Volunteers Overview
With God’s help, we will so order our lives after the example of Christ, that this child, surrounded by steadfast love, may be established in the faith, and confirmed and strengthened in the way that leads to eternal life.
That is the commitment we make at a child’s baptism. COP is one of the ways we live into that commitment. We are the example of Christ to our students. They are watching us – the body, the church. What a great way for them to learn and what a wonderful blessing for the volunteers! Check out the many ways to serve during COP and join more than 100 volunteers as we sow seeds into the lives of our students through this effort.
Work Leaders
Work Leaders play an integral role in the COP experience. There are typically two adult work leaders assigned to a group of 10-12 students. You can volunteer for one day or for the full week.
Critical Need!
Lead or assist work teams — help transport students, tools and supplies to and from worksite, host homes and Creekside
General Schedule for Work Leaders
- Monday-Wednesday
- Can serve one or more days
- 7:45am-7:00pm
Example schedule for a typical day is below.
You are with the kids from breakfast through dinner (and sometimes into the evening if you choose). The Work Leaders are the adult supervisors of the work crew for the day. Each team is assigned a Student Leader and a Spiritual Leader to provide primary direction to the work team. Your job will be to coach and mentor the Student Leader as they lead the work efforts and minister to the clients. You are also the team photographer!
Being a Work Leader is one of the biggest volunteer commitments in terms of time, but it can also be one of the most rewarding due to the nature of the volunteer activities. You are ministering to both our students and our clients. You have a front row seat in watching the team become the hands and feet of Jesus to our clients and to each other.
As Work Leaders, there are several guiding principles.
In Spirit — With God's help, we will so order our lives after the example of Christ, that this child, surrounded by steadfast love, may be established in the faith, and confirmed and strengthened in the way that leads to eternal life.
In Prayer — Encourage your student leaders and other students to lead the group in prayer either within the Creekside group or with the client. Sharing our prayer life with each other and our clients is part of the blessing of the outreach ministry experience. Although many students are shy or uncomfortable, please encourage them and reiterate that this group is a safe place and God loves all prayer that is sincere and from the heart.
Lead by Example — As leaders we need to be intentional about the examples we are setting for our students. Please be the "parental" monitor of the group ensuring that Christian standards are maintained in terms of behavior, movies, music and conversations. Encourage your teams to be Christ-like in everything they do.
As a Work Leader you will be supported in all of these activities by the leadership of the COP Steering Team as well as the church staff.
Example Day
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 7:45 AM | Breakfast @ Creekside in room 140 |
| 8:20 AM | Devotion in room 140 |
| 8:35 AM | • Confirm students requiring daily medicine have been to nurse for dosage (if needed) • Ensure student leaders have all tools and supplies for the workday from the COP shed at the Majors Road house • Ensure that student leaders have picked up food, drinks and water coolers and first aid kits each day |
| 8:45 AM | • Review the day's work activities and client info and take the time to have the students pray for their clients and for the day's activities ahead |
| 9:00 AM | • Transport students to worksite • Arrive at worksite • Pray with the client |
| 9:15 AM | • Have Student Leaders assess work and assign students tasks • Monitor worksite and encourage students to spend time with the client • Encourage students to drink adequate liquids |
| 12:00 PM | • Eat lunch — invite client to join lunch • Encourage students to drink adequate liquids |
| 3:00 PM | • Transport students from worksite to host family for showers, swimming / fellowship and dinner |
| 6:15 PM |
• Transport students from host family back to Creekside for evening activities • Return all tools and supplies to the tool shed at the end of the day • Ensure the return of coolers and water jugs each afternoon to the portico |
| • Ensure that all daily paperwork is filled out and returned to the team lead during the daily Work Leader's meeting | |
| 6:15 PM | • Attend daily Work Leaders meeting |
Work Leader Team Meetings
Meetings will be held each evening during COP Monday through Wednesday. The purpose is to share God sightings, where we saw God at work throughout the day, what worked well, what didn't work so well, ask questions, etc.
- Receive updates or changes that need to be communicated.
- Submit worksite evaluation sheets for each job completed.
The week of the event you will receive a detailed binder with all necessary information that you will need to lead your team in all COP activities.
Overnight Chaperones
Some of the most amazing things happen at night. Bring your blow up mattress, pillow and blanket for a long night of laughter, fun and fellowship with our students. Free time after worship is filled with a variety of unplanned activities. Walk down the halls of Creekside and you will find pockets of students playing guitars and singing, groups sprawled out on the floor playing games, and huddles of conversation and laughter. As students settle in for the night, the halls are filled with quiet conversation and giggles. At "lights out", chaperones lay their heads on the pillow blessed to be a part of COP.
