serving opportunities

WC Kids is more than just a place to serve—it’s a chance to make a lasting impact in the lives of the next generation. By investing your time and care, you help create a space where every child feels included, accepted, and loved while discovering who Jesus is. Whether you’re leading, assisting, or simply showing up with a smile, you play a part in connecting kids to Jesus and building a movement that shapes faith for years to come.

WC Students is an opportunity to step into the lives of middle and high schoolers during some of their most formative years. By showing up consistently and building real relationships, you help create a space where students feel included, accepted, and loved as they explore their faith and discover who Jesus is. Whether you’re leading a small group, mentoring, or helping behind the scenes, you play a vital role in connecting students to Jesus and building a movement that impacts this generation and beyond.

Join us in early December to help set up, assist guests, and clean up at our annual Christmas Store for families in our local schools that could use some help with gifts for their children.

Set up is on the 1st Friday of the month of December and the store and clean up are on the 1st Saturday of the month.

We would love to add some elves to our team!

Contact Ann Williams to learn more.

Woods Chapel Church has adopted a stretch of Bowlin Road between Lakewood Way and Campground Road. 

Quarterly (more often if needed) a team goes out and picks up trash in that area.

We supply trash grabbers and the city provides the vests and trash bags. They also will pick up the bags after we pick up.

This is a fun hour to hour and a half way to serve our community.

We would love to add you to the team!

Contact Ann Williams if you would like to sign your group up.

BackSnacks is a program that involves a partnership between the School districts, Harvester's, and churches or other organizations to assemble food for the weekends during the school year for school age children who are below the poverty level.

WC provides weekend food for children at Chapel Lakes Elementary, Voy Spears Elementary  and Delta Woods Middle School.

The team meets on a weekday 1-2 times per month to add additional items to the bags provided by Harvester's.

We would love to have you join the team!

Every year during the month of July we collect school supplies for the Blue Springs, Lee's Summit, and Raytown School Districts (the counselors give us a number of how many of their students need assistance), Hillcrest Transitional Housing families, any families within the church who are unable to purchase supplies, and for our Back to School Night at The Table in Raytown.

Thank you for your interest in serving and caring for the children in our community!

Book in Hand provides books to children in schools and non-profits. 

If you’re interested in hearing more or donating books, contact Ann Williams.

CREW is a group for anyone who would like to do repairs and construction-related projects within the church and community, particularly the underserved in our community. All skill levels are welcome to serve!

The Difference Makers program is a student mentoring initiative in the Blue Springs School District that connects adult volunteers with elementary students to support academic growth and build meaningful relationships.

Program Details

Who it serves: Kindergarten through 5th-grade students in the district's 13 elementary schools.

Time commitment: Mentors generally meet with students for 30 to 60 minutes once or twice a week during school hours. 

What mentors do:

Help with reading and math skills.

Serve as a positive role model or "lunch buddy".

Offer encouragement and a steady, friendly presence.

Woods Chapel is excited to partner with Children’s HopeChest, an organization we’ve worked with before, now serving communities in five countries—including El Paraíso, Guatemala. Together, we’re building a long-term, relationship-based partnership focused on sustainable community development. 

At the heart of this partnership are Friendships—a monthly sponsorship that supports a child’s education, health, environment, and spiritual formation, while creating a meaningful, personal connection through letter writing. 

Friendship Sundays: 
On these Sundays, our congregation will have the opportunity to become a Friend to a child in El Paraíso. Sponsorships are $45/month, and children in the community will choose their HopeChest Friend—honoring dignity and deepening connection.  

Looking ahead, Woods Chapel will also: 

Participate in partner visits to Guatemala, focused on relationships and meeting your HopeChest Friend 

Support key community projects like clean water access, medical care, and improved facilities 

Celebrate a Match Party later this winter, when children choose their Friends 

Our first partner trip to Guatemala is planned for summer 2026. 

This is more than sponsorship—it’s friendship, partnership, and a shared journey of hope. 

