Celebrating Our ‘Unsung Heroes’:
Volunteers Who Serve Behind the Scenes at Unity of Phoenix
By Chris Kennedy
Ministerial Associate
Our theme this month is “Keeping Up the Momentum” ... and one of the ways we do that is by sharing our gifts with others! There is an energy we feel and so much that we get back when we give of ourselves joyfully, lovingly and openly. Just ask our volunteers; they’ll enthusiastically tell you. Better yet, find out for yourself!
Volunteers touch every aspect of this ministry. Indeed, there is little that would happen here without our volunteers. You see many of them in action every Sunday morning: serving as ushers, greeters and Prayer Chaplains, or serving in the courtyard at the hospitality table, volunteer table, welcome tent or Spiritual Education table. You see them having fun while “working” in the bookstore and leading our Youth and Family Ministry classes.
Yet we also have many volunteers that you don’t always see. And though they are not as visible, they are every bit as important! These individuals are hard at work behind the scenes each and every week at Unity of Phoenix. I'd like to share a little more about some of these “Unsung Heroes.”
Our Medical Response Team predominantly consists of doctors and nurses who are ready to respond to any first aid or emergent medical needs that arise at the many services and activities that we host. They respond to everything from bug bites and bruises to chest pain, shortness of breath and falls. They tend to those in need with compassion, competence and care, efficiently assessing the situation, providing first aid, and enlisting the aid of our “911” system, as needed. We are truly blessed to have this team at work behind the scenes. While we are grateful that we don't often have to call them into action, we are even more grateful to have them here — ready and willing to serve — whenever the need arises.
Our Prayer Team is a group of volunteers whose sole responsibility is to pray. They are sometimes affectionately referred to as our “Undercover Agents for God,” because their identities remain anonymous to protect the confidential nature of our prayer list process. These loving individuals hold our congregation and those on our prayer lists in prayer as part of their personal prayer practice, making a commitment of daily prayer to both themselves and our congregation for one year at a time. We are blessed by their diligent prayer work and the powerful consciousness they hold!!!
Our Service Angels volunteer for three to four hours every Thursday morning, helping with everything from folding and stuffing bulletins, preparingmass mailings, and cutting out hearts or other shapes for our Youth and Family Ministry. You are blessed each week by their willingness to serve; be sure to send loving thoughts to them every time you open your bulletin!!! They can use some help, especially during the summer ... so if you have free time at 10 .m. on Thursday, they would love to have you join the fun!
Our Seat Angels bless and restock every chair in our Sanctuary each week after our worship services. The seat you sit in has been touched, blessed and stocked with tissues, pens, prayer request forms, envelopes and other information by one of these giving individuals.
These are just a few of our behind the scenes
volunteers; the list goes on and on!!! Others include:
- Dial-a-Prayer volunteers, who leave a newly recorded prayer on our Dial-a-Prayer line each and every day;
- Prayer List Typists, who confidentially type up the prayer requests that you fill out each week so our Prayer Team can hold the requests in prayer;
- Set Up and Clean Up Volunteers, who help prepare for and clean up after events such as our monthly VIP lunches;
- Communion Angels, who single-handedly set up our Communion Service and clean up afterward;
- Phone Call Team Members, who make phone calls to remind congregants about upcoming events for which they have signed up;
- Office Support/Clerical/Administrative and Data
Entry Volunteers, who assist with everything from
xeroxing, to answering phones, to data entry and
so much more;
• Money Counters, who bless and count our Sunday contributions each and every week; - Lending Library Helpers, who keep our lending library organized and in order; and
- Note or Minute Takers for our Board and Strategic Planning Committees.
Thank you to each and every one of these “unsung heroes”! You know who you are ... please know, as well, how very much you help us to keep up the momentum here at Unity of Phoenix!
Love, gratitude and blessings to you all ...
Chris
Benefit Unity of Phoenix with Your Skills, Talents and Experience!
We cordially invite you....
to experience the blessings of serving with like-hearted people of Unity by participating on one of our Strategic Planning Committees!
Courtyard Committee:
Create a vibrant Courtyard experience that inspires a sense of community
by planning and implementing a variety of events throughout the year.
Endowment Committee:
Develop, implement and manage a planned giving program for the church.
Marketing Committee:
Make recommendations for effective, creative ways to promote church activities and ideas.
New Ideas and Research:
Brainstorm new programs and activities for the church, and conduct related research.
Outreach Committee:
Explore, plan and execute projects for volunteer participation
both for our spiritual community and to benefit the greater Phoenix community.
Social Committee:
Coordinate a variety of events through which congregants can gather together outside of worship services
to build community and to enjoy friendship and fun.
If you are interested in sharing your special gifts with one of these committees, please visit the Volunteer Table in the Courtyard on Sunday mornings, or contact Chris Kennedy at 602.978.3200, Ext. 299, or ckennedy@unityphx.org.