Critical Need!
Provide safety and discipline in the evenings at the church.
Schedule for Overnight Chaperones
- Sunday-Wednesday 9:30pm-7:30am
- Can serve one or more evenings
Want to know what it’s like to be an overnight chaperone for COP?
There are typically 2 male and 2 female overnight chaperones each night. You can volunteer for one or more nights. Shifts generally run from 9:30pm until 7:30 the next morning.
As overnight chaperones there are several guiding principles.
In Spirit — With God's help, we will so order our lives after the example of Christ, that this child, surrounded by steadfast love, may be established in the faith, and confirmed and strengthened in the way that leads to eternal life.
In Prayer — Sharing our prayer life with each other is part of the blessing of the outreach ministry experience. Take part in the night time devotions with the students. Encourage our students to pray for and with others.
Lead by Example — As leaders we need to be intentional about the examples we are setting for our students. Please be the "parental" monitor of the group ensuring that Christian standards are maintained in terms of behavior, movies, music and conversations. Encourage our students to be Christ-like in everything they do.
As an Overnight Chaperone you will be supported in all of these activities by the leadership of the COP Steering Team as well as the church staff. A Creekside staff member will be on site during the night to assist as necessary.
Take a peek at our overnight chaperones schedule for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights: (We will have a DJ in the gym on Wednesday from 10:30pm-1:30am and students are allowed to stay up until 3 am Wednesday night.)
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 9:30PM | Arrival – Meet in the atrium where you will be “trained” by someone from COP Leadership |
| 10:15PM - 11:15PM | Hang out with the students during their “Free Time.” Sing some songs, play some cards or catch a game of 9 Square with the best students you’ll ever meet! |
| 11:15PM | Students will go back to their rooms to prepare for sleep |
| 11:30PM | Lights Out! Be sure all girls/boys are in their assigned rooms |
| 11:30PM - 7:30AM | Get cozy on your air mattress. You and the other chaperones will each be assigned a place to “sleep” for the night. Be available for the students as necessary |
| 7:30AM | Begin waking up the students. Breakfast will be served at 7:40am |
| 7:30AM | Chaperones go home feeling blessed to have been an important part of serving our students so they can go out and serve others each day at COP |
Host Homes
At the end of a busy day, each team goes to their assigned Host Home. They are greeted by their host volunteer excited not only to open their home but to share in the experience of COP. Students can relax, shower and have a wonderful dinner. Often this time is also spent playing board games or working on their lip sync and you may even find students taking a nap. Our host volunteers love to spoil and take care of their team during this week by serving snacks, washing towels and making the team feel special and loved.
Critical Need!
Host a work team at your home for showers, snacks, and dinner Monday and Wednesday. On Tuesday the work team will come for showers and snacks only. ($200 stipend given to help cover expenses.)
Schedule for Host Homes
- Monday - Work team will arrive at your home between 3-3:30 for snacks, showers and dinner and will need to be back at church by 6:15pm
- Tuesday - Work team will arrive at your home between 3-3:30 for snacks and showers and will need to be back at church by 5:50pm
- Wednesday - Work team will arrive at your home between 3-3:30 for snacks, showers and dinner and will need to be back at church by 6:55pm
What is a Host Home?
- Each day, plan to provide your team (10-12 people), showers, snacks, and drinks. (Team should call you in advance and arrive approximately 3-3:30pm each afternoon.)
- Two adults (not including Work Leaders) must be available at all times when at the Host Home.
- Plan to provide an evening meal on Monday and Wednesday nights. ($200 stipend will be provided to help cover the cost of the meals.) Be sure you are ready to have the teams back to the church in time each evening. (The Work Leaders will provide the transportation.)
- Tuesday night the students will be involved in our traditional "Chivalry Night Dinner" back at the church. You will not need to provide dinner on Tuesday night. Instead provide heavy snacks when the team arrives at your home Tuesday afternoon.
Since 2 adults are required to be at the Host Home, you might want to recruit a Host Home assistant to help you at your home each day. (Host Home Assistants will need to sign up on the website.)
As a Host Home there are several guiding principles.
In Spirit — With God's help, we will so order our lives after the example of Christ, that this child, surrounded by steadfast love, may be established in the faith, and confirmed and strengthened in the way that leads to eternal life.
In Prayer — Sharing our prayer life with each other is part of the blessing of the outreach ministry experience. Encourage our students to pray for and with others. Be sure to take time to pray and thank God before meals.
