'Here I Am, Lord ... Use Me'

This "menu" lists dozens of ways you can get plugged into Bethlehem through volunteering.

Top Volunteer Needs

Guest Services Volunteers, Downtown Campus
Would you be interested in an opportunity at Bethlehem that involves meeting and helping people each day? We are in the process of developing and staffing a new ministry whose goal is to provide weekday assistance and a warm welcome to everyone entering our doors. If you believe that God has gifted you for this kind of ministry, and you would be available to work one or more 4-hour shifts each week (Monday-Friday, 9am-1pm, or 1-5pm), contact Brad Arthur (612-338-7653 x477), Director of Properties Administration.

Library Coordinator, North Campus
This volunteer will oversee all North Library operations and volunteers and also will be responsible for transporting reserved items to and from the campus libraries as needed.

  • adminstrative skills helpful
  • basic knowledge of how libraries work helpful
  • basic computer skills

Contact: Edith Carlson (612-455-3401)

Check-In Kiosk Worker
The shifts are short, the schedule is flexible, and workers are needed. Learn to use a simple touch screen to sign in children and volunteers for the nursery, Sunday school, Wednesday Night Connection, and other activities. Training is available. Contact: Amy Katterson (612-746-2650 x651).

Always Needed

Occasional Projects

Ongoing Volunteer Needs

Adult Ministries

Bookstore

Bethlehem College and Seminary

BUI

Family Ministries (Family Discipleship)

Global Compassion (Global Diaconate)

Global Outreach

Hispanic Ministries

Library

Media Ministries

Neighborhood Outreach

Short Term Ministries

Welcome Ministries

Worship & Music Ministries

---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---

Always Needed

Nursery Care for Worship Services
Saturday nights, Sunday mornings, Sunday nights, Wednesday nights

Nursery Care for Women's Bible Studies
Wednesday mornings, all sites during school year

  • Downtown Contact: Tiffany Dykstra (612-338-7653 x703)
  • North Contact: Maggie Sporleder (612-338-7653 x709)
  • South Contact: Brenda Stolz (612-338-7653 x703)

Nursery Care for MOMS
1st & 3rd Tuesday mornings, all sites during the school year

  • Downtown Contact: Kathy Stokes (612-338-7653 x712)
  • North Contact: Maggie Sporleder (612-338-7653 x709)
  • South Contact: Bonnie Williams (612-746-2650 x656)

Greeters
Greeters stand at the entrance doors before services to welcome those arriving. We ask Greeters to commit to once a month.

  • Downtown: Contact Mike Tong (612-338-7653 x451).
  • North: Contact Lynda Hansen (612-455-0800 x805).
  • South: Contact Nick Roen (612-746-2650 x654).

Ushers
Greet people with a bulletin, collect the offering, and assist those who attend our services. We ask folks to serve once a month.

  • Downtown: Contact Mike Tong (612-338-7653 x451).
  • North: Contact Scott Cornish (612-455-0800 x466).
  • South: Contact Nick Roen (612-746-2650 x654).

Visitor Reception Volunteer
Welcome visitors at the Saturday/Sunday services at the Visitor Reception area.

  • DDowntown: Contact Mike Tong (612-338-7653 x451).
  • North: Contact Lynda Hansen (612-455-0800 x805).
  • South: Contact Nick Roen (612-746-2650 x654).

Kitchen Help
Assist with food preparation, serving, and clean-up for Wednesday Night Connection or for other meals (funerals, special events, etc.). To help at the Downtown Campus contact Brenda Remus (612-338-7653 x441). To help at the North Campus contact Molly Johnson (612-455-0800 x869).

Meal Providers
Minister to families welcoming a baby or going through illness or other difficulties by preparing and delivering a meal. Contact Lynda Hansen (612-455-0800 x805).

Occasional Projects

Office Work Help
Support the ministries of the church through data entry, filing, and other office work on an as-needed basis. Contact Amy Katterson (612-746-2650 x651). 

Event Support
We hold occasional events to welcome guest speakers, show appreciation to ministry volunteers, or commemorate special events. Consider this opportunity to help with these special gatherings through various preparations, decorating, serving, and/or cleanup. Contact Amy Katterson (612-746-2650 x651).

