(In a lifetime)
This is another effort to try and get some information about the various churches.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080530063313AAr81Df&r=w
genie - thats great! You make the world a better place.
I said fulltime, because it takes serious commitment - you have to save money before you can volunteer at your own expense. Most people can only afford this type of service when they are young and still living at home, or retired. I know the LDS church uses a great many fulltime volunteers in a variety of occupations. They are called missions, and generally last for a year and a half to two years. Some proselyte, some serve in the temples and visitor centers, some work with the poor, trying to improve their circumstances, others focus on disaster relief, and some manage the church's farms and graineries, which benefit the unemployed, and the elderly. I suspect other churches have something similar.
My question was too restrictive - part time volunteer work is just as important.
By the way - you can't force someone to volunteer - unless your in the armed forces. 
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10 responses so far ↓
1 geniepiper // May 30, 2008
I don't know, but I am an Atheist going on my fifth year of 20 hours plus weekly volunteer work.
2 One hot momma® // May 30, 2008
approximately zero.
3 d_q_wheller // May 30, 2008
well if you work for the church and you areon pay roll the you do recieve a salary. but if you are a memeber then you are doing volunteer work
4 Arrow // May 30, 2008
I am a member of the LDS (mormon) church. Generally the young men serve a 2 year full time mission and the young ladies, if they wish, can serve an 18 month fulltime mission. Though all other service, for example sunday school teachers and even church leadership serve without being paid.
5 Ray M // May 30, 2008
Catholics - uh… zero unless they decide to do something of their own choice. We don't force members to do unpaid service. Unless you mean volunteering around the church (committees and the like). We don't make you do something full time without pay. It can be done if one CHOOSES to, but it is not a requirement. I'm not even sure if we actually ahve something like that in the CHURCH. I think it would be more in other Catholic groups - like pro-life youth or something. I know someone who volunteered a year in a pro-life group. But that isn't the church itself.
6 JC is the MAN // May 30, 2008
What do you mean by fulltime unpaid service?
7 gumby // May 30, 2008
Sometimes being a YW leader feels like fulltime service, but it's not really. It's only about 10 hours a week and two weeks of camping a year.
8 cadisneygirl76 Ben is the DEVIL // May 30, 2008
I am not quite sure what you mean by fulltime unpaid service.
Pretty much all the positions in the mormon church are upaid. So a Bishop will be a fulltime Bishop and hold his fulltime secular job.
All the talks(sermons) on Sunday, the sunday school lessons, the various callings like activities and service coordinators are unpaid, too. Many take up a lot of time but not fulltime. If you are one of the youth presidents or advisors then you might have to go on overnight trips when they do. Relief Society (womans) organization President is pretty much a full time calling.
You are called to various positions thruout your life. A Bishop generally serves about 5 years. Sometimes you get multiple callings if your ward is smaller. One year you might be doing a fulltime calling as a president of something and then next year you might be the chorister and really only have a calling that requires a few minutes of your time a week.
Then you also are a visiting teacher(girls) or home teacher.(guys)
You get various families (guys) or women (girls) that you are suppose to visit at least once a month to make sure everything is ok and teach a little lesson to. You are also suppose to there to help out if they really need some extra help.
Theres helping out families when someone is sick or just had a baby or they need help moving, that kind of thing.
Then there are the various service projects people do themselves and the church organizes. Mormons are highly encouraged to be actively involved in the community and do acts of charity whenever possible.
Mormons, active ones, generally spend A LOT of their time in unpaid service, esp to their ward members. Sometimes people feel the need to do too much and get a little burnt out.
9 The Corinthian // May 30, 2008
We have no paid ministry - The Lord in His infinite wisdom has designed His Church to operate with a lay ministry. That means we have been charged to watch over one another and to serve one another. We are to love one another as our Father in Heaven and the Lord Jesus Christ love us. Our callings and circumstances change from time to time, providing us with different and unique opportunities to serve and to grow.
Whether we are called to serve as a Sunday School teacher, to give a sermon in our weekly services, to serve for a time in a leadership position, to be a missionary for two years, to be an activities chariman, etc… all have a part and are important in the building of the Kingdom of God. All area and local authorities are unpaid and continue in their normal occupations while serving in leadership positions. The lenght of time varies.
10 MicahArt // May 30, 2008
I'm a little confused by your question. If we did unpaid fulltime service, how would we support ourselves?
But at my church, people volunteer a lot. I'm probably at church about 8 hours a week and also do a lot of music arranging and research for new music, etc when I'm not there.
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