Volunteer Extravaganza 2019

Unlike most organizations, volunteers are the lifeblood of all we do. On any given weekend, as people arrive for one of our five services, they will be welcomed and served by someone who is giving of their time and talents freely. They wave at us in the parking lot. They open the doors and say hello as we enter the building. Some hand us hot cups of coffee or tea before we drop off our children. And what about the army of volunteers in our Kidway and youth ministries? We are greeted by ushers as we enter the sanctuary, and once the service starts we are brought into worship primarily through volunteers using their gifts and talents, as well. Behind the scenes, people serve in all kinds of technical areas to help our time together to be done with excellence and professionalism. We also have people who ensure our safety and that the offerings given are recorded accurately and stored away securely. Now, remember we are hosting around fourteen hundred people on a given weekend at two campuses with five services. We need at least two hundred volunteers each weekend for things to run smoothly and efficiently. That does not include the individuals who serve in some capacity during the week. We have around one hundred and twenty Life Group Leaders along with a prayer team and worship teams who volunteer during the week.

I once heard someone say that “if you don't take the time to recognize those who volunteer and serve in your church, you’d be spending your time cleaning toilets and teaching toddlers.” We are blessed to have so many amazing people who volunteer here at Gateway. So to say thank you, we put together a little picnic that was organized and run by the staff. This was a simple event with food and fellowship, a live band, some inflatable toys for the kids (and if we’re honest, some of the adults, too) and a few simple yard games. We had great weather and everyone really seemed to enjoy themselves. We believe we had close to three hundred people in attendance and are thankful for all of our volunteers who took the time to come out and let our staff say, “Thank you!”

Please take the time to say thank you to one of our volunteers the next time you attend one of our weekend services or a Life Group. I know many of them will say there is no thank you needed, but we all need to be appreciated once in awhile and our volunteers are no exception. We could not do it without them. If you would like to be a part of this fun event next year, sign up to volunteer today. All you need is a willing heart and some time.