Shared Ministry Catalog & Descriptions
February 6, 2014: 

• Click here to download a pdf version of the Shared Ministry Catalog
• Click here to download a pdf version of the Shared Ministry Volunteer Form. 

Shared Ministry Letter to the Congregation, January 14, 2014:

Dear Members and Friends,

We often hear Faith Des Peres members and friends, both new and old, say they want to be more involved in the church but don’t have a lot of time to give and are not sure what opportunities exist.

To address this need, Session approved the formation of a Shared Ministry Committee last year.  The Shared Ministry Committee has been working since then to create a system to foster this particular type of volunteering – to facilitate involvement in all of the many ways members of a congregation can serve their faith community and our mission work in the wider community.

Theologically, shared ministry lives out the affirmation that God calls all people to ministry. We all are invited to serve together and we all are uniquely gifted by God to share our gifts, energy and passions with others to build the kingdom of God.

Here’s what has been happening behind the scenes since last fall: The Shared Ministry Committee has worked with all existing church committees to assemble a list of groups (ministries) in the church and to gather descriptions of opportunities for volunteers who are needed to conduct the ministries. These descriptions are being compiled into a Shared Ministry catalog that will be available to all church members and friends. A Shared Ministry volunteer form also will be distributed to members and friends so each of us can begin to consider where we most want to share our gifts, energy and passions to further our mission.

And here’s what is coming in the next few weeks: On Sunday, Feb. 9 the Shared Ministry Committee will host a Shared Ministry Fair. Members of committees will be available in the Gathering Space after worship to answer questions and help you decide where you want to volunteer to become more involved in Faith Des Peres’ mission and ministries. Prior to this event, the Shared Ministry catalog will be distributed during worship service and available in the Gathering Space. We hope you will look through the catalog prior to the Feb. 9 fair and then talk with others that day about your interests and your questions.

After Feb. 9, the Shared Ministry Committee will compile all of the information from the volunteer forms into a database and make this available to committee chairs. This system will make it possible for members and friends to better understand all of the volunteer opportunities that exist and for the chairs to know who wants to work with the ministries they lead. Committee leaders will be happy to discuss with you when your service would begin and end. We envision this as an annual process, making it possible for all of us to indicate changes in our interests and available time.

So, please mark your calendars now to be with us on Sunday, Feb. 9 for the Shared Ministry Fair.  You can contact one of the Shared Ministry Committee members if you have any questions; and if you can’t be with us on Feb. 9, a Shared Ministry Committee member will follow-up with you.

One final thought for you to think about in the coming weeks: A core value of a shared ministry system is that participating in the ministry of the church is the right and the responsibility of each member. When we accept this right and this responsibility we will find ourselves “being transformed from volunteers into ministers.”

Blessings from Your Shared Ministry Committee –
Barbara Abbett, Terry Baker, Annie Epling, Randi Weber

FAITH DES PERES PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

11155 Clayton Road | Frontenac, MO 63131 | www.FaithDesPeres.org
office: 314.432.8029 | fax: 314.989.9072