Why 100% of Us Should Be on a Serve Team

Why 100% of Us Should Be on a Serve Team

By Julie Hawkins, Associate Pastor of Ministry

When I was a kid, church was never just a place we went on Sundays. It was a place where my parents showed me what it meant to live a life of service. My mom was part of a prayer team, taught Sunday School, and led Bible studies. My dad helped set up folding chairs every Sunday morning when we worshipped in the gym and served on Session. Neither of them served for recognition or because they had “extra time.” They both worked full-time and parented three busy daughters. They served because that’s what followers of Jesus do. They showed me that being part of a church family isn’t a spectator sport. My dad was told by one of his mentors, “If you want your kids to love the church, they have to see you serve the church.” 

Now, as a parent myself, I appreciate parents’ example. I appreciate the time and sacrifice it took for them to serve. And I appreciate that it did help me love the church. I hope that Joey and I are doing the same for our girls, that we’re showing the next generation that our faith isn’t a spectator sport. It’s jumping in and being a part of what God is doing by serving together.  

That’s the heart behind Serve Teams. Growing together, serving together.  

Last week, Pastor Ellis introduced this new way we are organizing our volunteer ministry at Chapel Hill. We have always been a church that serves, but now we’re taking an intentional step to welcome more people into service and to make sure every person who serves is supported, trained, and encouraged. 

Simply put, Serve Teams are groups of people who serve together, whether that’s greeting at the doors, caring for kids, preparing communion, or leading students. As we build this out, each team will have a Captain (a serving volunteer leader) and a Staff Coach who helps guide and support them and the team. We’re really leaning into the Team metaphor here. Our hope is that no one serves alone, and every person knows they’re part of something bigger. 

In a church our size, it might be easy to assume we should just hire people to greet at the door, serve in Kids’ Worship, or prepare communion. But Scripture reminds us otherwise. In Ephesians 4:12, Paul writes that the role of church leaders is “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” In other words, our staff team isn’t called to do all the ministry ourselves. We’re called to equip you to do ministry. 

Right now, we have 56 Serve Teams with approximately 450 people already serving! That’s a lot of people stepping into the call of Ephesians 4:12.  

But we believe God is calling even more of us to join in. Last Sunday, we featured six of those 56 teams. Dozens of people stopped by to learn more and sign up. If you’re one of them—thank you! You’re part of something that matters.  

My hope is that eventually, we’ll see every single person at Chapel Hill serve on a Serve Team. To be sure, 100% is a big goal! We have some work to do to get to that. But Chapel Hill has always been a church that is up for the challenge.  

So, how can you get involved? It’s simple: 

  • If you’re already serving, thank you! Please take a moment to fill out the Update Form so we can make sure you’re connected with your Serve Team and make sure we have an accurate count of who is serving. 
  • If you aren’t serving yet, we’d love for you to check out the Interest Form and let us know where you’d like to step in. 
  • If you have no idea where to even start, fill out this simple Discovery Tool Survey that helps you find your unique gifts and helps connect you to a Serve Team that fits those gifts.  

Just like my parents showed me, serving isn’t about filling a slot. It’s about joining God in what he’s doing through his church. When you serve, you grow in faith, you build community, and you make a difference. 

Let’s keep building that culture—one Serve Team at a time. 

Pastor Julie