At CVC, we believe the calling of God in our lives doesn’t end with just going to church services and LifeGroups. God’s desire and plan is for us to serve hurting, lonely, and needy people both inside and outside the church.
Too often, God’s people withdraw from the culture and hang out in holy huddles without ever truly engaging the brokenness in our world. That’s not true at CVC. We provide encouragement, opportunities, and equipping so that every CVCer can truly show God’s love by serving others in our everyday lives. We expect every believer to develop a dynamic vision for serving the broken people around us. We seek to serve in ways so that we actually begin to see Jesus restore lives, families, and communities.
Throughout CVC, there are opportunities for you to invest your time and talent, depending on your gifts and passions. Whether that’s serving with children, helping with technical arts, leading a LifeGroup, or something else, we have plenty of opportunities to volunteer your time. Ultimately, our goal is to help you find the right fit. If you’re not sure of your strengths, we recommend you find our your spiritual gifts through this free online spiritual gifts inventory before applying to volunteer. It just may help you find your fit! Spiritual Gifts Test.
If you have previous experience volunteering in a specific area or just can’t decide, feel free to express interested in multiple areas. We’ll you walk you through which opportunities have the greatest need or might be the best fit for you.
CVCKids TEACHING VOLUNTEERS
Volunteer to invite children to new life in Christ. Opportunities for teachers and helpers in various classrooms at all services in class rooms serving babies, preschool, and elementary.
LOCAL MISSIONS: BIG 10
We have chosen ten organizations with which we partner with for the purpose of local mission opportunities. We call them the “BIG TEN.”
RAHAB Ministries (Reaching Above Hopelessness And Brokenness) began in 2002 and was born out of a challenge made to founder, Becky Moreland, by her mentor. Starting with a small group of volunteers walking the streets of Akron to reach prostituted women, RAHAB has grown to include a drop in center, safe houses, outreach ministries that reach women in strip clubs and jails, and a mentoring ministry to minors that are victims of sex trafficking. www.rahab-ministries.org/volunteer
Youth for Christ reaches young people everywhere, working together with the local church and other like-minded partners to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus who lead by their godliness in lifestyle, devotion to prayer and the Word of God, passion for sharing the love of Christ and commitment to social involvement. CVC currently partners with missionaries through YFC in Brooklyn, Macedonia, and Independence.
www.yfccleveland.org/get_involved/
The Emergency Assistance Center’s mission is to provide food, clothing, personal hygiene items and seasonal support to Northern Summit County neighbors in need. Most of their clients are individuals & families who have never requested assistance before and have experienced a life-changing emotional & financial hardship, such as death in the family, job loss, and medical issues. www.teacenter.org/give-help.aspx
The Cleveland Pregnancy Center exists to provide biblical, life-affirming resources and services to those affected by unplanned pregnancy. For more than 30 years, the Cleveland Pregnancy Center has been Restoring Hope, Healing Hearts and Saving Lives. In a trusting environment, the pregnancy center offers FREE and Confidential services from skilled professionals and volunteers who provide support for clients. www.clevelandpregnancycenter.org/volunteer
City Mission is a wraparound services ministry that exists to serve men, women, and children at their point of crisis by empowering them toward stability, through adequate housing and employment. The mission of City Mission is to provide help and hope to all people through the transforming power of God’s love. City Mission is known for faithfully proclaiming the Gospel and they are dedicated to being a catalyst for positive change in Cleveland. www.thecitymission.org/volunteer
IFI is a Christian organization that works with universities and volunteers to promote friendship and hospitality for international students and scholars. IFI links international students with American volunteers from local churches who are interested in cross-cultural exchange and who help meet the various practical needs internationals face in living in another culture. www.cleveland.ifiusa.org
The mission of Building Hope in the City is to restore the city to God by developing and linking people, communities and churches. BHITC exists to share the unfailing hope of Christ with the city of Cleveland. They believe all people – regardless of background, economic status, race, culture or denomination – can find hope in Jesus, who restores all of our brokenness. Apart from Him, we can do nothing, and they follow closely after His teachings and example for their work. www.buildinghopeinthecity.org/cleveland/volunteer
True Freedom Ministries is an independent, evangelical, non-profit organization dedicated to reaching those locked behind steel doors in jails and prison all across Ohio, those trapped in homelessness on the streets, those affected by the incarceration of their loved ones, and those shackled in addictions with the message of the true freedom that is found only in Jesus Christ. www.truefreedomministries.com/volunteer
Care on the Square is a Christian ministry to homeless men, women and children in Cleveland Ohio. Initially a ministry focused on the public square area, COTS now serves the greater Cleveland area. Their goal is to share the love of Jesus Christ by providing food, clothing, and encouragement. They are completely volunteer based, and all of their funding comes through donations. www.careonthesquare.org/index.php/en/contact-us
GLOBAL INITIATIVES
Did you know that OVER 3 BILLION PEOPLE have never heard that God loves them and that Jesus died for them? This bothers us, and we hope it bothers you too.
