas for using your talents to help others. 
• Mintools.com has resources to help equip Christians for service. 
• Missionfinder.org gives a list of Christian mission opportunities.

I know there are TONS more opportunites that I haven't listed, but I hope I've at least given you some ideas to start thinking about.... and, I pray this entire series has been a useful tool to encourage and inspire you with ideas on how to reach out to family, friends, neighbors, and the community.

No matter what you decide to do, always remember to have fun with encouragement!

Galatians 6:9-10 And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.