Volunteer within the Church

Purpose

To provide Christian, Safe Sanctuaries coverage for children during on/off-campus activities (Third Grade Bible Party, VBS 5th Grade Missions Team).

Key Responsibilities

• Volunteer Chaperones may be asked to drive students to and from a location for the off-campus outing (Chick-fil-a, Surge, VBS missions partners).  Chaperones will provide an additional set of “eyes” and be a physical presence for children attending an on/off-campus activity.  Adults are expected to maintain Safe Sanctuaries expectations at all times.  Adults may assist students with meals, games, restroom needs, and supervise all interactions with non-church staff or volunteers during the course of the event.  Chaperones will work closely with the Children’s Director to implement all plans and uphold all expectations for student behavior and goals.

Requirements

• Volunteer Chaperones must have a valid driver’s license and a clean driving record, should they be asked to transport children in their personal vehicles to any off-campus destination.  Volunteers should drive with caution and maintain strong levels of safety within their vehicles at all times.  Children should be carefully chaperoned in, but not limited to, church campus locations, parking lots, restaurants, entertainment venues, and all mission partner venues.  Additionally, chaperones should be prepared to help students with money/debit/credit card purchases as needed, assist with logistics of games/prizes, and with any tasks at mission partner locations.  Chaperones will work closely with the Children’s Director to implement all plans and uphold all expectations for student behavior and goals.

Time Commitment

• Volunteer Chaperones are expected to arrive early for an event, stay with the children at all times during the event, and remain with students upon their return to campus until all children have been safely collected by a parent/guardian. 

Purpose

To help evening programming run smoothly and free the Children’s Director for classroom instruction.  Volunteers will meet food delivery drivers, set up for easy cafeteria meals in McGowin Hall, or cook prepared meals (chicken nuggets, frozen pizzas) in the church kitchen.

Key Responsibilities

• Volunteers would meet food delivery drivers, set up for easy cafeteria meals in McGowin Hall, or cook/assemble prepared meals (chicken nuggets, frozen pizzas, simple salads, fruit) in the church kitchen.  Volunteers would assist children in plating their meals and helping them with food service, as needed.

Requirements

• Volunteers would commit to working one Sunday a month to help with meals for children.

Time Commitment

• Volunteers would commit to working one Sunday a month, twice a semester, or as many Sunday nights as they are able during the semester.  Children’s meals will be served in McGowin at 6:15; volunteers would need to be available for helping as early as 5:15 to 5:30 p.m.  Volunteers would leave after parents and children assist with cleanup, shortly after 6:30 p.m., on those evenings.

Purpose

To support the Children’s Director with all planned programming during the Saturday, Saturday evening, and Sunday morning activities.  These may include crafts, Bible study, skits, family activities, such as nature walks, family crafts, or other games.  Volunteers should plan on working to help children and families understand their relationships with Jesus Christ, and how this manifests itself in the home and greater community, to include school, work, sports, church worship and activities, and broader family and neighbor relationships.

Key Responsibilities

• Volunteers will be prepared for physical work, including nature walks, outdoor/indoor games, the production of skits, and messy crafts.  Volunteers should be comfortable working with a broad range of ages, to include parents, young, and school-aged children in a camp setting.  Volunteers should be dressed for messy play and outside activities, to include a nature walk.  Volunteers will assist with bathroom trips, minor first aid, etc., as needed, following all Safe Sanctuaries guidelines.  Volunteers will not create any programming and can support planning with the Children’s Director.

Requirements

• Volunteers should be physically able to perform physically, to include walking, squatting, kneeling, and sitting on the floor.  Volunteers will work with Children’s Director to implement planning, and should be prepared to pivot to other plans in case of inclement weather, power outages, etc.  Volunteers should be able to commit to working during all of Saturday, Saturday night, or Sunday morning.

