Volunteer for Joy

A ninety-year-old widower friend of mine loves to tell stories of his life and adventures—one of which involved learning to bake.

Awhile after his wife passed away, God spoke to this man’s heart, asking him, “What are you doing for other people?”

“Well, nothing,” he answered.

As a result, my friend decided to start baking goods for random people at church. Although baking was not something he had tackled previously, he has always loved learning how to do new things. For several years, he baked a cake or some other dessert, took it to church, and told someone, “I baked this and thought of you. If you are willing to accept it, I would like to give this to you.” He chuckles when he shares how shocked some people are to be offered baked goods from a widowed man! But he gets great joy from the endeavor. And I can personally attest that his baking is delicious.

The Joy of Service

A 2018 AARP study on loneliness in older adults found that 40% who had not volunteered in the previous twelve months experienced loneliness compared to only 28% who had volunteered in the previous year.[1]

Much joy can come from serving other people. Jesus instructed His disciples,

Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. –Matthew 20:27–28 (KJV)

Jesus taught His disciples that, like Him, their purpose was to serve others. Since Jesus desires to give us an abundant life (John 10:10), we can assume that serving others can lead to greater happiness.

Seeing the Need

Many organizations need volunteers. Churches need volunteers for the music ministry, children’s ministry, hospitality, cleaning, security, and more. Often, we can look around our church and think that every ministry is full. But there may be needs that have never been publicly communicated.

Sometimes, finding our place of service requires paying attention to what needs to be done and volunteering to do it. One couple in my church recently stepped up to update our church directory. They set up a place to take church members’ photos and confirm contact information. Instead of seeing a need and saying, “The church staff should be doing that,” they took on the task themselves. What an inspiration!

Thinking Outside the Box

Beyond the church, there are numerous organizations who need help. One local foster care organization puts together travel bags for children as they move from one home to another. They also do a “birthday in a box” for foster care children since many age out of foster care without ever having a birthday party. People can volunteer to help put these items together or make deliveries. Other organizations who need volunteers include Christian schools, crisis pregnancy centers, food banks, and nonprofit thrift stores.

Although many organizations need volunteers, God may put it on your heart to start a ministry yourself. Maybe you desire to start a discipleship group for younger ladies. (I love the Bright Lights discipleship ministry and materials.)[2] Maybe you desire to start a Bible study for your single friends in your own home.

Perhaps you want to support foster care and adoptive families. There are Christian organizations who provide training and resources for churches who want to minister to these families, such as 1HopeforKids.[3] Another Christian organization, Project127, offers resources to help churches develop a ministry for foster care, kinship, and adoptive families, led by the church’s appointed Church Champion.[4]

Some ways to begin supporting foster, kinship, and adoptive families could involve organizing people to pray for these families, writing encouraging notes, and delivering a meal from time to time. The apostle James tells us,

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. –James 1:27

Developing a Mind to Serve

Focusing our minds on serving others is one way to combat loneliness. Paul instructed the Christians in Philippi,

Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. –Philippians 2:4 (KJV)

If we become obsessed with our personal needs and whether or not they are being met, we can sink deeper into despair. Although self-awareness is important, self-obsession is destructive. There are many people in the world with great needs. They need encouragement. They need a listening ear. They need biblical teaching. They need someone to minister to their physical needs. And we can be the hands and feet of Jesus fulfilling those needs.

Do some research on causes you are interested in. Pay attention to potential needs in your local church and community. Pray for God to show you where and how He wants you to serve others. As we anticipate the joys of the upcoming holiday season, let us volunteer for joy by volunteering to serve.

[1]. AARP Foundation, “Loneliness and Social Connections: A National Survey of Adults 45 and Older,” 2018, https://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/research/surveys_statistics/life-leisure/2018/loneliness-social-connections-2018.doi.10.26419-2Fres.00246.001.pdf.

[2] Tomorrow’s Forefathers, Inc. “Bright Lights.” https://tomorrowsforefathers.com/bright-lights/.

[3] 1HopeforKids. “Fostering Hope: The Role of Churches in Supporting Foster Families.” 2024. https://1hopeforkids.org/blog/churches-supporting-foster-families.

[4] Project127.org. “Serving Children through Family Preservation, Foster Care, and Adoption.”

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