Serve at Franklin First UMC
There are many ways to connect and serve at Franklin First. The ministry of Franklin First UMC relies heavily on our volunteers like yourself. Thank you for being a part of how Franklin First UMC impacts our community both locally and around the world.
Click for a Quick Jump to Each Area
Hospitality
We place a high value on hospitality and creating a welcoming environment for our guests to experience worship and find a connection with others. Our hospitality teams include Coffee Team, Greeter Team, and Golf Cart Team.
Your Teams Are:
Coffee Team:
Serve in the lobby providing a warm cup of coffee and a welcoming smile. Servers arrive early to make the coffee, set up drink stations, and provide a friendly face to those who visit before and after weekend worship services on a rotating basis.
Requirements to serve: None
Greeter Team:
We’re looking for people who love to smile and invite people into the church. Greeter teams stand at the outer doors and serve on a rotating basis. Greeter teams also assist with check-in, provide a bridge for visitors to learn about the church and its ministries, and assist in welcoming new members.
Requirements to serve: None
Golf Cart Team:
Assist guests from their cars to the front door during weekend service and special events.
Requirements to serve: Safe Sanctuary Training, Background Check, Motor Vehicle Report
Congregational Care
There are times when you need someone, to listen, to be present, to be an advocate. It is the Congregational Care Ministry’s mission to provide care and support to people in a personal and compassionate way.
Your Teams Are:
Bus Team:
Serve as a bus driver or assistant for our bus ministry, which provides rides to church each Sunday morning.
Requirements to serve: Safe Sanctuary Training, Background Check, Motor Vehicle Report
Funeral Guild:
Serve with our Funeral Guild, which helps to provide care for church members as they hold funerals for their loved ones.
Requirements to serve: None
Wedding Guild:
Needs Details
Requirements to serve: None
Meal Train:
Join this group of compassionate cooks who show God’s love with warm meals for church members after surgeries, new babies, and other situations.
Requirements to serve: None
Prayer Team:
Each week we send out a prayer chain email with the first names of those in our church family and beyond who are in need of prayer. Our prayer team lifts these names to God in prayer.
Requirements to serve: None
Stephen Ministry:
Our Stephen Ministers are trained and equipped to serve their fellow church members as compassionate listeners during life transitions and challenging times.
Requirements to serve: Safe Sanctuary Training, Background Check
Congregational Care Minister:
The Congregational Care Ministers serve their church by visiting and praying with church members, often those in assisted living facilities.
Requirements to serve: Safe Sanctuary Training, Background Check
Creation Care:
Creation Care regularly hosts educational and service events that highlight and maintain the gift of the outdoors at our church’s Main Campus, and seek to lead our church in practices that care for God’s creation.
Requirements to serve: None
First Kids Children’s Ministry
At Franklin First UMC, we believe our children are integral to the life of our church. Be a part of how our children discover and learn more about God in ways that are fun and relevant.
Your Teams Are:
Sunday School Teacher:
Sunday School Teachers share lessons prepared from our Orange Curriculum. We provide all the materials you provide a love of sharing the word of God with our youngest disciples.
Requirements to serve: Safe Sanctuary, Background Check
Small Group Leader:
Small Group Leaders assist our teachers in the classroom by greeting families as they enter, passing out materials and caring for the kids during class. Small Group Leaders often serve one Sunday a month. No prep work is needed, just a desire to guide children in their faith journey.
Requirements to serve: Safe Sanctuary, Background Check
Children’s Event Coordinator:
We have events year-round that need coordinators. If you are organized and love to plan, this is the job for you!
Requirements to serve: Safe Sanctuary, Background Check
Children’s Support Teams:
Maybe you prefer to help in a less visible way. Would you like to serve on our Decorations Team, our Volunteer Appreciation Team, or our Connections Team? These teams are vital in helping us make ministry work for families.
Requirements to serve: None
Best Buddy:
Youth or adults for children who need an advocate or a buddy and act as a helper.
Requirements to serve: Safe Sanctuary, Background Check
Special Friend:
Adults who serve as a one-on-one aide for those who have special needs.
Requirements to serve: Safe Sanctuary, Background Check
Sensory Room:
Adults who serve one-on-one in our Sensory Room helping children who benefit from this focused environment.
