No more "volunteers" at church

Language matters. Particularly, the language we use in worship matters. So, my ears perked up recently when in worship congregation members were besieged by many, oh so many, opportunities to “volunteer.”

Now I’m all for businesses giving their employees time off for volunteering. I’m all for helping people. I’m all for paying it forward. But I don’t think “volunteer” is the right word to use when Christian communities worship together. 

Rather than merely volunteering, it sounded like we were actually being asked to take up a particular call to discipleship. Because of our faith, we were being asked to respond to the claims Jesus makes on our lives by living as his disciples today.