Our global initiatives are not merely short-term missions trips. We partner intentionally with missionaries on the ground in order to make the maximum impact and share the Good News with as many people as possible.
SOLI – Pearl Island
The SOLI people are indigenous to Pearl Island and are considered an unreached people group. We work closely with friends on the ground to bring the good news to those who have never had the opportunity to hear it.
Nzema – Ghana West Africa
By God’s grace, the Nzema people of Ghana are no longer classified as unreached. In 2004 CVC began training indigenous church planters, assisting in church-planting efforts, and drilling fresh water wells. Our efforts continue today in the area of medical care which supports local evangelistic efforts.
Global Missionaries
Our global partners are missionaries sent out from CVC to impact places outside of the United States. We support these partners financially from our missions budget, and we encourage you to learn more about them and to be actively engaged in prayer for them.
T & K – Pearl Island
Yes, we know this picture is blury – its for security. While T & K are not native CVCers, we like to claim them.
We partner with T & K to reach an unreached people group in Southeast Asia known as the SOLI people. CVC sends multiple trips a year to help share the message of Jesus with those who have never heard this life-transforming message
Frank Archer – Ghana Baptist Convention
Frank has been a partner of CVC for almost 2 decades among the Nzema people of Ghana, West Africa – the first unreached people to which CVC was called. Frank is a church planter and trainer who, with God’s help, has grown the number of churches among the Nzema people from 3 to over 50. CVC is proud to be Frank’s primary supporter.
Rachael & Justin Klubnick – Love and Hope Children’s Home
Love & Hope is a home for children in El Salvador – Central America. Justin and Rachel provide a Christian home and a loving family for children who would otherwise not have a home. CVC is proud to be a part of all that God is doing to transform these young men and women. www.loveandhopechildrenshome.com
Ukrainian Church Planting Team
CVC has been a sending church for Emery and Clara Laszlo who have been missionaries to Ukraine for the last two decades. The goal of all church planting is multiplication through leadership development and church planting. By God’s grace, the Laszlo’s have raised up and launched out these three couples who are continuing the work that they started. These three couples continue to raise up more leaders, as seen below with two new couples. CVC is proud to partner financially with these families – providing about 1/4 of their living and ministry expenses.
Anton & Tatyana Nagy
The Nagy’s serve in the rural village of Gat – the home of about 700 unreached people known as the Roma people. They have planted three churches and are both studying towards their B.A. degrees in seminary.
Szabolc & Krisztina Kelemen
The Kelemen’s have started and oversee three new church plants, hosting one of them in their home in Dobrony. Szabolc is working on his M.A. in theolgy.
Vadim & Svetlana Ivanov
The Ivanovs have planted three churches – one in Deda, one in a local nursing home, and a Russian-speaking church in Beregove. In 2016 they hosted the FIRST baptism in their region – baptizing five new believers.
Imre Bakosh
The Bakosh’s continued the Laszlo’s church plant in Beregujfalu. For the last five years their most important outreach is the Sunshine Children’s Club.
Daniel Nagy – Kasza
The Nagy-Kasza’s are serving with the Second Chance Mission and church plant in Beregove.