Requirements to serve: Safe Sanctuary, Background Check
415 Youth Team
415 Youth focuses on building and maintaining relationships as they become that place where young people belong; where they are accepted and loved for who they are, and see that they have an important place and part to play in a much larger story.
Your Teams Are:
Small Group Leader Sunday Morning:
Following the message discussed each week, small group leaders sit with students to chat about what they’ve just heard and explore what that means for them that day. It’s a safe place to talk, share thoughts and questions, and connect with and learn from each other. Commitment: 1 hour, 1-2 times per month.
Requirements to serve: Safe Sanctuary, Background Check
Sunday Night Event Volunteer:
The Sunday night events build community. They give us a place to celebrate, and build relationships and are a great places for youth to bring their friends. Volunteers at these events help with a variety of tasks that are specific to each event. Examples of past events include: Back to School Bash, The Fall Hayride, Christmas Party, Guys vs. Girls Night, Discovery Weekend, etc…
Requirements to serve: Safe Sanctuary, Background Check
D-Group Leader Wednesday Nights:
During our Wednesday Night Live Semester, these small group leaders are present to build relationships with the youth attending in a casual atmosphere. The unique team approach to Wednesday nights makes it easy for adults to lean into the other D-Group leaders if they cannot be here every week. Commitment: 1.5-3 hours per week. Weekly long-term commitment.
Requirements to serve: Safe Sanctuary, Background Check
Fundraiser Team Member:
Each year we host our annual youth fundraiser. This event includes an online auction, chili tasting, and team trivia. We need adults and youth to join the team to coordinate the event. The team meets monthly from October to February. Our youth can earn credits towards youth trips by serving on the team.
Requirements to serve: Safe Sanctuary, Background Check
Confirmation Leader Team Member:
Confirmation is a 16-week program through teaching, small group activities and conversations, and retreats, 415 Youth students are challenged to own their faith and participate in community with each other.
A Confirmation Team Member joins the team that plans, leads, and teaches confirmation. Commitment: 2-3 hours per week for 18 weeks.
Requirements to serve: Safe Sanctuary, Background Check
Confirmation Shepherd Team:
A Shepherd Team member participates in Confirmation as a small group facilitator and assists the leaders with activities.
Commitment: 1 hour per week. 1-2 times per month.
Requirements to serve: Safe Sanctuary, Background Check
Adult Discipleship Ministry
Adult Discipleship at Franklin First UMC incorporates many areas from adult Sunday school classes, to mid-week small groups, ministry to out older adults and more.
Your Teams Are:
Adult Sunday School Leader:
Needs Details
Requirements to serve: None
Small Group Leader:
Needs Details
Requirements to serve: None
Adult Ministry Plus Team:
Needs Details
Requirements to serve: None
Women’s Ministry Team:
Needs Details
Requirements to serve: None
Men’s Ministry Team Team:
Needs Details
Requirements to serve: None
Wednesday Night Live Team:
Needs Details
Requirements to serve: None
Live Well Live Whole Team:
Needs Details
Requirements to serve: None
Music Ministry
Our Music Ministry is designed to help lead others to worship Christ. We have different groups for all ages. Anyone with a love for God and a love for singing or playing an instrument is welcomed and encouraged to participate in any of our choirs or worship teams.
Your Teams Are:
Worship Band:
Our modern worship services help create that sacred space for worship. Our modern worship team plays on Sunday mornings at our 8:30 and 11:15 a.m. worship services and practices each Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
Requirements to serve: None
Chancel Choir:
Meet on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Choir room for practice. The Chancel Choir provides music at the 10:00 a.m. service each Sunday. In addition, this choir presents major musical works during the church year and during special seasonal events.
Requirements to serve: None
Chancel Handbells:
We practice on Wednesday evenings from 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. and play for worship monthly. We ring early intermediate to intermediate music and welcome ringers of all experience levels, including beginners.
Requirements to serve: None
Children’s Choirs:
Practice on Wednesday nights from 6:30 – 7:15 p.m. Worship and special programs at various times throughout the year.
