Introduction
For more than 100 years the Seventh-day Adventist Church has sponsored social work, disaster relief and public health services in North America and around the world. It views the church as a servant body. Created for service, Christ’s followers serve the Lord in praise, serve one another in love, and serve the world in humility.
Christ modeled for us the life of service. He “went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed” (Acts 10:38).
Christ identified with the poor and oppressed. “He fed the hungry and healed the sick. By the good He accomplished, by His loving words and kindly deeds, He interpreted the Gospel to men,” comments Ellen White. “Christ’s work in behalf of man is not finished. It continues today. In like manner His ambassadors are to preach the gospel and to reveal His pitying love for lost and perishing souls. By an unselfish interest in those who need help they are to give a practical demonstration of the truth of the gospel” (Welfare Ministry, pages 56-57).
God calls every man and woman to service. Every believer is called to ministry, gifted by the Holy Spirit, and in baptism ordained for ministry. (Eph. 4:11-12) The church is a kingdom of priests set free to minister for Christ. Our priesthood is to each other within the church and to the world. A community services volunteer is a ministering servant of God.
Duties of a Community Services Volunteer
The program varies from place to place, based on local need. In about 500 cities and towns across the United States, Canada and Bermuda, Adventist Community Services (ACS) centers operate. In thousands of other locations ACS projects work out of church basements and borrowed facilities. The work of a community services volunteer might include any of the following activities:
Adopt a grandparent
Adoption services
Advocacy program
Alcohol program
Baby care class
Bible study group
Big brother/sister
Blind camp
Blind services
Board member
Branch Sabbath
School Camping for children Child care
Children’s story hour
Clothing/bedding program
Community cupboard
Community surveys
Cooking school
Counseling services
Craft class
Deaf services
Disaster Response
Divorce recovery seminar
Domestic violence program
Door-to-door contacts
Drug abuse detox
Drug abuse prevention
Drug abuse rehabilitation
Families of prisoners Family camping
Family counseling
Family finance seminar
Family life workshop
Field trips
Financial counseling
First aid class
Follow-up contacts
Food bank/pantry
Food distribution
Foster child care
Foster grandparenting
Free clinics
Fund raising
Furniture program
Grantsmanship
Grief recovery seminar
Handicapped services
Health appraisals
Health education
Health screening
Home nursing
Home nursing class
Homeless shelter
Homemaker services
Immigration program
Information and referral service
Inner city program Intake desk
Inter-agency liaison
Interviewing clients Job-finding service
Job training program Layettes
Legal aid Literacy tutoring
Literature rack
Marriage seminar
Meals on Wheels
Migrant ministry
Newcomer ministry
Operation Overcoat
Operation Paintbrush
Parenting seminar
Pathfinder Club
Preparing for baby class
Prison ministry
Public relations
Receptionist
Refugee ministry
Runaway shelter
Self-help groups
Senior citizen group
Senior citizen lunches
Sewing class
Shoes for Little Shavers
Smoking cessation program
Soup kitchen Stress seminar
Suicide prevention
Support group
Tax assistance
Telephone friend program
Transients aid
Transportation assistance
Tutoring
Vacation Bible School
Van ministry
Videos, educational
Visiting the aged
Visiting the sick
Weight control program
Resources
For a list of recommended resources, free downloads and websites visit MinistryKits.AdventSource.org
For a complete list of resources visit AdventSource.org, select the store tab and then your ministry.
You can call AdventSource at 402.486.8800 for additional information or if you have questions about ministry. For ministry-related articles, videos, and free downloads visit AdventSource.org.
Responsibilities in the Local Church. North American Division Coorporation of Seventh-day Adventists. Copyright © 1997, Revised 2017. Permission to copy for local churches use.