The Joys Of Becoming A Volunteer

The Joys Of Becoming A Volunteer
BY EUNICE DOMINGO

“Each of you has been blessed with one of God’s many wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others. So use your gift well” (1 Peter 4:10, CEV).

We are all gifted with our very own spiritual gifts. We did not earn them or deserve them, that is why they are gifts; they are gracefully given to us by God.

Here at JRAM Burnaby, we are privileged to serve and glorify our Lord through volunteerism. The service we offer to God is not for our own glory or gain, but all for His glory.

The JRAM Burnaby Church partnered with Plan to Protect (P2P) to ensure qualified volunteers understand effective and customized policies and procedures, and receive training relevant to make our community a safe one. There are several steps a member of the church must go through before becoming a certified volunteer.

The eight steps of the Plan to Protect recruitment and screening procedure include: Step 1: 6-month waiting period; Step 2: Application; Step 3: Statement of Beliefs; Step 4: Reference Checks; Step 5: Interview; Step 6: Police Record Checks; Step 7: Training; Step 8: Final Approval.

Although the process is long and tedious, it makes a person put a very high premium on the value of the opportunity to volunteer in the church. This is my personal account on how I went through it and got rewarded in the end.

Before the P2P recruitment and screening procedure was established, majority of JRAM Burnaby workers were old and pioneering members so they were integrated in the system right away. We call them “grandfather” members. As a new member, however, I had to go through a couple of steps more such as the 6-month waiting period and interview process.

I first attended JRAM Burnaby in January and due to my eagerness and commitment, I was able to complete the procedure as soon as my 6-month period ended. I filled up an application form, had my interview with Pastor Mary, and requested for police record checks and reference checks as soon as I could so that I could start volunteering by July.

Plan to Protect training is mandatory for each member of the congregation in order to become a certified volunteer at JRAM Burnaby. Many were able to attend a training session near the beginning of the year. I, on the other hand, was still waiting for my 6-month waiting period to end. As my 6 months was coming to an end, Pastor Mary told me the next training was not going to be until late 2018. Fortunately, I had another option; the option to complete the P2P training online, and I immediately took this opportunity. I had one month to complete the training online, however, I finished the training within five hours after she introduced P2P online to me. I did not want to waste time. Otherwise, I would not have been able to volunteer until late 2018.

We also have been created to serve and minister others in any way, in doing so, we are actually serving God and fulfilling one of our purposes. We serve and minister to others at the JRAM Burnaby Church through the many different ministries such as Worship Vocals and Instrumentalist, Technical, Ushering and Security, Missions and Mercy, Small Group, Club DJ, Prayer Partners, and a lot more.

At JRAM Burnaby, we held two special events to acknowledge our wonderful volunteers. Each volunteer received two certificates – Achievement Certificates of P2P and Recognition for Certified Volunteers. With the grace of God, we are able to come together and proudly uplift Him, share about Him, and grow in Christlikeness. Anytime you use your God-given abilities to help others, you are fulfilling your calling.

We encourage you to come and join us in knowing God and serving God. Discover the joy in becoming a volunteer and the eternal joy that comes with it!