Volunteer + Small Group Opportunities

Volunteer + small group Opportunities

There are many ways to get involved in the Burke UMC community, both as a volunteer and as part of a small group. You do not have to be a member of Burke UMC to engage in these activities! If you're interested in volunteering, sign up using the links listed or reach out to the contact person for more information.

Volunteer Category Color Key: 💯 Administration, 🔸Share, 💜 Care, 🙏 Worship, ⭐️ Children/Youth Ministry, ❗Suitable for Families to Volunteer Together

🔸❗ Feeding Ministries Hot Lunch for the Homeless (Thirds Mondays, 9:30 am)

Once a month we prepare a healthy lunch to feed hungry individuals at the Lamb Center and Rising Hope. You can be involved by joining the team as they cook at BUMC. Contact: Farah Greeley (outreach@burkeumc.org)

🔸❗ Community Co-Op Help (11:30 am-1 pm)

Help with our co-op on days when we are open on Mondays and Fridays when we have work teams to organize and stock shelves.

🙏 Acolytes (Sunday mornings during worship)

Ages 3rd through 6th grade. Carry the light of Christ in and out of the worship service and assist the pastors as needed during the Worship service. Arrive 15 mins before service. Sign up here!

🙏 Audio/Visual (Sunday mornings during worship and various other events)

Run the media and sound during worship services. Youth or Adult. Arrive at least 15 minutes before the service.

Contact: Rodney Hammond (audiovisual@burkeumc.org)

⭐️ Children's Church* (Sunday mornings during worship)

Help lead pre-k thru 2nd graders in activities while their parents are in worship

Assist Children’s Church leader with Children’s Church. Arrive 15 minutes before worship. Adult. Sign up here.
Junior Children’s Church leader, 5th-6th grade, arrive 15 minutes before worship. Sign up here.

🙏❗Communion Set Up and Clean Up

Set up communion before worship and clean up afterwards. Sign up here!

🙏❗ Communion Server (Sunday mornings during worship)

Assist with serving Communion during worship service. Youth-Adult. Contact: Margaret Yowell

🙏 Counters (Sunday mornings after worship)

Count and record weekly collections. Adult. Usually takes 60-90 minutes. Contact: Jim Coile

🙏❗ Lay Reader (Sunday mornings during worship)

Leads the congregation during the worship Service with various readings such as Opening Prayer, Affirmation of Faith, Prayer of Dedication. Readings will be provided to you by email in advance of the Sunday service. Youth-Adult. Arrive 15 minutes before start of service. Contact: Ellen Quisenberry

🙏 Sabbath Chapel Morning Prayer Leader (8:45 am-9:15 am)

Sunday mornings between 8:45 and 9:15, gather to pray for our morning worship and its leaders. Youth-Adult, Families.

Contact: Rev. Judy Fender

🙏 Ushers (Sunday mornings during worship)

Front-line ambassadors, exemplify radical hospitality, offer guidance and assistance to our congregants before and during worship service, assist pastors as needed, provide security for the services, straighten sanctuary following service. Youth-Adult, Families. Arrive 20 minutes prior to worship service, remain through service and clean-up (takes 15-20 minutes). Contact: Bob Pedersen

⭐️ Kid Connection Adult Volunteers* (10:30 am-11:30 am)

Adult volunteers needed to lead Kid Connection each Sunday morning. Kid Connection is a time of fellowship and learning for children 4 years old through 6th grade. Contact Shannon Terranova (childrenyouthdirector@burkeumc.org)

⭐️ Arise Adult Volunteers* (10:30 am-11:30 am)

Adult volunteers needed to sub in Arise on Sunday mornings from 10:30-11:30 when the regular leaders are unavailable. Arise is an opportunity for youth grades 7th through 12th and includes a lesson and time for fellowship. Contact Shannon Terranova (childrenyouthdirector@burkeumc.org)

⭐️ JUMP Volunteers* (4:30 pm-6 pm)

