Serve with English for Life - Atonement Presbyterian Church

Get Involved – Make a Difference!

English for Life exists to love and support our immigrant neighbors by providing free English classes and fellowship. Through this ministry, we build bridges of friendship, meet real needs, and show Christ’s love in action.

Serving in English for Life is more than just volunteering — it’s joining God in what He is doing to gather people from every tribe and tongue right here in our community. When you serve, you grow: you grow in compassion, in cross-cultural understanding, and in confidence as you share your faith through words and deeds.

And as we teach English, we often have the chance to introduce people to Jesus and build meaningful relationships with those outside our normal circle of life.

Why Serve?

English for Life is an opportunity to:

Love your neighbors well by meeting a real, practical need.
Grow in faith and courage as you step into cross-cultural ministry.
Build gospel bridges that may lead to deeper conversations and even new Bible studies or Sunday school classes.
Use your gifts — whether you love teaching, organizing, serving food, or simply building relationships.

Ways to Serve

There’s a place for everyone to get involved:

Teachers – Lead a class and help students gain confidence.
Teaching Assistants – Support teachers and encourage students as they learn.
Service Volunteers – Help with administration, refreshments, special events, or behind-the-scenes support.
Childcare – Provide a safe and welcoming environment for children while their parents learn (paid position available).

FAQs – Volunteering with English For Life

What is English for Life?

It is an opportunity to welcome and support adults who want to learn English by offering free English classes at Church of the Atonement.

How can I be involved?

You can be trained to be a teacher (you will be part of a teaching team that shares teaching responsibility), to be a classroom helper, to tutor literacy, to interview students for placement into classes, or you can take a service role such as setting out signs, providing childcare, or buying and preparing snacks.

What kind of time commitment is required?

That depends on the role you want to have. Teachers and assistant teachers need to be in the classroom consistently once a week from 6:45 pm to 8:45 pm so they can develop a relationship with students and so that the quality of instruction is reliable. Other volunteers should be available once a week or once every other week.

When does training take place?

Online training for classroom teachers and assistants is provided through MCAEL’s Foundations class. You can check it out via this link.

In addition, there will be two training sessions with our entire team during the summer. If you miss the deadline for Foundations, you will be asked to attend the PCA ESL training.

Is this a Christian ministry?

Yes. All throughout Scripture, God reveals his heart for sojourners, urging us to welcome them. Learners in this program come from countries where hospitality is a much stronger value than here in the United States, and it is likely that they have had few invitations to homes where English is spoken. We have an opportunity to align ourselves with God’s desire to love them and to give them hope that they can cultivate a sense of belonging in this country.

Do I need to speak another language to be in the classroom?

Definitely not! The training will help you understand how to communicate with students whose language is not the same as yours. Although it is sometimes helpful to have a person in the class who speaks another student’s language, it is not necessary.

How can I pray for English for Life?

Pray for our planning efforts. It is virtually impossible to predict how many students will show up for classes, and how many children they will bring, and this makes it hard to plan.

Pray for the adults who hear about this program and consider attending. Pray they can find the time for learning, and that they will find the program welcoming, useful, and fun.

Pray that opportunities develop to share our faith and bring hope and friendship into students’ lives.

Pray that students feel safe coming to class and can attend regularly.

Pray that we will find consistent childcare workers.

What should I do if I want to be part of English for Life?

Please send an email to English@atonementlife.org. If you hope to serve as a teacher, you will have to fill out a short application form.

Ready to Join Us?

Volunteer training is offered several times a year — we’ll equip you with what you need to serve with confidence.