Volunteer Opportunities
Church of the Good shepherd provides several opportunities for parishioners of all ages to be active within the church and local community.
Adult volunteer opportunities
Members of the Altar Guild serve on a one-week-a-month team which prepares the altar for corporate worship, setting out the elements for communion, cleaning and putting them away, and polishing brass and silver.
Breakfast Cooks serve on a rotating team to prepare breakfast on Sunday mornings between the two services.
Our adult Choir rehearses each Wednesday night during the school year and sings during the 10:15 AM Sunday service.
The Daughters of the King partner with the rector in a ministry of prayer and service. They meet monthly to grow their faith through prayer, study, and fellowship. They present a Quiet Day during Lent and the Animal Blessing in October. They host fifth Sunday social hours and funeral receptions as needed.
Our Handbell Choir performs several times a year during church, and on special occasions including our annual Christmas banquet. We have weekly practices during the school year. Counting to four is the only requirement!
Our Honduras Mission Partnership supports our companion Diocese of Honduras and our companion parish in Santa Maria. Our activities include annual mission trips to Santa Maria, Honduras, and fundraisers to support the parish there.
Lay Readers read the lessons and administer the chalice during holy communion.
Our Meeters and Greeters committee welcomes visitors and guests to the parish.
Our Outreach Committee coordinates a variety of service programs and grants for the welfare of our larger community.
Volunteers for our Polk Avenue School Partnership pack and deliver fourteen bags of non-perishable food for homeless students, or serve as a weekly mentor to a student, or assist with occasional teacher appreciation meals.
Social hour hosts provide refreshments after the main service on Sunday.
Our Special Meals volunteers prepare and serve meals for special parish events that include Connection Sunday refreshments, our annual Christmas Banquet, and our Graduation Sunday picnic.
Thrift Shop volunteers receive, price and sell donations of used clothing, jewelry and household items at the thrift shop at 111 E. Orange Ave, downtown Lake Wales. This longstanding outreach program has served both our church and the community for four generations. Volunteers are always needed to work a two-and-one-half hour weekly shift or to serve as a substitute.
Ushers serve on a team to distribute bulletins, receive offerings, and assist parishioners who need help going up to the altar to receive Holy Communion. After the service, ushers collect the money offered and clean up the pews.
Each summer, our Vacation Bible School volunteers offer a week of Christian education in a fun learning environment in the mornings for children ages kindergarten through 5th grade. This unforgettable week includes Bible study, crafts, snacks, and outdoor play as well as a high-energy opening and closing ceremony. In 2024, we enjoyed a Journey into Narnia with C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
Our Vestry is comprised of 12 members who serve as the governing body of our church. Included are a Senior Warden, a Junior Warden (who oversees the property), a Treasurer and a Secretary. Four new members are added annually in January to serve three-year terms.
Wednesday night dinner cooks prepare, serve and clean up meals prior to our Wednesday night classes for all ages.
The Kairos Prison Ministry is a program for men at Avon Park Correctional Institution. Pray, donate cookies and decorated placemats, visit the prison for a Kairos closing ceremony, or serve on a biannual prison ministry team. Security clearance forms are required for those who want to attend a closing ceremony in the prison.
Children Volunteer Opportunities
Acolytes (children in third grade through high school) carry the crosses and torches and assist at the altar during corporate worship.
Children ages pre-school through high school our welcome to participate in our traditional Christmas Pageant.
Call Lisa at the church office (863-676-8578) or email office@gslw.org if you or your child would like to participate in any of these service opportunities.