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Doug
Koop
ChristianWeek
Staff
Volunteers
are people willing to work and give for reasons that extend well beyond
their own self-interest. Not surprisingly, people who take religion seriously
are more likely than those who are non-religious to volunteer their time
and talents (and donate their treasure) to help other people and causes.
The
evidence is more than anecdotal: the data is in and the connection between
faith and volunteerism can be demonstrated empirically. As a recent report
from the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy makes absolutely clear: "Canadians
who provide the bulk of donations and volunteer hours are much more likely
to attend religious services weekly than are other Canadians."
This
pattern would seem to make sense, if only because religions almost universally
encourage benevolence among their followers and because places of worship
are natural conduits for giving and serving. It’s certainly a foundational
Christian concept.
Indeed,
the height of Christian obedience is to "do nothing" for selfish
reasons but to act with kindness and humility for the well-being of others.
"Don’t think only about your own affairs, but be interested
in others, too, and what they are doing. Your attitude should be the same
that Christ Jesus had" when He gave up the rights of heaven, "appeared
in human form" and "took the humble position of a slave"
(Phil. 2:4-7).
This
service mentality is an incredible challenge to the people of God in any
era; it’s a particularly hard sell in a societies like our own where
multiple messages tell us to look out for number one, where self-indulgence
is so widely accepted and expected.
So it
comes as a touch of good news that people who take religious faith seriously
are at the forefront of efforts to confront our cultural slide into selfishness.
Based on a survey conducted by Statistics Canada, the "Giving and
Volunteering" report analyzes the links between religious commitment
(including weekly attendance) and volunteering practices (see
"Role of religion" sidebar).
More
than 40 per cent of Canadians who attend worship services weekly volunteer,
compared with 23 per cent who never attend. And "although those who
attend religious services weekly represent just 19 per cent of the Canadian
population, they account for 28 per cent of the volunteers...and 35 per
cent of total volunteer hours in 2000."
A positive
link between religion and voluntarism may be clear, but the gap between
what is being done and what needs to be done is enormous. While those
who go to church more often do volunteer nearly twice as frequently as
those who never attend, there is much room to improve. Nearly two-thirds
of the most devout never bother to volunteer either.
Churches
themselves depend on volunteer support; very few could operate without
the freely given help of those who attend. The talents of musicians, sound
technicians, nursery workers, small group leaders, teachers of every sort
and dozens of other vocations are all in demand in communities of worship.
But
useful and good as this service may be, it is only the beginning of Christian
service.
The
late Keith Price used to lament the fact that while "70 per cent
of the invitations I receive to speak at church conferences come with
a request to address the topic of commitment," he soon discovered
that in most cases the caller was looking for ways to motivate churchgoers
to a stronger commitment to a particular church.
One
encouraging bit of news from the survey is that religious people don’t
just volunteer for religious organizations. In fact, more than 60 per
cent of the hours (an annual average of 123 volunteer hours) contributed
by highly religious volunteers were for the benefit of non-religious organizations.
Indeed,
in order to credibly serve the God who commands us to love our neighbour,
the work of the church must make the jump from the church-house to the
neighbourhood, and from the community to the furthest parts of the earth.
The crying need
Wherever
there is need, God’s people ought to be compassionately and helpfully
present. It should not come as a surprise to realize that Christian compulsion
led to the creation of orphanages and other compassionate services. It
is at the heart of many global relief and development efforts. It is a
prominent feature among some justice advocacy groups.
A growing
number of congregations in post-modern Canada are waking up to the fact
that their spiritual effectiveness is not disconnected from their willingness
to serve.
Needs
abound. Independent seniors often need friendly visitors and help with
things like transportation, routine errands and minor repairs. Children
and youth at risk can benefit from mentors and tutors or surrogate family
members. New citizens often need home starter kits, language help and
friends in their new culture.
Opportunities
abound. Multiple members of even the smallest congregations can be independently
active in a wide array of volunteer services beyond church walls.
Some
can make sure people who have been drinking at Christmas parties get a
safe ride home during the annual Operation Red Nose. Others can help out
at the cancer society, or the Canadian National Institute for the Blind,
or with Habitat for Humanity, or coach local sports teams, or work with
any of a host of service providers that exist to help people in need.
This
is the work of the Church. Not only does the church become more visible
when it serves a community, but it becomes more credible as it ministers
to people in need.
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