Adult Ministries

Senior Visitation
Minister to wise, older adults who are in nursing homes or are no longer able to get out. Singles, children, and families can make an impact while receiving a great blessing in this ministry. Contact Keith Anderson (612-751-1446) 

Bookstore

Downtown & North Campus Bookstores

Help provide a gracious, friendly atmosphere for our guests by assisting with book recommendations, purchases, and requests. Assist with store operations by effectively and efficiently running the registers (training provided). We need volunteers at the following times:

  • Wednesday evenings (Sept-May)
  • Saturday evenings
  • Sunday mornings

Contact Matt Lund.

Bethlehem College and Seminary

Administative Helper
Want to serve the 90 college and seminary students who attend Bethlehem College and Seminary? BCS is looking for ongoing volunteer help to assist with basic administrative tasks in our office at the Downtown Campus. If you're interested, contact Jamie Carlson at 612-338-7653 x405.

Bethlehem Urban Initiatives

Reach Out to Somalis
Make a Somali friend and share the love of Christ while tutoring English, helping with computers, or giving a ride to class. A growing number of Somali men and women are coming to SALT (Somali Adult Literacy Training) at the Downtown Campus, which meets every Monday through Thursday, 9:00am to noon. More volunteer English tutors, computer helpers, and drivers are needed to serve one or more mornings a week. To learn more or to get involved, contact Carol Van Ess at 612-338-7653. (For other SALT times & locations, contact Mike Neterer at salt@wr.org.)

Help Needed at BUI's SAY Yes! Center
If you would like to make a difference in the lives of kids from the Phillips and Powderhorn neighborhoods of South Minneapolis, consider volunteering with S.A.Y. (Save America's Youth) Yes! This Christ-centered, after-school mentoring ministry for inner-city youth is seeking volunteers who could fill a variety of needs, including mentoring one or two youth, facilitating academic exercises, or driving a van to pick up and drop off kids. We're looking for those who could give 2-3 hours per week (Mon and/or Wed evenings), in addition to helping with monthly events at the 16/33 Center. If you are interested, contact Toph Majors at 612-600-4879.

Family Ministries (Family Discipleship)

Nursery—ministry to those birth to 3 years of Sundays, Wednesdays evenings, various weekdays (MOMs, Bible Studies), and special events:

  • Caregivers to nurture and pray for the youngest among us.
  • Team Leaders lead a volunteer team who love and lead children in truth.
  • Teachers who by prayer and preparation seek to understand and teach children through God-centered curriculum.
  • Substitutes who are available to be called on as needed in those roles listed above.

Volunteer Opportunity for Disability Ministry
Do you have a heart to bless and be blessed by children with disabilities?

  • The Disability Ministry has a need for one-on-one Disability Aides and substitute Aides during Sunday School on all campuses.

For questions about these roles, contact Brenda Fischer at 612-746-2650 x656.

Please visit the Family Ministries Get Involved page for other potential volunteer opportunities in this ministry area.

Global Compassion (Global Diaconate)

Crisis Response
If you are interested in being a part of an International Crisis Response Group contact Steve Prater (763-753-0497).

Global Outreach

Global Outreach Department Volunteer
We can always use extra office help for various office projects. Contact Steven Lee (612-338-7653 x433).

Hispanic Ministries

Childcare / Youth
Serve in the nurseries or volunteer with the youth on Sunday nights during our Spanish worship services at the 16/33 Center. (No Spanish required.) Contact Kelly Burson (612-455-3422).

Worship Team
Use your musical gifts to be a part of the Hispanic Ministry worship team at the 16/33 Center on Sunday evenings. (No Spanish required.) Contact Kelly Burson (612-455-3422)).

Interpretation
Interpret Bethlehem's worship services into Spanish or the Hispanic Ministry's worship services into English. (Fluency in Spanish and English required.) Contact Kelly Burson (612-455-3422).

Library

Downtown & North Library Opportunities
Our Downtown & North Libraries regularly needs the following:

  • Circulation Desk Workers
  • Shelf Reader
  • Library Cleaner
  • Materials Evaluator

If you are interested in any of these positions see our Library Volunteer Guide (document) for more details.

Media Ministries

A/V Setup Assistant
Assist in setup/take down of our A/V equipment used for worship services or events. No experience necessary. Contact Tim Frederick (612-455-0800 x811).

Audio or Visual Technician
An Audio Technician operates the sound system, which a Visual Technician operates the worship text and/or video systems for worship services or events. Contact Tim Frederick (612-455-0800 x811).