Guatemala Partnership FAQ 

Grace Place assists members of our community experiencing financial hardship. Assistance is available through our Food Pantries in Lee’s Summit and Raytown, our Clothing Closet, and our Shower Ministry at our Raytown campus. We serve those in Lee's Summit, Raytown, and Blue Springs.

We are always accepting donations for our Grace Place Services. You can drop off donations in the bins in the lobby at the Lee’s Summit campus. We continue to serve more and more families each month, so thank you for your generosity!

If you are interested in serving with Grace Place, please let us know what area you prefer.

Guest Services is all about creating a first impression that reflects who we are—a place where all are included, accepted, and loved. From the parking lot to the coffee bar to the front doors, every role helps people feel seen, welcomed, and ready to connect with Jesus.

Whether you’re greeting guests, serving coffee, assisting with seating, supporting baptisms, or helping behind the scenes, each role plays a part in making Sundays smooth, warm, and inviting. With opportunities like Greeters, Ushers, Coffee Bar, Connect Cards, Digital Greeting, HUB Host, Medical Team, and more, there’s a place for everyone to serve based on their gifts.

By joining Guest Services, you’re not just filling a role—you’re helping create meaningful moments that connect people to Jesus and build a movement where everyone belongs.

Questions? Contact Morgan Smith.

Hillcrest has been described as a “boot camp for the homeless", designed to educate and empower homeless families with the skills they need to reach self-sufficiency. Hillcrest operates 7 housing and service sites in 5 counties (21 buildings, 74 units) – they rely heavily on local churches for assistance and support.  

Woods Chapel has been actively involved with Hillcrest for the past 16 years. We sponsor three of the apartments, which means we keep them furnished, cleaned, and stocked with basic necessities for each incoming family; we also provide three-yearly sponsorship stipends. We are the "contact church” for weekly urgent needs. We conduct periodic drives to restock the Hillcrest pantries. Many of our members have donated furniture, household items, and even vehicles!

We also volunteer at the Hillcrest Thrift Store, as well as direct donations to the Hillcrest Thrift Store. Money raised from the thrift store benefits Hillcrest Transitional Housing. 

Woods Chapel partners with the KU Cancer Center located by our back exit.

Projects may include:

• Maintaining the bird feeders outside the infusion room

• Providing books and magazines

• Making coffee

• Being welcoming

• Helping patients fill out paperwork, etc.

Being a warm and positive presence for people going through one of the most challenging times of their life.

Do you have a heart for animals and their humans?

The WC Pet Ministry does things like send cards and Rainbow Bridge Bags when a beloved furry family member passes away.

We partner with Wayside Waifs and K-State Veterinary School to provide low-cost vaccine clinics. We collect pet food for the pantries, volunteer at Wayside Waifs Strut with Your Mutt, host pet blessings, and have other fun events. 

Have you lost a pet recently? Let us know HERE.

If you would like to be part of this heartwarming ministry, let us know!

If you would like to know more about Pet Ministry, contact Julia Swanson.

Every March Woods Chapel hosts Prom Boutique where teens from all over the metro area and beyond are invited to come and choose the dress or suit that will make their prom experience something to remember. 

If you are interested in serving with set-up, guest assistance, alterations, or clean up for our next Prom Boutique in March let us know and we will reach out as it gets closer.

This is one of most popular serving opportunities within the church and you do not want to miss out! 

Quilt while enjoying snacks and conversation with friends.

This group meets the 4th Monday of the month from 9 AM-3 PM.

We create quilts for WC Missions partners and programs as well as provide quilts for cancer patients.

The quilts bring color, joy, and comfort to people when they need it the most.

Woods Chapel partners with three Blue Springs schools and one Raytown school. Each school has a liaison from the WC congregation who keeps in touch with the school administration, counselors, and PTA to provide staff appreciation and support.

 If you would be interested in assisting our liaison to host staff appreciation treats etc. we would love to have you on the team!

Every summer, we get together Monday - Friday to pack sack lunches for area children and take them to food insecure areas of Lee's Summit. Kids come out and pick up a free lunch and a free book from the wonderful supply of books provided by our Book in Hand Ministry. 

This starts every summer the day after Memorial Day and ends right before the school year starts.

