Becoming a Worker FAQs

The main requirement for becoming a worker at Agape House of Worship (AHOW) is that you must be a born-again Christian. In general, you must be at least 12 years old to be a member of a ministry at AHOW. Volunteer opportunities, however, exist from time to time for children who are under 12 years old.

Yes. While most ministries only require potential workers to satisfy the general requirements, some ministries have special eligibility requirements because of the nature of their work. Such requirements vary and include special age restrictions, successful audition, completion of a background check with no concerning issues, pastoral approval, a minimum number of years of AHOW membership, and relevant professional credentials.

The following ministries currently have these special eligibility requirements:

• Age: Children's; Church Office; Gift Shop; Health & Wellness; Hebrews Café; Information Booth; Parking Lot; Run for Roselle; and Special Needs.
• Audition: Choir & Worship
• Background Check: Children's; Finance; Special Needs; and Youth.
• Pastoral Approval: Marriage.
• Relevant Professional Credentials/Experience: Health & Wellness; and True Wealth.
• Tenure at AHOW: Finance.

Please check the ministry factsheets for these and other ministries to confirm any ministry prerequisites they may have. The ministry factsheets are available here.

No. You can still begin the process of joining (and can join) a ministry even if you have not yet completed the A101 Membership Orientation Class. You will, however, need to complete the A101 Class within 3 months of your New Worker Onboarding Session to continue serving in the ministry you joined. While the A101 Class is not a prerequisite for joining a ministry, we encourage those who are able to take the class before joining a ministry.

No. You are, however, required to complete the class within 6 months of your New Worker Onboarding Session.

No, you do not need to be baptized before you start serving. We, however, expect all AHOW workers to be baptized by water immersion and strongly encourage those who have not yet been so baptized to do so at the earliest opportunity in following Christ's example and His command to all believers in Matthew 28:19. Please contact the Church Office at office@ahowfc.org for information on the church's next baptism opportunity. You'll be required to complete a baptismal class organized by our Christian Education Ministry on the day of your scheduled baptism.

To sign up as an AHOW worker, you must first complete the New Worker Ministry Sign-up Form. Although you'll be provided with the form during the A101 Membership Orientation Class, you may complete the form without attending the A101 Class.

You may indicate interest in serving in up to two ministries when you first sign up. This limitation is intended to help you get a feel for how well you are able to manage serving in the ministries you initially select before you decide to join additional ministries. The quality of your service in the ministries you join is what matters most to the church and not the number of ministries you belong to.

You can find a wealth of information about our ministries on our AHOW Ministries portal (/ahowministries). There, you will be able to access short informational videos and factsheets about our ministries, as well as the contact information for our ministry leaders. In particular, the ministry factsheets provide detailed information about key aspects specific to each of our ministries, including the time commitment required of workers, any ministry prerequisites, the ministry's organizational structure, and the initial training provided to new workers. If you still have questions, you can contact the Office of Workers' Affairs (OWA) at owa@ahowfc.org.

After you complete the New Worker Ministry Sign-up Form to indicate your interest in joining a ministry, you'll be invited to attend the New Worker Onboarding Session.

The New Worker Onboarding Session is a virtual orientation session for first-time workers led by the Office of Workers' Affairs (OWA). The session, which takes about 45 minutes, primarily covers the expectations, responsibilities, and benefits of workers at AHOW, as well as the process and conditions for joining additional ministries and disengaging from a ministry. You'll have the opportunity to ask questions during the session.

Yes, if you are a first-time AHOW worker. Everyone seeking to serve as a worker at AHOW for the first time must complete the New Worker Onboarding Session before serving in any ministry.

After you complete onboarding, OWA will register your completion of the session in its records and email the relevant ministry leader, copying you, to inform the ministry leader that you completed the session and to ask the ministry leader to onboard you to the ministry, subject to your satisfaction of any special eligibility requirements the ministry may have.

Your ministry leader will guide you through your ministry-specific onboarding process. The onboarding process varies by ministry, with some ministries conducting a formal onboarding session and others using a more informal process.

