Shepherd’s Church Volunteer Covenant

We have copied this document here for convenience. The official copy is on or linked off of Ministry Volunteer Application

We ask that each volunteer commits to what we call our Volunteer Covenant. Please read the Volunteer Covenant, and we will ask you to agree to some statements. These statements are designed to promote unity, growth and joyful service in the Body of Christ. It represents our goals as we seek to live and serve together in ministry at The Shepherd’s Church.

Volunteer Covenant

Our commitment to you as a volunteer is to help you live a faithful and fruitful life for the glory of God. We are excited to see how God will work through you as you exercise your gifts to serve Him. The single message that unifies all of our ministries is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God has made Himself known through His Word and allows us, by faith in Christ, to become His sons and daughters. That good news permeates and motivates all that we do.

We believe that as you serve at The Shepherd’s Church, you are serving God. As you begin your ministry, there are principles that will help you effectively serve those that you work with and influence. All of us are growing in faith and none of us are content with our current level of maturity. Each of us needs to be faithful to read and apply God’s Word, pray and seek to grow in grace. Spiritual maturity also means looking to the needs of others and seeking their good. As a volunteer, you will have a more formal means of serving others, and these principles will help you do that well.

1. The Principle of Love: God calls us to consider the needs of others as more important than our own. There will be times when God calls you to set aside your time, interests and liberties for the sake of the people you serve. For example, the Apostle Paul told us that out of our love for others, we might need to refrain from doing anything that would cause them to stumble. (Romans 14:15; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13) If something we do might cause someone else to struggle, the loving thing is for us to set aside our rights.

2. The Principle of Edification: As we make decisions regarding our lifestyle, it is not enough to ask if the action is forbidden. The harder but equally important question I must ask is, “Is it profitable to my spiritual life, to God’s goals for me and to my ability to serve God effectively?” Paul wrote, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable.” (1 Corinthians 6:12) As you are making lifestyle decisions, keep your own spiritual benefit in mind, as well as the benefit your actions will bring to your ministry, family and friends.

3. The Principle of Exaltation: As we serve Christ in our ministries (as in all of life), we must ask the question, “Will what I am about to do glorify and exalt the Lord?” We don’t serve to magnify ourselves. Our singular desire is that people will see Christ in us as we live for His glory. Paul said: “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

4. The Principle of Sacrifice: In 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, we read: “For the love of Christ controls us (compels, constrains), having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.” Jesus said: “For even the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) Jesus’ sacrifice for us is a model we are to follow in sacrificial service to others.

As we apply these principles to our ministry, we ask each volunteer to agree to the following statements. These statements are designed to promote unity, growth and joyful service in the Body of Christ. It represents our goals as we seek to live and serve together in ministry at The Shepherd’s Church.

• Everything that we teach is in accordance with God’s Word as summarized in our Doctrinal Statement.
• We seek to live dedicated Christian lives according to the standards of God’s Word. We strive to remove sin from our lives, exercise self-control and live exemplary, careful, sober lives.
• We encourage each other toward godliness and cheerfully embrace accountability in the bond of love.
• We commit ourselves to unity, teamwork and biblical respect.
• We strive to pursue God-honoring relationships and maintain moral purity.
• We only plan events and activities that will edify and encourage the participants, and all church-sponsored events are alcohol, tobacco and drug-free.