Lead by Example — As leaders we need to be intentional about the examples we are setting for our students. Please be the "parental" monitor of the group ensuring that Christian standards are maintained in terms of behavior, movies, music and conversations. No PG-13 or R movies or video games with excessive violence. Encourage our students to be Christ-like in everything they do.
As a Host Home you will be supported in all of these activities by the leadership of the COP Steering Team as well as the church staff.
Kitchen Team
There is a very special appreciation for our kitchen teams. They prepare/serve our breakfast; they work two shifts to prepare and pack lunch coolers, serve dinner on Sunday and Tuesday evenings, and serve snacks to hungry students during free time. This group of volunteers dotes on the students and volunteers alike, making sure they have everything they need for physical sustenance and feeding their spirits as well.
Breakfast Team
Breakfasts will be provided each morning based on an established menu. The menu will include both a main dish as well as continental items such as fruit, yogurt, bagels, etc.
The breakfast team will make all preparation, set up, serving and clean up each morning. Shifts run from 6:45-8:30am each morning.
Schedule for Breakfast Team
- Monday-Thursday
- Can serve one or more days
- 6:45am-8:30am (Thursday morning shift is from 8:00am-10am)
Lunch Team - Morning and/or Afternoon Team
The MORNING TEAM will be putting ice in the coolers, filling the water jugs, and packing the lunches in the coolers that were made the night before. This team will meet at the church from 7:00am-8:00am Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Those working the AFTERNOON TEAM will be working Sunday through Wednesday. The afternoon team will meet at the church from around 6:00pm to 7:00pm During that time they will be making sandwiches, and setting up and washing coolers and water jugs when they are returned to the church.
Schedule for Morning Lunch Team (Lunch AM Team)
Pack coolers, fill water jugs, packing lunches
- Monday-Wednesday
- Can serve one or more days
- 7:00am-8:00am
Schedule for Afternoon Lunch Team (Lunch PM Team)
Making sandwiches, setting up and washing coolers and water jugs
- Sunday-Wednesday
- Can serve one or more days
- 6:00pm-7:00pm
Dinner Team
Dinners will be provided on campus on Sunday and Tuesday evenings. Weeknight dinners will be provided by the Host Home for each team.
Tuesday night is "Chivalry Night!" Male students will escort the female students to their seats. A real Creekside COP Tradition!
Schedule for Dinner Team
Set up, serve and clean up dinner Sunday and/or Tuesday evening
- 4:15pm-7:30pm Sunday or 5:15pm-7:30pm Tuesday
Gym Chaperones
Like to shoot some hoops and hang out with some awesome teenagers? We need adults to sign up to be Gym Chaperones during our “Open Gym” times during COP.
Schedule for Gym Chaperones
- Sunday, June 23
- 6:00-6:30pm & 9:50pm-11:00pm
- Monday, June 24
- 6:00-7:00pm & 9:50pm-11:00pm
- Tuesday, June 25
- 6:30-7:00pm & 9:50pm-11:00pm
- Wednesday, June 26
- 9:50pm-11:00pm & 11:00pm-1:30am
Games Team
Wild, crazy, loud, gross, fun, competitive. All of those words describe the games, and our students look forward to them every year. Volunteers help set up and facilitate games each evening and laugh along with students as the teams compete for points. All the while, spectators cheer the teams on from the sidelines. It is noisy and seemingly chaotic but one of the many best parts of COP.
Assist with games each evening — Sunday-Tuesday
Schedule for Games
- Can serve one or more days
- Sunday-Tuesday
- 5:30pm-8:15pm
Tools Team
Tools of the trade... The teams need rakes and clippers and paint brushes and hammers and...well, you get the idea. The tool volunteers deliver what we need to our worksites. Oh but it gets better! The tool volunteers are also our rescue team. Yes, rescue! When we run into trouble, they rush to our aid. They rescue us when the mower won’t start or we can’t string a weed eater. They are a vital group that helps make our workday successful.
Deliver tools and supplies to and from worksites. Assist teams with any equipment as needed. This is an "on call" position during the day. We would call you if we need you!
- Can serve one or more days
- Monday-Wednesday
- 8:00am-3:30pm (Times vary. We'd call and ask you for when you'd be available to help.)
- You might be asked to ...
- ... organize tools in the morning or in the afternoon.
- ... haul tools to a worksite around 8:30 then go pick them up again around noon or 3pm.
- ... take extra tools like lawnmowers or hedge trimmers to a site during the work day if a team needs additional tools once they've arrived at the site.