Faithfully Volunteering

Faithfully Volunteering is a good practice guide for faith-based projects involved in volunteering, volunteer centres, and Councils for Voluntary Service who work with faith-based projects.

Why is Faithfully Volunteering useful?

• In a faith community nearly everyone is a volunteer - the members of the managing council, youth leaders, visitors, Boards and Committees with volunteers serving as priests, pastors or congregational leaders.
• Faith communities demonstrate a partnership of paid and unpaid, professional and enthusiast. Dynamics become different if people from other faith communities become involved in your project. This can change communication, and how projects are run. When a faith-based project chooses to serve the local community, problems and opportunities emerge and lots of complex issues need to be addressed.
• 'Faithfully Volunteering' focuses on using volunteers outside our particular local faith community although many of the good practice guidelines apply in all circumstances.
• 'Faithfully Volunteering' challenges the way faith communities operate and the expectations of their volunteers.
• Starting a project for the elderly or an advice project? Will you be happy to have outside help from the local community, or draw them from farther a field? What about expenses, training and insurance? How will you involve members of your faith community, those who are believers, those who are sympathetic?

Faithfully Volunteering was funded by Greater Merseyside ChangeUp Consortium and produced by Church & Society in collaboration with:

• Liverpool Volunteer Centre
• Churches Together in the Merseyside Region
• Merseyside Jewish Community Care
• Liverpool Community Spirit