You know that feeling when you’re about to buy a car, so you get to drive whatever you want?! Only fun, no commitment – not yet, anyway. That part is coming. But for now you get to shop around and enjoy the benefits of all those different opportunities.

We’ve created that same experience for new volunteers at OneLife. We do this because volunteers are a core part of how we do Sundays! From the time you enter the parking lot to the time you leave the property, we make sure you are encountering one of our great volunteer teams. And not just so you can have a good experience, but so we can make sure you are being pointed to becoming a disciple from the minute you arrive to the minute you leave. Because this has become such a huge part of our culture, OneLifers who are looking to get connected often want to know how they can become a volunteer also. If that’s you, then Test Drive was created just for you!

Test Drive exists to fulfill the two reasons that we find most people want to begin volunteering. First, they want to meet others in the church! Test Drive is a once a month event the first Sunday of the month that we use to gather together everyone who is interested in volunteering. Second, most people just want to know more about what volunteering is all about! Who doesn’t want to know a little more about something before jumping in? Test Drive gives us the opportunity to share our vision for volunteering, our culture, and all the opportunities we have.

So if you are sitting on the sidelines and are ready to jump in to making a difference and getting to know other OneLifers, we would love to have you at Test Drive! The next one is Sunday, April 1 at 11:00 am in Suite 102 of the OneLife Office. Don’t worry, if after attending you feel like you aren’t ready to take the plunge, that is ok! This is just your opportunity to see what’s out there.

If you are interested in attending Test Drive, email volunteer@onelifeknox.com soon so we can get you in on April 1. We can’t wait to be serving with you!

At some churches, anyone can be a part of the worship team – and that’s not a bad thing! But at some churches like OneLife, musicians are asked to audition first. If you’re from a background where anyone can be part of the worship team, you’re probably wondering why a church like OneLife would even have auditions?  ”You can sing, right?  Well come on you’re in!” That’s what we are used to hearing growing up in many churches, but here at OneLife we want to be intentional with who’s on our worship team and here’s why.

We believe God deserves our absolute best and excellence as a church and as individuals. Just like not everyone who likes to teach will be called to preach, not everyone who likes music is called to be a worship leader. And that’s what all of our musicians are – they are worship leaders. We strive for a distraction free environment and an easy place to worship, and that’s why hitting the right notes and singing the right words are – believe it or not – not what is most important to us. What’s most important to us is that we get the right people in their sweet spot of ministry, no matter where that may be. Not everyone will land a spot on the worship team but it will hopefully open your eyes to see where else in the church you may be being called to or somewhere else you would like to serve. And for others, you will find your sweet spot as a worship leader on our team.

Auditions for OneLife worship are coming up on March 20, next Tuesday night. If you’re interested and haven’t contacted worship@onelifeknox.com then do that today to get more information about what you’ll need to do. We’re excited for this next season of ministry and getting new musicians whose hearts are tied to OneLife Church and the kingdom.

So if you are a musician who goes to OneLife Church and wants to get involved, we would love to see what you got!

One of the greatest questions I get asked from time to time by our volunteers or other churches is, “Where are the volunteers at!?” In other words, “Where can I find more!?”

No matter what area of ministry you serve in, if there are volunteers you always feel like you need more. It can sometimes feel like a disparaging search for people to get involved in your specific area. The first time I felt the volunteer crunch was early on in our OneLife Kidz ministry. As Pastor Rodney and I discussed the need, he jokingly told me to “go outside and shake those bushes and see if you can find any.” In case you are wondering, there weren’t any in there. But without a sound strategy that could seem like our best bet!

At OneLife, however, we do have a strategy. We believe the answer is that new volunteers are coming in our doors every week camouflaged as a normal guest. They are moms, dads, and kids. They are friends, relatives, and co-workers. They park their cars here every week, they drop their kids off at OneLife Kidz, and they enjoy the service. They only attend the service, but they do want to know more people. Truthfully, they may want to be more involved, but just don’t know how to do that.

They all look different, but they are all waiting on one thing – an invitation. Not just an invitation from Pastor Rodney, though it certainly is a great start. They are waiting for an invite from someone they know or they may want to know. The easiest way to find more volunteers is for our current volunteers to talk to their friends and family who attend about volunteering or develop a new relationship and share what a life-changer it was for you to get involved. A relationship plus an invite will always equal at least an interest!

So that is where all our volunteers are! They are walking by us every Sunday looking to connect. They just need to be invited! So share your volunteer experience with someone and invite them to serve with you!

And if you get desperate, I can always go check the bushes.

As our church has grown, so has the need to be intentional about how we communicate. There was once a day that all I had to do to communicate to our church was yell across my living room. Those days are long gone

We’ve tried different things over the past two years; facebook groups for specific ministries, Twitter accounts specific to a certain group or another, and that kind of deal. What we’ve found is that just doesn’t work! Having too many things for people to follow just dilutes the message.

So we’re streamlining our communication to make it simple and easy to get the info you need about OneLife. Our three main sources for info will be the OneLife Twitter account, OneLife Facebook page, and OneLife Blog. Other pages and accounts will begin to be suspended soon.

The blog will begin to take a different shape, too. Instead of being my personal thoughts, it will become a place for our ministry leaders to share strategy, announcements, and vision. My blog will move to a more personal site so that I can blog about leadership, church planting, and just whatever else moves me that day!

So if you aren’t following us on Facebook or Twitter, go do it now! And stay in the loop on what’s happening at OneLife.