Neighborhood Outreach

Hidden Treasures Thrift Store
Do you have an hour or two a week to spare in making a difference in our ministry? Profits from Hidden Treasures Thrift Store support local ministry at Masterworks and two international ministries. We are in great need of volunteers to help at the store. Whether you process merchandise or wait on customers, no act of help is too small to make a big difference. Stop by the store (2915 Pentagon Dr, St. Anthony, MN 55418), call us at 612-706-3223, or visit hiddentreasuresonline.org. We'd love to meet you! It is easy to volunteer, no formal training required--just a heart to serve the Lord!

LYDIA Fund Helpers
"Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless" (James 1:27). Do you have a passion for adoption? Love to hear adoption stories? Want encourage adopting couples? The LYDIA fund assists qualified families with international adoptions. To learn more, contact the LYDIA Fund at 763-784-4578. Consider volunteering for them in these areas:

  • non-profit accounting
  • fundraising
  • application processing
  • publicity
  • interviewing and encouraging couples
  • Web content management

Reach Unreached Peoples in Our Neighborhood
Overcomers Ministries (First Nations Recovery Center, 2200 Bloomington Ave S) is one of very few evangelical outreaches to Native Americans in our nation actually founded and directed by a Native American, Gordon Thayer. Bethlehem has supported Overcomers in various ways for several years. First Nations Recovery Center is a newly-established arm of the ministry. Your skills may be just what are needed to help open wider this doorway to the gospel. If you can volunteer with office/clerical tasks, grant-writing, medical/insurance billing, Web design/maintenance, or video production, contact Sheila Thayer at 612-871-1208.

All Nations ESL Tutors Needed
Mondays or Wednesdays, 6:30-8:00pm
Downtown Campus, Room 205
Interested in reaching out to immigrants and international students? God has brought many international students and immigrants to our doorstep here in the Twin Cities. Come help our new friends with English while showing them the "hope that lies within you." You can befriend newcomers to the United States, help them with English as a conversation partner, and share the love of Christ. Contact Hannah LaFeve at 612-423-3982 for more information.

ESL Conversation Class Tutors Needed
South Site, 501 Building
Wednesdays, 1-2:30 pm
This is an opportunity for women to help international women practice and improve their English conversation and reading skills. We will also seek to build caring and Christ-exalting friendships with them. Contact Marge Jenson at 651-460-4944

Elliot Twins Grocery Van Driver
Each week we provide our neighbors with a ride to the grocery store. Driving the grocery van for those who have no other way around is a great way to show the love of Christ to our neighbors. Contact Tina Lowe (612-338-7653 x439). 

Short Term Ministries

Short Term Team Leaders
Consider being a short term team leader. Training is required and available. Contact Tina Lowe (612-338-7653 x439).

Welcome Ministries

Check-In Kiosk Worker
The shifts are short, the schedule is flexible, and workers are needed. Learn to use a simple touch screen to sign in children and volunteers for the nursery, Sunday school, Wednesday Night Connection, and other activities. Training is available. Contact Amy Katterson (612-746-2650 x651). 

Information Booth Volunteer
Be available before, during, and after one service each month to answer questions, direct inquires, visit with newcomers, and respond in the case of emergencies.

  • Downtown: Contact Ruth Gulbranson (612-338-7653 x464).
  • North: Contact Char Ransom (612-816-3694).
  • South: Contact Amy Katterson (612-746-2650 x651).

Worship & Music Ministries

Communion Helpers Needed
Volunteers are needed to help with preparation of communion elements once a month at the Downtown Campus. To apply to serve in this way, contact Jesse Harms at 612-228-7653 x425.

Downtown Orchestra Looking for More Musicians
Do you play a woodwind or string instrument? We are looking for more people who play the bassoon, clarinet, bass clarinet, flute, piccolo, French horn, saxophone, or any string instrument. For more information, contact Jesse Harms at 612-228-7653 x425.

More Details

For more details on these ministry opportunities please see our Ministry Opportunities Handbook found at our Information Booths on each of our campuses.

Contact Us

Do you have a skill? Do you have a heart to invest that skill in the kingdom? We can probably find a good fit for you among Bethlehem's ministries.

To volunteer, please contact our church office at 612-338-7653 or email us at mail@hopeinGod.org.

For thought-provoking motivation about volunteering, read By This Time You Ought to Be Teachers, a sermon by Pastor John Piper.

© 2012 Bethlehem Baptist Church