First United Methodist Church - Cary
Friday, May 18, 2012
Connect with God, People, and Service

Ministry

 
For information on ways to serve in our ministries, please contact Christine Hildebrand at childebrand@fumc-cary.org or Rev. Alice Kunka at akunka@fumc-cary.org or call the church office at 467-1861.
 
Sunday 8:25 am, 9:45 am and 11:05 am in the Sanctuary; approximately 1 hour every third month 4th - 7th graders are trained to participate in worship services as acolytes. The lighting of candles is an important Christian symbol of God’s presence and also a symbol of our call as Christians to be a light in the world. Acolytes may also assist in the service in other ways. Training is offered. 
 
The Bulletin and Newsletter team prepares bulletins for the weekend services. The team also prepares the newsletter for a mailing every other week. Volunteers help out Friday mornings in the Church Workroom. Training is offered. 
 
Children's Ministry is full of opportunities to serve that include different days, time commitments and talents.  There is always a way to be involved with our children! 
 
Meets second Sunday every other month at 7:00 pm in Room 201. The Children’s Council plans and coordinates the entire children’s ministry programs at FUMCC. 
 
Children's Sunday School  
  • Large Group Guide: Gifted in communication and biblical teachings at the student’s level! Fun, high energy, yet serious about reaching kids with the love of Christ. Willingness to work as a team and open to constructive evaluation of teaching methods towards children. This role would be great for anyone who loves drama and the arts.
  • Music Guide: Children love to worship and sing praises to God! Music guides can play live instruments or just sing along with the CD! 
  • Small Group Guide (Kindergarten – 5th grade) – 9:45: The focus for the small group guide is to build sincere relationships. This guide would be dedicated to teaching the word of God but also attending to his/her sheep. Guides in this area have dedicated their time to being prepared for when they are scheduled to lead. They are vested in seeing the fruits of their labor because their dedication will impact the lives of children within the church and the community. We encourage guides to commit to attending two times a month in order to really make an impact in the lives of children. 
  • Nursery (Infants, Crawlers/Walkers, Toddlers, 2 year olds) – 8:25, 9:45, and 11:00: As a Nursery guide, you will assist in providing for the basic needs of our youngest children.  You will be sharing the gift of God’s love to these children through songs, interaction and play.  A Nursery guide is someone who is loving, patient, kind, gentle and understanding as they will interact with many “new” moms and dads that are leaving their baby for the first time with someone other than a family member.  * 2 year old guides will have a simple curriculum to follow during the 9:45 hour.
  • Preschool Guides (3 year olds, 4 year olds, 5 year olds) – 9:45 and 11:00: A Preschool guide will participate in providing a fun, interactive, loving environment where the children will grow in Christ.  Age-appropriate curriculum is used to bring the Bible to life through storytelling, singing, craft, snack and play.  A Preschool guide must have a desire to see God’s love shared with the youngest of disciples, and an ability to communicate on the child’s level.  Preschool guide’s characteristics would be patient, loving, kind, and joyful. We encourage guides to commit to attending two times a month in order to really make an impact in the lives of children. 
  • Classroom Set-Up: Assist in setting up the ROCK classrooms for Sunday morning. Set up is on Friday afternoons or Saturday. Put the tablecloths on the tables and bins in the classroom for the small group leaders. The bins will already have all the materials needed it is just a process of setting up the classrooms so they are ready to have children and leaders arrive on Sunday morning.
  • Greeter/Welcome Desk: Welcomes families to FUMC and the ROCK helps them get their children checked into the appropriate classroom. The Greeter/Welcome Desk has an important role since they are often the first impression of Children’s Ministries to families. Individuals in this area should be able to arrive early and possess kindness, a helpful smile and the gift of hospitality. **Greeters are needed 20 minutes prior to service and then can leave once service starts and can attend their own service or Sunday school program
  • Buddies: Buddies minister to children with special needs who are mainstreamed into the regular program but require special attention and care. A buddy might work with a child who is autistic, have Cerebral Palsy, or have other challenges. Buddies must be characterized as patient, compassionate, merciful and loving. A background working with disabled children is not a prerequisite to serving in this area; however we welcome those who have this experience. We ask buddies to serve two times a month in order for the child to build a positive, healthy and trusting relationship with their buddy.
  • Children’s Church Guide - 11:00 hour: Children’s Church guides serve during the 11:00 service for 1st-5th graders. The guide will sit in the sanctuary and then escort children out of the sanctuary during the offering into room 122. The guide will then present the scripture lesson and lead the children in an interactive activity related to the bible story. Guides will commit to serving two times a month in order to build relationship with the children. Children’s Church guides are innovative, organized and love to lead a group of children in discussion and activities.
Small Talk Guide
Each Wednesday night (6:30-7:30) guides and kids meet together for a dynamic hour of worship, drama, games and prayer. A Small Talk guide will join the kids during worship and the bible story lesson then break into age groups for a 10-15 minute interactive game/craft. Afterwards the guides and kids will come back together to finish the evening in prayer and praise. 
 
Vacation Bible School Teachers/Assistants
Vacation Bible School is held during the summer for children 3 years old to 5th grade. Both morning and evening sessions are offered. Adults and youth are encouraged to participate as leaders and helpers.  
 
Do you have extra time during the week? Do you have small children and can only work from home? Become a church office volunteer. The church office needs your help on a variety of tasks such as newsletter mailing, stuff bulletins, count attendance sheets, drive vans, photograph events, operate sound system, etc.  
 
Assist Pastors with serving communion elements during designated worship services. Servers are scheduled on a rotation and serve one or more times a year. Training is provided and volunteers work in pairs.  
 