- Cherub Disciples Choir, Choir for 3’s – Kindergarten
- Angel Chorus, Choir for 1st-6th Grade
Requirements to serve: Safe Sanctuary, Background Check
Worship Team
Our worship teams serve communion, acolyte, read scripture, serve in the tech booth, and so much more as we think about what it means to worship together.
Your Teams Are:
Audio/Visual Team:
Needs Details.
Requirements to serve: 18 Yrs +
Acolyte:
Our acolytes help in our worship services by assisting in the lighting of candles and baptisms.
Requirements to serve: None
Communion:
Serve in two different capacities. Our communion prep teams set up and remove our communion elements before and after services. Our communion serve team will serve during the worship service at specific stations and offer communion as directed by the pastor.
Requirements to serve: None
Missions
We are all in service to serve as Christ served. When it comes to missions, Franklin First engages with local and international mission partners in a variety of ways.
Your Teams Are:
The Giving Garden:
The Mission of the Giving Garden is to share the bounty of God’s gifts by feeding our neighbors and those in need. We partner with over 15 community partners to deliver organically grown produce. But a lot more than food is shared in this garden. While working together to pull weeds, plant seeds, or harvest vegetables, relationships are formed. Groups from all over the country come to serve in this garden alongside our church members.
Requirements to serve: None
Giving Garden on the Go:
Giving Garden on the Go is yet another way our church seeks to feed the hungry in our community. Members of this team work with the farmers of the Franklin Farmers Market to collect unsold produce. Along with Giving Garden produce, these items are taken to local neighborhoods and shared freely.
Requirements to serve: None
Room in the Inn:
Room in the Inn is a Nashville-based ministry serving men, women, and children who are experiencing homelessness. During the months of November-March, our church hosts a group of 12 individuals on Thursday evenings.
Requirements to serve:
Safe Sanctuary, Background Check, Motor Vehicle Report
Meals on Wheels:
Meals on Wheels was started at Franklin First back in 1975 when several church members noticed the need to provide warm meals to the elderly or homebound in our neighborhood. Through the years, this small group grew into a community movement including several other faith-based organizations. Today, 11 groups come together to cook meals for around 130 guests following the 8 routes the drivers follow.
Requirements to serve: Safe Sanctuary, Background Check
Take the Reins:
Take the Reins at White Fawn Farm is a therapeutic riding ministry on the south side of Franklin serving children 4-18 years of age. Interaction with the horses helps children with emotional and physical needs experience love and build confidence. Certified PATH therapeutic riding instructors lead while volunteers help with various activities.
Requirements to serve: Safe Sanctuary, Background Check
Project Transformation TN:
Based on a model founded in 1998 in Dallas, Texas, Project Transformation Tennessee launched in 2012 to address three unique challenges with
one program on how to meet the academic, physical, social-emotional, and spiritual needs of children and help churches connect with their communities.
Requirements to serve: Safe Sanctuary, Background Check
Ebenezer Hispanic Fellowship:
Ebenezer UMC is a Nashville-based Methodist Church serving the Hispanic/Latino community. This church began in 2012 with a small Bible study and outreach program. Through the years, this small gathering grew into a worshipping body of over 60 persons with 65% of those being children and youth.
Requirements to serve: None
Liberty Elementary School Partnership:
Our partnership with Liberty Elementary came about when school leaders reached out to FFUMC in need. These needs take different shapes but over the past few years, Franklin First has sought to love our neighbors by responding to these needs. Our partnership with this local elementary school is based on a larger mission for all churches in our community to partner with and support the youth in our schools.
Requirements to serve: Safe Sanctuary, Background Check
ACD Guatemala:
Franklin First has a long history of serving in Guatemala dating back to 1999. Our visits to Guatemala have taken many different shapes and many organizations. Today, we continue our love for Guatemala with a partnership with
ACD Guatemala.
Requirements to serve: None
Africa University:
We have been a partner with Africa University since 2004. The university itself was established in Multare, Zimbabwe in 1985. http://www.africau.edu/
Requirements to serve: None
The Blessing Box:
The Blessing Box is a free little panty that is located as you enter our campus at the intersection at Mack Hatcher. The Blessing Box is filled by individuals. Using the list of suggested items, the boxes are filled and monitored throughout the month.
Requirements to serve: None
