25 New Church Volunteer Opportunities From COVID-19

By Todd Adkins

In wake of COVID-19, we have a tremendous opportunity to build an army of volunteers and leaders in our churches, not just an audience of spectators. 

New volunteer roles are emerging during this season, and many existing roles must be adapted to ensure the health of your congregation as well as to maintain social distancing guidelines. 

That is why it’s essential you create a role profile for every volunteer, leader, and ministry director at your church. This profile should include weekly ministry responsibilities and core competencies required to serve. 

When you have a standardized template for role profiles, it provides clarity to your volunteers and leaders, many of whom likely serve in multiple roles and ministries. 

Here are 25 new and adapted roles to consider based on how your church is making disciples in the midst and wake of COVID-19*. 

1. Medical check-in. Complete temperature reading of volunteers and leaders and screen for signs of illness prior to serving in their roles.
2. Attendance check-in. Use the church’s online registration system to check in those who have pre-registered to attend a service. 
3. Attendance capacity. Count attendees entering the church’s worship center to ensure capacity guidelines are maintained. 
4. Offering volunteers. Ensure that lockboxes, baskets, or plates are placed in central locations of the worship center in which attendees may place offerings in lieu of passing plates or baskets.
5. Restroom volunteers. Monitor use of restrooms to ensure cleanliness and social distancing guidelines are maintained. 
6. Digital group directors. Lead in the implementation of biblically-focused online communities for adults, students, and kids. 
7. Digital group leaders. Facilitate biblically-focused online community for a group of adults, students, or kids. 
8. Digital group hosts. Provide a welcoming environment to all group participants, establish online group guidelines, and control online meeting permissions to provide an orderly environment for the group discussion. 
9. Digital group member care. Organize and facilitate care for online group members.
10. Digital group support. Provide training, support, and troubleshooting for the online meeting platform the church uses. 
11. Porch drop-off coordinators. Print, organize, and facilitate delivery of Bible study materials to group participants.
12. Porch drop-off volunteers. Assist with assembly and delivery of Bible study materials to group participants. 
13. Livestream directors. Oversee production and delivery of livestream for the church’s service. 
14. Stationary camera operator. Run a camera near the front of house or stage while livestreaming or recording a service.
15. Mobile camera operator. Use a handheld camera while livestreaming or recording a service.
16. Media operators. Responsible for all media, such as lyrics and slides, displayed during the livestream or recording of the service.
17. Video switchers. Operate the video switcher during the livestream or recording of the service.
18. Livestream hosts. Provide a welcoming environment to all online participants, establish livestream guidelines, and control livestream permissions to provide an orderly environment for the livestream discussion. 
19. Livestream follow-up volunteers. Follow up with participant information submitted during the livestream of the service, including first-time participants, prayer requests, and faith decisions made during the livestream.
20. Livestream support. Provide training, support, and troubleshooting for the livestream service the church uses.
21. Parking team. Ensure parking cones block off every other parking space to maintain social distancing guidelines in the parking lot and greets attendees as they arrive. 
22. Entry team. Prop open doors for arriving attendees and stand in the lobby or entry way to greet attendees while maintaining social distancing. 
23. Welcome center volunteers. Provide a welcoming environment to all first-time guests, clean the welcome center area, and ensure adequate supplies such as hand sanitizer and protective masks are available. 
24. Seating team. Ensure seating barriers are in place to maintain social distancing, props open doors for arriving attendees, and dismisses attendees by row or section to ensure social distancing after service ends. 
25. Guests services team leader. Alert volunteers when service or event reaches maximum capacity and directs attendees to overflow areas or online viewing options. 

To assist your church in working toward a new normal, we’ve created free downloadable versions of these new and adapted role profiles. 

*Please note these roles are not intended to be legal counsel but provide considerations that should be contextualized for your local church.

Please consult resources like the CDC, FEMA, and local and state health departments as well as federal, state, and local government guidelines for the most up-to-date information for your area.

TODD ADKINS (@ToddAdkins) is director of Lifeway Leadership and a co-host of the “5 Leadership Questions” podcast.