Greeters are needed on Sundays at 8:25 am, 9:45 am, 11:11 am, 11:15 am near the Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall. Greet persons as they enter the church. Help them find Sunday school classes and answer questions about location of classes and services. Hours per week: 20 minutes per service. One month per quarter. Unlimited number of volunteers needed.  
 
Holiday Sanctuary Decoration Coordinator 
Builds and oversees a team to ensure the Sanctuary is prepared for Christmas and Easter worship services. Creating a special sphere for worship during the holidays is a ministry to the entire congregation. Instructions are provided. Approximately 10 volunteers are needed for Christmas (including men) and 5 are needed for Easter (including at least 1 man). 
 
The Library Committee welcomes you to the church library located in Room 224. The library provides resources for the Christian education of the members of FUMCC. The books and materials support the Sunday School Curriculum, study groups, and individual study and provide resources for teachers and leaders. Books have been organized and new books are added. The library is always open except when groups are scheduled to use it for meetings and a 9:45 Sunday School Class. The library operates on a self-checkout system and instructions are posted on the desk.  
 
Leaders are needed for children’s choirs, handbell choirs, helpers for youth choir and accompanist for choirs. 
 
Befriend new members and help them find their place among us. Welcome and assist them as needed on their joining day. 1 Sunday a month for 10 minutes and some phone/email contact. (See also Hospitality.) 
 
Sanctuary Stewards prepare the Sanctuary for Worship. They enhance the worship experience by removing previous bulletins from the pews and assess and organize pew materials.
 
Meets Tuesdays at 7:00 pm in Room 216. The Stephen Ministry at FUMCC is a comprehensive ministry of caring crucial to the health and growth of the congregation. The program offers a complete system of organizing, training and supervising lay people to play a unique and vital role in such a caring ministry. Stephen Ministers are available for consultations following each worship service. A training program is offered from January to July. Contact Rev. William Green at wgreen@fumc-cary.org or 467-1861.
  
The Tape Ministry provides copies of CDs of FUMCC worship services to shut-ins and to congregation members who request them. CDs are provided to shut-ins at no cost to them. Tapes are provided to congregation members at a nominal fee of $1.
 
Meets third Sundays at 5:00 pm in Room 224. The Technical Ministry is a church-wide support ministry. Its primary goal is to support and enhance the other ministries and programs at FUMCC through the use of technology. Volunteers with all skill levels are needed for sound and multimedia production. The ministry needs about 20 volunteers for approximately four hours per week. Basic and advanced training is offered. Contact Brent Hubbell bhubbell@fumc-cary.org 467-1861.
 
Tellers are needed to count, record and confirm each Sunday’s Church and Sunday School offerings to the Church Financial Administrator. This ministry reports the weekly offering count. We need 4 to 5 tellers on Monday mornings from 9:00 am to 11:00 am.  Approximately 8 to 10 Volunteers participate on a rotation basis. Volunteers need the ability to add, subtract, use an adding machine, and solve minor inaccuracies in the counting process.  On-the-job training for a four week period is offered.  
 
Sundays for 11:05 am service. This service was started in 2000 for those adults who are unable to drive themselves to church on Sunday mornings. We utilize a van to pick up before the 11:05 am worship service and deliver home after the service. Four drivers rotate each Sunday.
 
Sundays at 8:25, 9:45 or 11:05 am in the Sanctuary. Ushers assist in providing seating and collection of offering for services three months per year. The church needs 8 ushers each Sunday (ushers serve 3 times per year on a monthly) for about 1 hour per week. Training is offered.  
 
The wedding coordinator provides support and assistance to help couples plan their weddings, ensuring that the ceremony and related events go as smoothly as possible, and that they stay within the appropriate guidelines established for the use of the church facility.  
 
Meets on second Sundays at 11:00 am in the Youth Room. The planning and implementing group of the five purposes of Youth Ministry; includes appointed age-level representatives, officers and youth counselors. 
 
Lead small group discussions, chaperone youth events, and mentor a teen by becoming an MYF counselor MYF meets on Sunday evenings from 5:45-7:45. All you need is a loving heart, a listening ear and a passion for youth and youth ministry. 25+ volunteers are needed for about 2 hours each week. Training offered through an annual leadership retreat and quarterly training meetings. 
 
Contribute to the spiritual formation and Biblical knowledge of youth by becoming part of a teaching team in grades 7-12. All you need is a desire to encourage the spiritual growth of teens and the ability to prepare a lesson and lead a discussion. The church needs approximately 15 volunteers for about 2 hours each week on Sunday mornings from 9:45-10:45. Training is offered two times a year.
 

ZOE Ministry   Empowering Orphans in Africa

ZOE Ministries was founded in 2004 by Reverend Greg Jenks, who answered God’s call to work with children orphaned by the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa. Initially, ZOE provided relief - food, clothing and primary school tuition – to suffering children in Zimbabwe.  In 2007, ZOE changed from a Relief program to an Empowerment program operating in Rwanda, Kenya, Zambia and Zimbabwe, lifting orphans out of poverty and despair.

Our local mission team was formed in 2005. We focus on raising awareness of the plight of orphans in Africa so that we, as a caring congregation, will respond with our prayers, service and financial support.  Six groups of missioners have traveled to Africa to work on relief projects, and more recently, to witness the Empowerment program in action. 

As of 2012, FUMCC is assisting two neighborhoods, or approximately 400 orphans in the Empowerment program in Zimbabwe.  We are providing prayers, hope, and $100,000 over a four year period. These funds come from our church budget, fund raisers, and your generous donations.

We welcome any and all to become part of this important ministry.  Individuals do not need to travel to Africa to be a part of this team.

For further information or for a presentation to your small group, please contact Helen Papageorgiou at

hpapa@nc.rr.com or go to zoeministry.org