Getting Involved
SHARING YOUR GIFTS
AT FIRST CHURCH IN CAMBRIDGE
The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness
and the world's deep hunger meet. ––Frederick Buechner
Here is an overview of First Church ministries and gifts they require.
Where do your "deep gladness" and the "world's deep hunger" meet? Where is God calling you next?
WORSHIP & SPIRITUAL LIFE
Gifts required for Deacons and pastoral care providers
· Holy, empathic listening, a deep sense of Christ's love and compassion
· Spiritual and emotional maturity
· Regular practice of prayer and comfort praying for and with others
· Ability to hold community and pastoral concerns in confidence and in prayer
· Non-anxious presence
· Heartfelt sense of shared responsibility for the spiritual life of our community
For Deacons
· Awareness of the big picture, the long view, and a wide range of perspectives
· Appreciation of the Lord's Supper and baptism as sacred sacraments
· Open hearts to discern how best to carry our worship traditions through each generation
For liturgists, choir members
· Capacity to speak or sing in public –– or a willingness to confront your fear of doing so
· Strong, resonant voice
· Welcoming presence that connects to people of all ages
For leaders and teachers of Creative Worship and Arts
· Creative gifts that can be shared in words, images, music, and sacred ritual
· Openness to traditional and new approaches to worship and liturgy
· Joy in encouraging confidence, creativity, and spiritual growth for people of all ages
Christian Formation
For leaders and teachers of spiritual formation and religious education
· Strong commitment to a ministry of teaching children, youth or adults
· Empathy for the special needs and concerns of various age groups
· Classroom or small-group leadership skills
· If not skilled as a teacher, willingness to recruit and support our teachers
Social Justice Ministries
For First Church Shelter, Missions and Social Justice Committee, and more...
· Desire for direct service to others and to help bring about God’s peace and justice
· Capacity for bridge-building and an appetite to build "power with" others
· Experience working with non-profits, social agencies and social services
· Commitment to social and political action
· Interests in –– and gifts for –– working with people of other classes and cultures
· Interest in mission trips to near and faraway places
· Passion for the United Church of Christ and our denomination's wider mission
Hospitality & Outreach
For Fellowship Committee and ministry to new or prospective members
· Appreciation of the powerful force unleashed by coffee and/or food partaken with conversation at church events, sometimes known as "gastro-evangelism"
· Gift for talking with strangers and making visitors feel at home
· Ability to plan events, prepare food, set up and clean up as part of a hospitality team
For Communications & Arts Committee
· Creative gifts for design, web development, online and print communications
· Journalistic skill or knack for public relations to help tell the First Church story
· Hunger for enhancing the role of art in our worship and life together
Stewardship of Our Resources
For Stewardship and Investment Committees
· Comfort dealing with budgets, fundraising and finance –– or a willingness to learn
· Ability to ask others to join you in making an annual pledge to support First Church
· An appreciation of God's generosity and abundant gifts to us
For Buildings & Grounds Committee
· Knowledge of –– or interest in learning about –– engineering, architecture, landscaping
· Organizational skill to budget for and manage building projects, large and small
For Gifts Discernment/Nominating Committee
· Familiarity with First Church members and ministries and desire to bring them together
For Eco-Stewardship and First Church Archives
· Passion to preserve the resources of God's creation and the record of our church's past
Church Leadership
For Executive Council (Moderator, Treasurer, Clerk, Deacons, committee chairs et al.)
· Team players who work with the pastors and other leaders to prioritize, initiate, create, collaborate, communicate, and reflect on the work of the church
· Problem solvers, largely unflappable, able to deal with inevitable surprises
· Judgment to make financial decisions and approve an annual budget
· Ability to communicate to the wider congregation, to delegate and, if need be, train or find training for others; to evaluate work of self and others
· Capacity to keep records of work done, steps taken, resources needed
· Openness to one’s own development and growth as a leader and a Christian
· Prayerful openness and willingness to discern where God is leading First Church
Short-Term OPPORTUNITIES
For people with gifts to share but no time for a bigger commitment, there are opportunities to serve. These include volunteering to help at a Second Sunday lunch; joining a Lenten study group; attending one GBIO meeting; visiting someone in the hospital; giving yourself time off to take a walk, take a deep breath and thank God for the many gifts God has given us all.
Want more information? Ready to sign up? Please complete the "Opportunities to Serve" checklist.