Time Commitment

• Volunteers should be prepared to spend the weekend at Camp Blue Lake, to include transportation on one’s own or with other volunteers/family members to and from the camp (about a 2.0 hours’ drive from Mobile, AL).  Volunteers will sleep in a dormitory-style room at Camp Blue Lake (and will provide his/her own bedding and towels), and will use a communal hallway restroom during their stay on the property.  Meals will be served communally and volunteers are expected to eat with the church group on the schedule set by camp administration.  Families arrive and set up their rooms on Friday evening, and some volunteers may be asked to assist the Children’s Director with logistical or other housekeeping tasks on this night.  There is no programming on Friday.  Volunteers will assist with activities on Saturday per the camp calendar, which may include working with children/parents, taking a nature walk, helping with messy crafts, playing games, or performing skits.  Volunteers may be asked to assist with serving meals or snacks, according to camp policy.  Volunteers should plan on spending the night at the camp on Saturday evening.  Breakfast and worship on Sunday morning will be a whole-group activity, and volunteers are free to return to their homes after this concludes.

Purpose

To provide an additional presence and level of care in the nursery/Treehouse for infants and toddlers, and give support to the paid nursery staff professionals as needed.

Key Responsibilities

• Volunteer Nursery Caregivers will work directly with the youngest and most vulnerable of our church’s congregation and the community.  Caregivers will maintain Safe Sanctuaries expectations at all times, and will obey at all times the directions given by the paid nursery staff members.  Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, hygienic care for diapered infants and toddlers (cleaning, changing diapers, disposal of diapers, spills, vomit, mucus), safe disposal of all materials (diapers, wipes, soiled clothing, tissues, other), holding, feeding, rocking, reading to, and playing with infants and toddlers.  Older children will be offered curricula to match their ages and abilities, and volunteer nursery caregivers will assist paid nursery staff in implementing all programming.  Further responsibilities will include cleaning up and sanitizing area (vacuuming floors, wiping down all surfaces, toys, books, etc.).  Additionally, volunteers will be expected to interact appropriately with parents, grandparents, and guardians of infants and toddlers at all times.

Requirements

• Volunteer Nursery Caregivers must be a minimum of eighteen years of age, meet and be familiar with all Safe Sanctuaries guidelines for training and expectations, and will accept direction from paid nursery staff professionals and/or the Children’s Director.  Caregivers should arrive 10 minutes early for any volunteer shift and be ready to work as soon as their shifts begin.  They will serve either in the Nursery or the Treehouse areas, and may be asked to accompany paid staff to the playground, hallways, Gathering Place, McGowin Hall, Moore Hall, or restrooms on hallways as needed.  Caregivers should be in condition physically to squat, bend, lift, hold, rock, and carry infants and toddlers with ease.

Time Commitment

• Volunteer Nursery Caregivers should arrive 10 minutes before shift is scheduled, remain with paid nursery staff during entirety of shift, and assist as needed or directed in any clean-up of the space/s after shift has concluded.

Purpose

To discuss all concerns, goals, implementation, and planning for the Children’s Ministry, to include regular and all special-activity (VBS, Return to School Bash, Trunk or Treat, Birthday Party for Jesus, Christmas Pageant, Palm Sunday, Easter Egg Hunt, End of School Party, Third Grade Bible Outing, Baby Recognition Sunday) activities.  Volunteers are asked to attend meetings at noon in the Library or in Rev. Newell’s office in person/via Zoom links.  Volunteers are asked to assume leadership roles within the ministry and under the guidance of the Children’s Director, and to serve as point people for all special activities during the calendar year.  This volunteer position is one of the most vital in the Children’s Ministry.

Key Responsibilities

• Volunteers will assist in gathering other members of the congregation to serve as volunteers at all special activities, and will help spread the word (word of mouth, socials, small group settings) for upcoming Children’s Ministry needs and events.  Volunteers will work closely with the Children’s Director to make alterations, changes, and additions to programming during the year.

Requirements

• Volunteers will serve on the Parent Council for a minimum period of one year*  Volunteers will attend all scheduled meetings of the Parent Council in person or on Zoom (4-6 Tuesdays at noon in the Library).  Volunteers will maintain confidentiality about any concerns brought to the Council’s attention.  All volunteers should be prepared to assume leadership roles within the ministry and under the guidance of the Children’s Director, and to serve as point people for all special activities during the calendar year.

Time Commitment

• Parent Council volunteers will serve on the Council for a minimum of one year*

Purpose

To enrich regular children’s programming by offering support to special events during the year’s Big Moments, and to help children’s participation in the regular ministry grow because of their involvement in activities beyond the regular scope and sequence curriculum.

