Volunteer Appreciation

I am truly grateful for the volunteerism that happens at Jubilee Church St. Louis. Week in and week out, hundreds of hours are logged collectively by more than 120 people. The other day I got curious and figured out that if we paid minimum wage for every volunteer hour (and most of our volunteer jobs are worth far more), it would cost the church nearly $100,000 per year! But more than saving a few bucks, the high level of volunteerism has enabled us to reach more people and participate more in life transformation. Our children's ministry, that is almost exclusively run by volunteers, has effected the lives of hundreds of kids. All of our graphic designers are volunteers and have helped us communicate our message and have been instrumental in attracting and gathering. Our Sunday morning teams are all volunteers and show such great hospitality and create a warm friendly environment (which, by the way, is the first thing people mention in describing our church). And the list of life-impacting volunteerism goes on and on.

Some might say, "God doesn't need us. He can build the church just fine on His own." To that, I would say a big, "Amen!" However, let us never use God's sovereignty as an excuse for our apathy. God could do it all by Himself, but He hasn't choosen to do it that way. It must be that it's such a thrill and a joy to participate in changing someone's life for all eternity, He wanted to let us in on it.

So if you have every volunteered at Jubilee, thank you for doing so. If you haven't joined the fun yet, what are you waiting for?