503 West Main Street, West Plains, MO 65775    417-256-6167

OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINISTRY

"Now to each one the manifestation of the Holy Spirit is given for the common good…" I Corinthians 12:7

THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER

• Sunday Evening Prayer Council. Persons are needed to gather in room 203a of the main building each Sunday evening at 6:30 pm to offer to the Lord specific praises and intercessory prayers.

• Thursday Afternoon Prayer Council. The same ministry as the Sunday evening group, meeting at 4:00 pm on Thursdays.

• Worship Preparation Prayer. Many people are needed to gather before the worship services and to pray for the participants of that service.

THE MINISTRY OF CHURCH ADMINISTRATION

• The Board of Trustees. The trustees manage the church property, endowments, memorial gifts, and other cash and property assets.

• The Staff-Parish Relations Committee. The SPRC acts as a personnel committee, working for the good, healthy relations between the pastors, staff, and congregation. This committee works on job descriptions, recommends salaries, advises staff persons, etc.

• Finance Committee. The Finance Committee recommends the annual budget, monitors income and expenses, and generally manages the stewardship of the church’s financial resources.

• The Committee on Nominations and Personnel. Under the leadership of the Senior Pastor, this group discerns placement on individuals in positions of leadership, team membership, and committee membership.

The primary task of the Church of Jesus Christ is to make disciples. (Matthew 28:19) We are called to share our faith in ways that enable other persons to meet the Lord.

• The Alpha Course. The Alpha Course is a fifteen-session introduction to Jesus Christ and faith in Him. It is designed for people who do not have a relationship with Christ and the church. It keys on church people inviting unreached friends, family members, neighbors, and co-workers to come to an Alpha Course with them. The Alpha Course is proven effective in reaching the lost on almost every continent on the globe.

• The Greeting Ministry. A person’s perception of welcomeness to Christ and the Church begins as soon as they approach our buildings. People need an immediate sense of welcome and belonging. Greeters work for one month at a time.

Shepherds are assigned a small group of people from the church family, and are trained to make monthly or bi-monthly contact with everyone in their "flock". The purpose of the contact is twofold. First, it provides each person with a regular message that the church cares. Second, it gives individuals a way to relay messages to the church as a whole, the staff, or the pastors.

The biblical words for "healing." Wholeness," and "salvation" all come from the same root. Jesus came to heal something that is broken – our relationship with our God. Our church’s healing ministry demonstrates our belief that Jesus can and will heal the broken pieces of human life.

A personal commitment to Jesus Christ is only the beginning. We are to grow in our knowledge and love of the Lord Jesus Christ. We do this in a community in which we gain our identity – the Body of Christ.

• Sunday School Superintendent.

• Sunday School Teachers and Substitutes.

• Vacation Bible School Leaders.

• Volunteer Youth Workers. Helping our youth minister with our on-going youth ministries.

• Bible Study Teachers. Trained to lead on-gong and short term Bible study, such as the Precept Upon Precept and Disciple Bible studies.

• Confirmation Class Teaching Team. To help lead the thirteen week membership class for 6^th graders.

• We Believe Leaders. To help lead the spring and/or fall eight week orientation classes for new Christians, newcomers, guests, and new members.

The Worship Ministry Team seeks to offer worship that praises God and gives Him glory, and that draws people into the presence of Jesus to accept Him as Savior, to grow in His image, and to go forth to serve in His love.

Christians are called to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ in deed and in truth, not just in word and speech. The Global Service Ministry Team extends our mission beyond the borders of the West Plains area.

• Work Camp Team. A team of people who coordinate our annual work camp mission to places of need. We’ve sent workers to Kentucky, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Louisiana, as well as to areas of need in Missouri.

• Festival of Sharing Team. This group coordinates and promotes our involvement in the FESTIVAL OF SHARING, an annual in-gathering of food, necessity items, livestock, etc. for people in need.

• Missionary Support This individual arranges annual support for Karen Lair, a nurse from our church who is a missionary and who now teaches Christian Health and Wholeness to missionaries through the General Board of Global Ministries. Any other missionary support is generated here.

• Mozambique Covenant Support. The Missouri East Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church has a covenant relationship with the Methodists of Mozambique. It is hoped that individual churches here will establish covenant relationships with individual churches there.

LOCAL SERVICE MINISTRY TEAM

• Sharing the love of Christ begins with people in need at home. This team keeps us accountable to that call.

• Christ’s Kitchen Ministry. This ministry maintains a local food pantry to provide help when other service outlets in the community cannot help. Volunteers are needed on Tuesdays and Thursdays to assemble baskets and help distribute.

• Southwest Missouri State University "Lunch Bunch" Ministry. This ministry provides a free, home-cooked meal to University students on Mondays. Many SMSU-WP students are also working and/or are single parents. Every little bit helps.

• Christian Life Center "Proclamation" Team. We serve many people and groups in our Christian Life Center. How should we proclaim Christ in a way that is clear, but not "arm twisting"… In our artwork, wall decorations, banners, etc.

• "Help Tapes" The Senior Pastor wants to compile short, fifteen minute tapes on various topics pertaining mostly to the University Community – financial management, selecting a spouse, overcoming a relationship break up, dealing with depression, etc. A team is needed to reproduce and display these tapes to be made available, free of charge, to people who come to Lunch Bunch and other events.