In general, ministry leaders are expected to onboard new workers to their ministries within two weeks of the email from the Office of Workers' Affairs (OWA) requesting that the ministry leader onboard you to their ministry. In some cases, however, where a ministry has special eligibility requirements, such as background checks, auditions, or pastoral approval, onboarding may take longer.

If you have not been onboarded within 2 weeks of OWA's introduction email (or within a reasonable time, in the case of ministries with such special eligibility requirements), please reach out to your OWA Worker Representative (OWR) or contact OWA for help at owa@ahowfc.org.

An OWA Worker Representative, or OWR, is a member of the Office of Workers' Affairs (OWA) who has been assigned as your primary point of contact for worker-related questions and support. You'll learn who your OWR is during your New Worker Onboarding Session, and that information will also be confirmed by email. If you are ever unsure of who your OWR is, please send an email to OWA at owa@ahowfc.org.

The process for joining a ministry at AHOW is as follows:

1. Complete the New Worker Ministry Sign-up Form.
2. Attend the New Worker Onboarding Session.
3. Satisfy any special eligibility requirements that apply to your ministry of choice.
4. Get onboarded to the ministry of your choice.

Workers are expected to serve faithfully in their ministry roles, attend church services, Bible studies and other church events and programs regularly, carry the prayer burden of the church, attend the Workers' Forum, which occurs bi-monthly (every other month) and is usually held virtually, and major worker events unless prevented by unavoidable circumstances, honor God with their tithes and offerings, take the A101 Membership Orientation Class, the A201 Ministry Orientation Class, and the A301 Spiritual Maturity Class, participate in discipleship classes such as the Church-in-the-Community (CTC) or School of Discipleship, and strive to represent Christ well both inside and outside the church.

Workers are required to participate in the Fresh Anointing Prayer, which occurs in church at 9:30 a.m. every Sunday and in a Daily Strategic Prayer unit. Workers are also required to attend the church's Annual Retreat and the annual Workers' Conference (called the "EQUIP Conference") unless unavoidable circumstances prevent them from doing so. The church regards the Annual Retreat and the EQUIP conference as mandatory programs for workers as they are important for the spiritual growth and equipping of workers and only hold once a year. In addition, workers are expected to attend the bi-monthly Workers' Forum and should aim to attend at least three of the five Workers' Forums organized yearly if they are unable to attend all of them.

Yes. Workers may later choose to serve in additional ministries beyond the ones they chose when they initially signed up. To join additional ministries, you must complete the Update Ministry Request Form and await OWA's decision on your request.

Workers may not serve in more than three ministries without approval by their OWA Worker Representative (OWR) and after proper counseling. In deciding whether to approve your request to serve in more than three ministries, your OWR will consider several factors, including the time commitment required by the ministries, the likelihood of time conflicts between your current ministries and requested ministry, any special role you play in your current ministries, the seasonal nature of any of the ministries, your roles outside church, and the particular season of life you're in. The OWR's goal is to ensure that the quality of your service in your ministries will not be adversely impacted by the approval of your request.

New workers are required to allow at least three months from the time they are onboarded to their ministries before disengaging from a ministry. This is to ensure that you've had enough time to be fully integrated into a ministry before taking that decision. If you would like to leave your ministry after that three-month period has elapsed, you are encouraged to speak with your ministry leader and your OWR first. If you still decide to leave after speaking with them, you must complete the Update Ministry Request Form to notify OWA of your decision for record purposes.

Yes. While a youth (anyone at least 12 years old who is expected to attend Youth services and programs) can join a ministry, subject to satisfying any special eligibility requirements, they may not serve in any ministry at times that interfere or conflict with services, programs, or events of the Youth ministry.

OWA stands for the Office of Workers' Affairs.

OWA handles administrative matters for workers, including onboarding, facilitating ministry enrolment and disengagement, maintaining worker records, tracking compliance with worker requirements, organizing and coordinating worker events, and supporting ministry leaders and workers.

For any other questions, you may contact OWA at owa@ahowfc.org or your OWR.