Adult volunteers needed to lead Junior United Methodist People (JUMP) on the 4th Sundays each month from 4:30-6pm. JUMP is a monthly time of fellowship, games, fun, and friendship for children in kindergarten through 2nd grade. Contact: Shannon Terranova (childrenyouthdirector@burkeumc.org)

⭐️ Learning with LEGO Volunteers* (4:30 pm-6 pm)

Adult volunteers needed to lead Learning with Legos on the 4th Sundays of the month from 4:30-6pm. Learning with Legos is an opportunity for 3rd thru 6th graders to enjoy A Bible story, conversation, friendship, and a chance to play with your LEGO sets! Sign up here to volunteer and/or provide dinner. Contact: Shannon Terranova (childrenyouthdirector@burkeumc.org)

⭐️ Nursery Volunteers* (Sundays during worship and other occasional events)

Adult volunteers needed to help in the nursery Sunday mornings and occasional evenings. Use this link to volunteer during Sunday morning worship. Use this link to volunteer during the Sunday School hour.

🔸❗ Hot Breakfast for the Homeless: Third Sundays, 6:45 am

Once a month, in partnership with FACETS, we prepare breakfast burritos and deliver them to homeless persons in the Fairfax Circle area and to the Katherine Hanley Family Shelter. You can get involved by donating food for the breakfasts or joining us in the kitchen. Donate: juice boxes, milk boxes, Nutri-Grain bars, fruit cups. Contact: Farah Greeley (outreach@burkeumc.org)

🔸❗ Sunday Lunch for Rising Hope: Fourth Sundays, 7:45 am

Help with cooking lunch for Rising Hope every 4th Sunday. Contact: Farah Greeley (outreach@burkeumc.org)

💜❗ Greeters

Greet for worship services. Sunday and occasional other days throughout the year.

💜❗ Connection Center

Assist at the Connection Center during worship services. Sunday and occasional other days throughout the year.

💜❗ Sunday Morning Coffee for Fellowship Time (Sundays during worship)

Prepares and cleans up the beverages & snacks for the Sunday morning fellowship time. Sign up here!

💜❗ Altar Flower Delivery (Sundays after worship)

Delivers the Sunday morning Altar flowers to a designated recipient. Sometimes the recipient also receives a Prayer Shawl or Prayer Blanket.

🙏❗ Online Readers

(For those who worship primarily online) – record yourself reading scriptures and prayer for worship services, submit recording to audio-visual director. Adult-Youth. Requires approximately 10 minutes. Contact: Caitlin Adams

🙏❗ Sanctuary Helper

Restock & straighten the sanctuary and pews. Youth-Adult, Families. Requires approximately 15-20 minutes.

Contact: Lynn Cui

🔸❗ Gleaning

Volunteers will pick up food from local grocery stores and bring it to the co-op to be distributed. We currently partner with Whole Foods in Springfield and Fair Lakes and food is delivered to Burke UMC, Rising Hope, and Hanley Shelter. Sign up: Gleaning Needs List

💜 Congregational Care Visitation Teams

Make routine check-ins with those on BUMC’s congregational care list. Maintains confidentiality. Accountable to the Pastors.

💜 Attendance Care Team

Contacts by email or a phone call, those who have not been in attendance for awhile.

💜❗ Meals Ministry

Prepares & delivers a meal to those in need.

💜❗ Bread Delivery

Delivers banana bread to new visitors.

🙏❗ Volunteer as a greeter this Christmas Eve

Greeters needed for all of our services - 10:30 am, 5 pm, 7 pm, and 9 pm.

❗Advent Celebration Volunteers

Help us with clean up, set up, crafts, live storytelling, and more on December 7 from 4-6 pm.

