Allow Volunteers to Shadow Mentors Before They Commit to a Ministry

Living Stones Church in Reno, Nev., works hard to best match its members to the type of service that fits their individual personalities and interests. The church also encourages people to shadow veteran volunteers in a particular ministry to see if it’s a good fit for them before they commit.

“It creates a personal connection from day one,” says Downtown Campus Pastor Craig Parish of the mentoring. “Second, it eliminates or decreases intimidation. Lastly, if it doesn’t seem like a good fit, the volunteer doesn’t just get dropped. Instead, the mentor can help connect them to another ministry. Without the shadowing, it’d likely take that volunteer a long time to regain the courage to sign up for another ministry.”

ONLINE: LivingStonesChurches.com. Adapted from an article that appeared in the July/August 2012 issue of Outreach magazine.

James P. Long
James P. Longhttp://JamesPLong.com

James P. Long was formerly the editor of Outreach magazine and the author of a number of books, including Why Is God Silent When We Need Him the Most?

5 Approaches Christians Take Toward Culture

As we help our people live as disciples in this culture, we must exhort them to 1) deal with sin inwardly and 2) display their Savior outwardly.

North Jersey Vineyard Church: The Edge of Ministry

The congregation is about 25% white, 40% Latino, 20% Asian and 15% to 20% African American and African. Eighty different nationalities are represented in the church, and 475 people made first-time commitments to Jesus during services in 2024.

David Uth: Loving People One at a Time

“The more central the gospel becomes in your ministry, the more you can fly above all of that division because the gospel transcends it.” -Pastor David Uth