If you are interested in getting involved please let us know and we can get you on the list to get the Sign-Up Genius when we are ready to start up for the summer.

Cooks needed! Are you passionate about cooking? Do you like to be part of solving food insecurity? Food is a vital part of our Dinner Church. Join our Cooking Team at The Table WC Raytown. We have three shifts for you to choose from on Wednesdays:

9:30 AM - Noon

12:30 PM - 3 PM

3 PM - 5:30 PM

Sunday Mornings // Events

Photographers assist in capturing photographs of all that God is doing at Woods Chapel for use on the church website, social media, and print materials.

Every year during the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl in February we host a food drive for the congregation to donate items for both of our pantries.

This is a Missions and Student Ministry led drive.

If you would be interested in helping out on Sundays during the drive by counting items, dividing them between pantries  and shelving them at the Lee's Summit pantry, we would love to have you!

The Table is our weekly community meal located at our Raytown location, which is free and open to anyone in the community! There are several opportunities to make these meals spectacular: Table hosts, food preppers, cooks, and set-up/clean-up crew for a 5:30 meal.

Visit the Woods Chapel Raytown page HERE.

Making an impact this Thanksgiving! We'll provide a bag and a list of Thanksgiving meal ingredients (minus the turkey). Completed meal bags will be given out of our Lee's Summit and Raytown food pantries in late November. Return your filled bag to the church any Sunday until November 15th. A few additional items are listed to assist with our Thanksgiving Dinner Church at The Table. Please mark those separately!

Gather with others in the Fellowship Hall kitchen on the third Monday of each month at 6:00 PM to cook a meal for 60 people that will then be frozen and taken to Uplift KC.

Uplift KC has vans that go out to different camps all over KC to take a hot meal to the houseless every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday evening.

We would like to add another night of cooking each month so that we can provide another 60 meals a month to Uplift. It is our hope that will be soon!

Have any questions? Contact Ann Williams.

Sometimes making a difference starts with simply showing up. Male Mentors/Lunch Buddies is an opportunity to invest in students in the Raytown School District by spending time with them during the school day. Mentors have lunch with students, build relationships, listen, encourage, and let them know that someone in their community cares about them.

It’s a simple commitment with the potential to make a lasting impact in a child’s life. Your time, presence, and encouragement could be exactly what a student needs.

Want to make a difference in the life of a student? RayFriends is a volunteer opportunity through the Raytown C-2 School District where community members give just 30 minutes a week to encourage and support students.

Whether you’re reading with an elementary student, helping with homework, tutoring, telling stories, or simply being a caring mentor, your time can make a lasting impact. It’s a simple way to show up, build relationships, and help students know their community is cheering them on.

Sunday Mornings // Events

Tech volunteers play a huge role in our worship services. Serve as a camera operator or computer operator.

Would you like to assist in maintaining our buildings? Our facilities staff needs help with replacing light bulbs/batteries, ceiling tiles, minor repairs, etc.

This group is committed to helping our church become more responsible stewards of God's good gift of creation by lowering our carbon footprint and building a church culture that demonstrates its love for God in the careful and thoughtful ways we live out our mission. We do this by finding ways to decrease our energy use, eliminating waste, especially single-use plastics, supporting church-wide recycling and composting efforts, emphasizing the importance of creation stewardship in teaching and worship, and managing our grounds in nature-protecting ways.

Our bands lead us in all contemporary worship services on Sunday mornings. Our bands ensure a worshipful experience for our congregation.

Practices Wednesdays at 7:00 PM in the Sanctuary and sings Sunday mornings at our traditional services.

Our Bell Choir meets Wednesdays from August-May at 6:30 PM. The bells are played at select worship services and on special occasions.

Our Orchestra plays in various worship services throughout the year, as well as at the Christmas Cantata!

The purpose of our Care Team is just as it sounds-to take care of the congregation and community. This includes everything from following up on prayer requests; praying with members of the congregation before surgery; visiting members who are home-bound, in hospitals, rehab units, and long-term care centers; providing meals after hospital discharge; and being there during hospice. Whatever the situation, our Care Team is there to walk alongside those in need.