Ministry Teams
Our philosophy of service at Grace is pretty simple. The reasoning behind why we do it comes right from the words of Jesus, whose example we are to follow:
"Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave--just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."-Matthew 20:26-28
A Taste
If you are new to this whole serving thing, then this is where you start--with a taste of ministry. This would involve you looking at the various ministry teams and service opportunities here at the church and deciding on one that interests you. At this point you would e-mail that team's leader and tell them that you would like to get a "taste" of what their ministry is like. Each of our ministry teams have a number of entry level opportunities that are designed to give you a good overall feel for what that team is about. In most of them you will be paired up with another volunteer who is already serving on that team, and they will show you the ropes and answer any questions you might have. After this initial experience, you would talk to that ministry team's leader to decide your next steps. You may choose to stick around that team a little while longer to get a better idea of what it's all about, or you might decide that's just not the right fit for you and move on to see what another team tastes like.
Remember however, that the end goal of this process is to help you find a team you can join where you will build meaningful and lasting relationships with the other followers of Christ on that team. God does not mean for you to stay in the tasting stage your entire life.
A Slice
After you've gotten a taste for what ministry is like, and you think you've found a team that's a fit for you, then you're ready to try a "slice" of ministry. At this point you will fill out a ministry application and commit to six weeks worth of service on that particular team. At the end of six weeks, you and your team leader will sit down to evaluate whether or not you still see God directing you to be a long-term member of that particular team. The answer to that question may be a "yes" and it may be a "no". That's what this period of time is all about. During this six weeks you'll get to know the people on that team much better and you'll get a more detailed look at what it means to be a member of that particular team. These are things that just take time to find out and you'll be able know all you need to know to determine if this is the team for you. If at the end of this time, it just doesn't seem like a fit, then we can try something else.
The Whole Pie
If after six weeks, you and your leader are convinced that you are on the right track and that the current team seems like a good fit, then you will become a full-fledged team member, which really just means you continue to build upon the relationships you've established in the first six weeks and you can settle down into your new ministry team home. Commitment periods at this point usually last three to four months or one semester on the academic calendar.
