Dinner at the Grove
Other Ways to Serve
Look below to see other ministry teams to serve on at Maple Grove
We ask that you reflect on how you supported the church this past year and prayerfully consider how you are able to support the church next year. Your Commitment Card may be submitted in worship, or electronically, or by mailing it in.
We seek to love our neighbors through:
Being Mindful and Seeking
Children's Moments Leader: Share brief children’s message during worship. 1x/every 6-8 weeks – 5-10 minutes + preparation time
Children’s Sunday School Leader: Help lead children (age 4 through grade 6) via direct lessons or collaborative storytelling. 1x/every 4-6 weeks – 1 ½ hours + preparation time
Children’s Worship Adult Leader: Help lead worship for children age 4 through grade 6. 1x/every 6-8 weeks – 1 hour + preparation time
Communion Steward: Prepare bread and juice for monthly communion in worship; clean up after. 1x/month – 1 hour
Library: Help care for church’s collection of books, videos, and other resources; assist with promotion and circulation. 4-6x/year – 30 minutes
Liturgist: Help lead worship by reading scripture and other portions of the service. 6x/year – 1 hour
Prayer Chain: Lift up in prayer church members and others who are in need of God’s healing; share prayer requests by email or phone. Meet 6x/year – plus prayer time
VBS Leader: Help lead children during summer VBS. Opportunities available in art, music, drama, science, recreation, and food. Approximately 3 hours per evening (varies with interest area).
Creating a Safe Place
Altar Holiday Flowers: Arrange flowers in sanctuary, lobby and chapel for Christmas and Easter. 2-4x/year – 1-2 hours
God’s Gardeners: Care for church grounds and community garden with cleanup, planting, weeding, and watering. 3 team workdays during gardening season, 3 hours each, and/or on your own throughout the summer.
Hanging of the Greens: Decorate the church building and grounds for Advent; remove and store decorations after Christmas. 2x/year – 2 hours each
Kitchen Care: Meet quarterly to clean church kitchens; inform trustees of kitchen needs. 4x/year – 3 hours
Nursery Helper: Assist staff nursery coordinator in providing loving care for infants and children 3 and younger. 1x/every 4-6 weeks – 1 ½ hours
Pew Restocking: Tidy and restock envelopes and other items in pew pockets. 1x/month – 1 hour
Technology Support: Work with office staff to guide software and hardware upgrades. Consultation time as needed
Usher: Care for worship attendees before, during and after services. May collect offering and assist with communion. 1x/month – 1 ½ hours
Nurturing Relationships
Adult Mission: Assist with disaster relief or local service project, often with UM Volunteers in Mission or Habitat for Humanity. No experience or special skills required. Time commitment varies according to need.
Advent Fair: Organize and/or help lead the Advent Fair. 1x/year – 4 hours
Easter Breakfast: Help plan, prepare, serve, or clean up at Easter breakfast in Fellowship Hall. 1-hour planning session; 3-hour event Easter Sunday
Easter Egg Hunt Planning: Plan and help lead Easter egg hunt for MG and community. 1X/year – 6-8 hours
Funeral Meals: Prepare food, deliver to church, and/or help serve bereaved families at post-funeral gatherings. 4-8x/year – 1-2 hours
Greeter: Several times a year, arrive 20 minutes early for worship and welcome others as they arrive. 6-8x/year – 20 minutes
Hospitality Table: On selected Sundays, prepare coffee and provide optional refreshments following worship; clear table and clean up after. [Only as Covid safety protocols allow.] 4x/year – 1 hour
New Baby Meals: Prepare and deliver meals for families with newborns. Approximately 2x/year – 2-3 hours
Parish Visitors: Give welcoming gift to first-time visitors, providing information about MG and inviting visitors to return. At church or delivered to their home. 6-8x/year – 30-90 minutes
Office Volunteer: Fill in at church office reception desk during office administrator’s absence. 3-6x/year – 3-4 hours (weekdays only).
Wedding Coordinator: Provide rehearsal and wedding day support for pastor and wedding party. 2-4 weddings/year – 2-3 hours
Sustaining Community
A/V Tech: Assist with sound board and media for worship and special events. 90 minutes on Sunday morning as your schedule permits
Blessing of the Animals: Help coordinate annual service in which pets receive blessing. Two planning sessions – 1 hour; 2-hour event in fall
Chancel Choir: Sing with choir to provide musical leadership in worship. Open to teens and adults. Rehearse 7:30 Thursdays. Usually 3 hours per week (Thursday rehearsal + Sunday warm-up and worship service) – September through May
Community Vegetable Garden: Help plan and plant MG’s community garden; harvest vegetables to benefit food pantries; put garden to bed in autumn. ~3 hours to plant plus garden time
Handbell Choir: Ring bells in worship once a month. Rehearse 6:30 Thursdays. 2 hours per month + 1 hour Thursday rehearsal – September through May
Maple Grove Players: Perform dramatic sketches and readings for worship services, special events, and community outreach. Varies with performance schedule
New Song: Sing contemporary Christian music in worship once a month with adult/youth ensemble. 1-3 hours per month + rehearsal time
Office Mailings: Either at the church or at home, stuff envelopes for church mailings. 4-8x/year – 1-4 hours
Social Media Host: Welcome online congregation to Sunday worship via Facebook Live; report issues to tech staff. 90 minutes on scheduled Sunday morning
Worship Musician: Provide music to enrich worship experience. Instrumentalists, vocalists, and artists of all kinds are welcome. 2 hours on week participating in worship
Loving Inclusively
Bethlehem on Broad Street: Assemble food boxes at MG on a Saturday in early December. The following Saturday, help distribute boxes at Broad Street UMC. Either one or two Saturdays in December – 2 to 3 hours each Saturday
CRC Breakfast: During one month only, help prepare and serve Sunday breakfast and visit with clients at neighborhood resource center. 1-5x/year – 2-3 hours
Keeping in Touch: Provide caring contact with MG members via calls or cards; update pastoral care staff as needed. 2x/year – 4 hours
Pastor’s Pantry: After worship on the first Sunday of the month, pack brown-bag lunches to be distributed at CRC. 1x/month – 1 hour
Reconciling Ministry: Advocate for full inclusion of all people, including LGBTQ, at MG and in society. 4-6x/year – 2 hours
Thanksgiving Day Meal: Help plan, shop, set up, prepare, serve, greet or clean up. 1x/year – 2-6 hours plus planning
Tween & Youth Volunteers: Working with staff member, attend twice-a-month TMI or youth group, supporting young peoples’ spiritual growth through service, study and fellowship. 2x/monthly - 2 hours