Key Responsibilities

• Volunteers would work in conjunction with the Children’s Director to prepare for each event.  Much of this is done in the days or weeks leading up to the event, so volunteers can choose whether they’d like to work on the day of the event itself, or if they’d prefer to get materials ready for the event on work days set aside before any event.  Volunteers can choose to take items home to construct, or can meet at the church to prepare items.  Volunteers wouldn’t purchase any items themselves and would be given clear instructions and all materials and plans by the Children’s Director. 

Requirements

• Volunteers would commit to working either on the day of the event or for work days leading up to the event.

Time Commitment

• Varies widely; some events need minimal prep, while others would require several hours’ worth of work on behalf of each volunteer.

Purpose

To help children recognize their vital importance to the Kingdom of God, to discover, understand, and develop their personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and to assist them in learning more about the community of Christ.  Volunteers serve as role models for children and youth during morning and evening programming.

Key Responsibilities

• Volunteers are asked to sign up for at least two shifts (morning or evening) per parent per household during the semester.  Morning volunteers should travel with the Children’s Director from either McGowin Hall (contemporary) or the Sanctuary (traditional) to the upstairs classroom areas with the students, and should be prepared to maintain Safe Sanctuaries and all  classroom management strategies, supervise outside-of-class trips to the restroom, and to assist with crafts, Bible story, and snacks (if applicable).  Volunteers will work with children of varying ages and ability/maturity/understanding in the same large classroom, and will adjust strategies accordingly (current morning ages are 4K – preK-ready by Sept 1 – through 3rd grade).

• Evening programming volunteers should arrive 15 minutes early to familiarize themselves with schedule, grade level, and lesson plans.  Volunteers should meet the Children’s Director in McGowin Hall to receive clipboard box with all materials needed for the evening.  If possible, all volunteers will be placed with a co-teacher or Nursery staff worker for positions as 4K-5 year/Gardeners, 1st through 3rd grade M&M, or 4th-5th grade JUMP! **summer planning may introduce new fall class for 1st and 2nd graders as well**.  Volunteers will walk children throughout the building to attend music classes downstairs in the music suite, upstairs for all leveled classes, and outside or to Moore Hall for games and recreation.  All children will be escorted to McGowin Hall for dinner together on Sunday nights.

Requirements

• All volunteers should dress for play, should arrive on time, and should have fun!  Volunteers will work with children of many ages and ability/maturity/understanding levels, and should be able/willing to pivot accordingly.  Volunteers should maintain Safe Sanctuaries expectations at all times.  Volunteers may take photos of groups of children, but should not post any pictures (unless the photos are of their children, exclusively) on socials.  The Children’s Director will post all pictures via our church’s socials. 

Time Commitment

• Morning programming volunteers typically work about one hour, either from 9:30/45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., 11:15 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and evening programming volunteers will typically work from 4:15 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.  Volunteers will not leave until all children have been collected by their parents, or until the children are with the Children’s Director for a parent’s emergency later pick-up time.

Purpose

To help children learn about their vital importance to spreading the Good News of Jesus as young Christians, to engage with children and adults as they discover God’s purpose for their lives, to support the Director of Children’s Ministry and the Volunteer coordinator in assigned role during the day/week.

Key Responsibilities

• Attend pre-VBS volunteer meeting, arrive and leave at designated times for all shifts during VBS week, maintain Safe Sanctuaries training at all times, work well with youth and other adult volunteers, help shepherd children to/from/during all activities, refrain from use of technology during all classes/interactions with children and youth, reflect God’s love with cheerfulness, kindness, humor, and gentleness at all times with children, youth, and adults, bring any concerns to attention of Children’s Director

Time Commitment

• Depending upon the role volunteer assumes/is assigned to for the week, this can vary.  Check-in/out volunteers typically work about two hours during each day, Classroom and Connections teachers arrive at the designated start time for VBS and remain with their campers for the entirety of the day, Snack Lunch and Floater volunteers arrive about an hour after VBS starts, and will serve in their assigned capacity through the remainder of the VBS day.