Volunteer Testimonies

KAREN ISAACS

My name is Karen Isaacs and I have been a member here at LakeRidge since the 1900’s – actually since 1983. I was saved when I was six years old and the Lord is still working on me! He has been so good to supply all my needs and to give me a place to serve!

I believe that, as followers of Christ, we will only find joy and a sense of connection with the family of God as we serve in the local church. As members of the body of Christ, we were never meant to exist in isolation or to live primarily to seek our own good and the fulfillment of our own needs. We find true purpose as we serve others and with others.

One of the areas of service that is a great blessing to me is the music ministry. I enjoy singing in the choir, learning new hymns, and lifting up praise to my Savior.

If you were paid $500.00 per service, would you join the choir? For many of us, that would be a very good reason to join the choir! I believe there are reasons that are even more compelling. Here are some questions worth asking:

Has God given you a desire to praise Him? Psalm 40:3 says, “He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.”

Has God done anything in your life that would prompt you to praise Him? In Ephesians 1:3 Paul proclaims, Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”

Does God expect us to praise Him in song? The Scriptures resound with singing. There are over fifty direct commands for us to sing, and singing is mentioned over 400 times in the Bible. Singing in the church plays an invaluable role as we worship God. “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” Colossians 3:16

Has God put you in a place where believers are being encouraged to join in corporate praise to Him? Yes! In a recent message, Dr. David Jeremiah said, “For those of us who are heading to heaven, we need to start rehearsing immediately. There’s no guarantee we’ll have time to get ready later. It’s altogether possible that you or I will be part of the heavenly chorus by the end of this day. By singing praise to the Lord today, we prepare ourselves to resume our worship in heaven.”

If God has given you any musical ability, the best place to use that gift is in the worship of our Creator! We would welcome you in the music ministry here.

HALEY KLINGE

Good Morning! My name is Haley Klinge. I am the mom of Kase, Kollie, and Kolter Klinge and also the former 4th grade Sunday School teacher. I have been saved since I was twelve years old, but my faith has grown abundantly since becoming a wife and mother. Our family has been attending Lakeridge about a year and a half and the children's ministry has been such a blessing to us as a family.

Our first Sunday here, to say Dustin and I were nervous to leave Kase and Kollie in the nursery would be an understatement. We had never let anyone else care for our children, but of course we were welcomed with open arms and loved from that very first day. That is what you will find in the children's ministry, love and devotion. There is no greater feeling than to watch your child's faith and love for the Lord grow.

We would personally like to thank Mrs. Ashley, Mrs. Gail, and Ms. Mary for helping our children blossom. My two and three year olds read their bibles, pray regularly, and give Dustin and I spontaneous concerts of their own version of "Jesus Loves Me" which started when we told them they now get to attend children's choir this fall. These actions are just a few examples of how they have grown in their faith. None of this is possible without help and volunteers.

As our children's faith grows, they get older, and the congregation grows, there are several different opportunities to serve. Just as the new children's choir starting in the fall, we have lots of exciting plans in the works. We would not only like to expand our Wednesday and Sunday night activities, but also like to incorporate Kids Night Out and other fun events throughout the year. As a volunteer myself, I can tell you how rewarding it is to work with such great children. It is easy to see that each child in our church is fearfully and wonderfully made. Their testimonies are being written each and every day. What a blessing and Godly opportunity it is to be a part of that. So as a fellow church member and a mother, I please ask you to consider volunteering in the children's ministry.

BILL ROBERTS

My name is Bill Roberts. Gail and I have been members in this church for over 27 years and have enjoyed serving in many areas during these years. I was saved at the age of 19. I was one of those people who was saved but tried to do it my way. I got out of church in my mid 20s and after years of “my way” and losing everything, I realized Christ was the only way and I rededicated my life to the Lord.

‌One of the ways I have had the opportunity to serve is with our Safety Team. Sadly, we do not live in a perfect, peaceful world and we have all read or heard of situations in a church where someone came into the building with the sole purpose of causing harm. Our churches should be a place where we can come together and worship our Lord without the threat of harm. Church Safety Teams play a critical role in implementing safety policies and emergency response plans. We started our safety team in 2019 and at this time have eleven people who serve. We are stationed throughout the church and parking lots, work with our Police officer and are equipped to keep our church family as safe as humanly possible. This is something all of us take seriously and have tried to prepare for any situation, whether weather related, active shooter, or an unruly person just trying to disrupt services. It is not taken lightly and our love for this church family is the reason we spend time and training to protect to the best of our ability.

‌If this is an area you might be interested in serving, you can talk to me or any of the people that wear the “LakeRidge Baptist Safety Badges”. We have a large facility and parking area to cover, and it is our goal to have at least 8 to 10 safety people covering on Sunday mornings and as many as are available for all other services and activities. We hold regular meetings and cover much material to keep updated on the best protocols for our church. It is a blessing to me and each one of us to serve our church in this area and if it interests you, please talk to one of us.