75 Ways You Can Serve Your Church

Are you one of the many people who shows up at church week after week to listen and learn without ever stepping up and helping out? According to an article on Christianity Today, the number one reason why people don’t help out at church is because they feel useless, or don’t know what they can do to help out.

Just because your church seems to be running smoothly from the pew on Sunday mornings doesn’t mean that they couldn’t use a little additional help behind the scenes. Don’t wait for someone to ask you–most people are really bad about asking for help, and besides, they don’t know what unique talents you have unless you tell them!

Instead, get proactive and creative. It doesn’t matter if you’re young, old, busy, poor, or just don’t feel very talented–your church needs YOU! Just because one role may not be a good fit for you at this stage of your life doesn’t mean that you are off the hook for helping at all. Here are 75 ways you can help serve your church.

1. Welcome people as they come in and help them find where they need to go
2. Volunteer in the church nursery
3. Provide a ride for people who can’t drive (children, elderly, disabled, etc)
4. Host a “Mom’s Night Out” with childcare
5. Stick around to clean up after service or special events
6. Mentor younger church members, couples or families
7. Visit people in the hospital
8. Run copies for Sunday school teachers, class leaders
9. Give financially
10. Help set up for special events
11. Stuff envelopes in the church office
12. Call and invite new visitors to return
13. Run a committee
14. Teach an adult class
15. Sing in the worship band or play an instrument
16. Send cards to people who have recently had a baby or other exciting life event
17. Send cards to those in the hospital, battling illness or who have lost a loved one
18. Hold an umbrella for people coming in/leaving on rainy days
19. Cook the Wednesday night meal
20. Take communion/audio tapes to people who can’t make it in
21. Help finalize details for special events
22. Run the sound system
23. Fix broken items around the church
24. Help out with the teen ministry
25. Paint and decorate outdated classrooms
26. Shovel snow in the winter
27. Join the choir
28. Do yardwork/housework for church members who need help
29. Drive children/teens to off-campus church activities/events
30. Pray for the pastor, church members, missionaries and those in your community
31. Type up the weekly bulletin
32. Retrieve parents of crying children from service
33. Offer medical assistance when someone has a medical emergency
34. Volunteer in the food pantry
35. Record videos to use during service or in the youth group
36. Answer the phone
37. Teach Sunday School
38. Run errands for supplies
39. Keep an eye on the church parking lot for security purposes
40. Periodically roam the hallways to make sure the teens are where they need to be
41. Invite other families over for lunch after church
42. Donate candy, pencils, Bibles, food and other supplies
43. Prepare slide shows for service
44. Offer wedding planning
45. Update the church’s website
46. Run the church’s social media accounts
47. Take pictures of special events
48. Gather everyone’s information for the church directory
49. Give announcements
50. Update the church sign
51. Organize the church library
52. Offer counseling to hurting church members
53. Compliment others regularly
54. Write an article for the church website or bulletin
55. Introduce people to each other
56. Organize a fundraiser
57. Coordinate a special service project opportunity
58. Act in skits, the Christmas musical, and/or youth group lessons
59. Be the first to participate, to encourage others to participate too
60. Help organize vacation Bible school
61. Knit blankets for new babies (either for the nursery or to take home)
62. Restock pews with offering envelopes and pencils
63. Bring small toys to give to children in the service
64. Tend to a church garden
65. Participate in Angel Tree during the holidays
66. Make posters/signs for upcoming events
67. Be responsible for advertising church events in your community
68. Direct traffic after service lets out
69. Start and maintain a “Jobs” or “Opportunities” bulletin board
70. Open your home for youth group events
71. Help late-comers find seats
72. Decorate for Christmas
73. Set up a clothes donation box (particularly winter gear) for those in need
74. Open your home to those without one
75. Sit near the front or back of church to minister to those who need someone to talk to

Don’t go to church week after week just to get, get, get. Go to serve! Not only will you help out your brothers and sisters in Christ, but you’ll also grow in faith as well. (Plus, finding the right ministry can be a lot of fun.)

Do you help out at church? What do you do? What other jobs can you think of that didn’t make this list?