🔸 Holiday Parent Shop Donations Wish List

Donate items for Holiday Parent Shop and/or volunteer for the handout day. Contact: Dee White (deewhite@burkeumc.org)

💯 Office Assistants (Monday-Friday)

3 hour shifts on Monday-Friday (9 am-12 pm and 12 pm-3 pm). Contact: Julie Chapman (bumc@burkeumc.org)

💯 Property Landscaping (as needed)

Help with landscaping around the Burke UMC property. Contact: Tom Muldoon (tommuldoon@burkeumc.org)

💯 Building Maintenance (as needed)

Help with landscaping around the Burke UMC property. Contact: Tom Muldoon (tommuldoon@burkeumc.org)

💯 Staff Appreciation (various times throughout year)

Varies - can be a one-time offering or ongoing. Contact: Jason Snow (jasonsnow@vaumc.org)

🙏 Altar Guild (as needed)

Weekly and seasonal altar and sanctuary preparation. Youth-Adult. Approximate time commitment: 15-20 minutes.

Contact: Sonja Vanden Berghe (sonjavandenberghe@burkeumc.org)

🔸 Burke Gives Back Planning Team (seasonal)

Help to plan our upcoming event! Because we are called by our faith to “Love Your Neighbor”, Burke United Methodist Church started holding “Change the World” events in May 2010. As our neighbors became interested in this event, we looked for ways to involve the community in helping to care for others and to learn about the needs both locally and far away. BurkeGivesBack was born in May 2017, and since then we have held many events packing thousands of meals and collecting literally tons of food for area food banks. Contact: Farah Greeley (outreach@burkeumc.org)

⭐️❗ Vacation Bible School and Camp Mission Edge* (summer)

Teen and adult volunteers needed to help during Vacation Bible School and Camp Mission Edge. Contact: Shannon Terranova (childrenyouthdirector@burkeumc.org)

💜❗ Food Preparation for BUMC Events (as needed)

💜 Funeral Receptions (as needed)

💜 Special Event Coordination (as needed)

Buy a Burke UMC shirt or sweatshirt to spread the message of hope all over town: click here

SMALL GROUP OFFERINGS

We have a number of ongoing groups who meet in a variety of ways and spaces for fellowship throughout the week. Reach out to the contact person for each one if you are interested in learning more!

AA (external) - Mondays from 8:15-10:30 pm, Covenant Room

Please contact AA directly for more information

Disciple 2 - Mondays at 7 pm, Discipleship Room

Facilitated by Mike Sawin

Cards of Comfort - Wednesdays from 9:30-11 AM, Discipleship Room

A creative group that meets weekly to create handmade cards that are mailed to people on our prayer list. Join us any time! Please reach out to Kathy Nash for more information.

Prayer Shawl - Wednesdays from 10-11:30 AM, Covenant Room

A knitting & crocheting group that meets weekly to make prayers shawls that are used by our pastors and care teams when they visit. Join us any time! Please reach out to Marion Rieder for more information.

BOGSAT (Bunch of Guys Sitting Around Talking) - Saturdays from 7-8 am, Zoom

A drop-in fellowship opportunity for men. For more info, contact Jim Hudson!

Al-Anon (external) - 8-9 am, Covenant Room

Please contact Al-Anon directly for more information.

United Methodist Men - 3rd Saturdays, 8-9 AM, Fellowship Hall

The Burke United Methodist Men meet on the 3rd Saturday of every month in the Fellowship Hall. You can join them any month! Reach out to Kevin Taylor for more information.

Burke United Methodist (BUM) Walkers and Runners - Saturdays, 9 am at Burke Lake

A drop-in opportunity to join a group of encouraging and supportive runners and walkers who gather and Burke UMC and carpool over to Burke Lake. Reach out to Kevin Taylor if you have questions! You can buy a BUM Fitness shirt by clicking HERE.

Women in Study (WIS) - Thursdays at 10 AM-11:30 am, Zoom

Facilitated by Roz Hoagland

Men's Fellowship Group - 1st and 3rd Thursdays from 7:30-9 pm, hybrid on Zoom and in Covenant Room

Facilitated by Tom Jaeger

Yoga with Anna - Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fellowship Hall

Yoga meets on Thursday evening with Anna Kim from 7:30-8:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall. The suggested donation is $10. Attendees are encouraged to wear comfortable clothing, bring a yoga mat, and water.