Have you ever wondered how many people it takes to prepare for a Sunday worship service at Wesley Methodist Church? By the time the pastor or worship leader is standing at the pulpit, at least forty people would have prepared the ground for the service to happen. These people would include the worship service team which plans the songs and order of service, coordinates with the staff, ushers, musicians and worship service leader; the Communications team which designs the bulletin and power point slides; the media team which publicises the news on social media; the AV team that works on the sound system and online service; the floral team who arranges the flowers; and finally, the music and choir team.
You get the idea. In short, the Church needs many volunteers.
This was why the Wesley Ministry Fair was back again this year as a great way for Wesleyans to meet and gather information about the various ministries. The ministry fair, held at the rooftop, also celebrates the importance, joy and diverse range of all our volunteer efforts.
Thirteen ministries—Christian Outreach and Social Concerns, Communications, Events, the three NextGen ministries, Glowing Years Ministry, Mandarin, Missions, Prayer and Praise, Witness and Evangelism, Women’s Society of Christian Service, Worship and Music—participated in the second edition of the Wesley Ministry Fair which happened on the Laity Weekend this year. Together, the ministries saw over 200 volunteers who had signed up at the various booths.
Laity Weekend, which happens every October, is an occasion when the Methodist Church celebrates the ministry of all lay Christians. It is a weekend when the lay people plan and participate in the worship service by preaching on the pulpit, and when many Methodist Churches take the special occasion to remember and recognise the servanthood of all Christians who are not pastors or in full-time ministry.
It was, therefore, the perfect weekend on 7 and 8 October for the Wesleyan community to check out the various ministries and hear about their good works as they also enjoyed snacks and drinks, arts and crafts at the Children’s Ministry booth and games for everyone at the Communications booth.
The ministry fair connects the congregation with various Church communities. It is helpful for memberslooking to get involved with the ministries, especially those who might not always know where to start and those who might not be so plugged into the Wesley church life.
It is also an occasion for pastors, volunteer coordinators and other church and community leaders to meet Wesleyans they could not meet from other service congregations.
Alvin Tay, the Chairperson of the ministry fair, says that the ministry fair was organised to help Wesleyans identify their passions, interests, gifts and find ways to use those gifts in ministry: “But the Ministry Fair isn’t just a place for us to invite more volunteers to explore the different ministries as they find the right ministry to serve at Wesley and beyond.”
“It is also an opportunity for the participating ministries to share with our community what they do daily, weekly, monthly and yearly.”
It was a fun-filled day with lots of information set up around the venue, snacks, performances, and presentations by various ministries on the stage, emceed by the vivacious Sandra Mun. Members who visited the ministry fair were encouraged to talk to the ministry representatives and check out as many ministries as possible so that they could find a ministry they resonate with.
One of the volunteers serving in the Communications ministry, Joanna Tan, shares that it was a very memorable experience serving literally with her hands and feet at this year’s ministry fair: “I was blessed with the opportunity to help ‘build’ the ministry’s booth with my hands and spend time using my feet to ‘walk around’ and engage with various visitors and church friends who come by to say ‘hi’ or to find out more about how they can serve together in Wesley. I am thankful for the opportunity that God has given me to be able to contribute what I have, be it time, talent, treasures to this precious community.”
Another volunteer, Justin Koh, says: “It was a warm weekend, with even warmer hearts. I committed to serving in this two-day fair with trepidation and worries. It turned out to be unfounded, as staff and volunteers all chipped in constantly to make light work. I think we all feel this threshold towards serving, but we should say ‘yes’ to the first step, and let God bring us where He needs us to be. A grain of mustard seed can grow into a large tree.”
The opportunities for volunteering do not stop after the ministry fair though. Members of Wesley can continue to explore the various volunteer opportunities throughout the year.
Rev Raymond Fong, the Pastor-in-charge of Wesley Methodist Church exhorts Wesleyans to serve in Church and our community: “Praise God for the Ministry Fair. Thanks to everyone who has put in so much hard work in putting together this year’s ministry fair. Serving God and others is more than just a volunteer opportunity. It is also a discipleship journey. I sincerely hope you will grow as a follower of Christ as you serve with your five loaves and two fish. As a Wesley family, we will serve together so that many more will be blessed, especially the least, last and lost.”
“Let’s continue to use our gifts to be the hands and feet of Christ in our world.”
Do you know Wesley Methodist Church has over 50 main and sub ministries? We have a place for everyone to serve. Come be a volunteer who serves to help grow the Church and minister to our community. For more information on where and how you can be God’s hands and feet in Wesley and beyond, please go to Serve at Wesley Volunteer Booklet or contact mailbag@wesleymc.org
Photos by CJ Goh and Gaius Ho
Click here for more Ministry Fair 2023 photos!
Read also: God has given everyone our own unique gifts: What is your superpower?
