Faith-based and Secular Volunteering
People volunteer in the church. And people volunteer for many other secular institutions.
There are increasing connections between sacred and secular volunteering.
- Some Christians volunteer in secular organizations as well as volunteering at their church.
- Some Christians volunteer in secular organizations instead of volunteering at their church.
- Those who help people serve at church notice that some of the practices of secular volunteer management are useful in the church: written job descriptions, trainings, interviews, etc.
- Some secular non-profits are beginning to partner with churches to meet community needs.
These two articles explore connections between sacred and secular volunteering from two different perspectives.
- Written for churches: "Sacred and Secular Volunteering" - Is it a problem when church members volunteer for secular organizations, or can it teach important stewardship truths? Can our churches partner with secular community organizations without compromising our beliefs? What benefits might come from the effort?
- Written for secular volunteer managers: "The Wall Between Faith-Based and Secular Volunteerism: Is it Time to Chip Away at the Barrier?" is a feature article written by invitation for a volunteerism journal that serves a primarily secular audience, professionals who capably mobilize volunteers to meet community needs. In the article, I encourage those in secular non-profits to get to know, and to be willing to work with, those of us who care about volunteers in the church.