Literary Executive Review: Jamie Pulos-Fry, “Servants Heart from the Voice of a Volunteer”
by ReadersMagnet | October 17, 2025 | Literary Executive Review | 0 Comments
There are a lot of Christian books these days that really go deep into their chosen topic. However, reading Servants Heart from the Voice of a Volunteer by Jamie Pulos-Fry has been a real breath of fresh air!
Now, don’t get me wrong, I think books about theology are very important. I just think that books that focus on the more practical side of church life deserve their own share of attention.
That’s exactly what I’m seeing here in Servants Heart from the Voice of a Volunteer. I think this is also just one of many guidebooks that Jamie Pulos-Fry has written through the years (and there will be reviews for those as well). And really, it is a great example of what an author can accomplish by just writing a guide that is short and simple.
Before we go on, though, let me just share a little bit more about the author. Jamie Pulos-Fry is a devoted member of Lancaster Baptist Church, based in California. She has served this church in various capacities for many years (including choir, captain of their “Ladies Bus”, and even a little coffee shop ministry at West Coast Baptist College).
This is someone you would really want to approach if you are trying to learn more about volunteering for your church. I’m really glad she is sharing so many books on the subject because that way, you can have the words of an experienced volunteer right in your own hands!
A Breakdown of the Guide
There are nine chapters in the book that give a pretty good outline of what a reader’s journey to volunteer work is going to be like. Each chapter is only about a couple of pages. But again, the practicality is really something!
Let us start with the first chapter, which talks about being faithful. Already, from the top of my head, I’ve seen so many other Christian books that dedicate a sort of miniature volume to this subject.
But in Jamie’s guide, it is brief yet speaks straight from the heart (and makes the title all the more suitable). She describes faithfulness as essentially being dedicated to being a volunteer in terms of attendance, service, and going the extra mile.
Naturally, she also includes a fair amount of Bible verses in line with this idea of faithfulness. In fact, in later chapters, I am personally impressed with just how much knowledge of the Bible she incorporates into her guide.
For the second chapter, readers are encouraged to be open to learning new skills. I can already tell that this addresses a very common challenge in the field of church volunteer work. After all, many churches do not have much to address all their needs. Volunteers tend to end up wearing many hats. I like how this chapter really cuts to the heart of that and encourages readers to face such challenges with a positive mindset.
Meanwhile, the third and fourth chapters go a little more in-depth about what it means. For Jamie, being a volunteer means being a servant of God. Chapter three expounds on what the ‘servant’ part means in how volunteers should speak and behave. And in chapter four, we get a nifty, shorthand guide to being encouraging helpers (courtesy of some material Jamie was given at the church).
Moving on to chapters five and six, we learn a bit about working with others. Five is about working with younger people, while six is about volunteer work involving seniors. I admit, there seems to be a bit more information on the latter, so I would highly recommend this to any church focused on ministering to the elderly.
As for chapters seven and eight, we have more practical lessons, such as avoiding favoritism and learning how to ask questions.
Again, this is where the book really focuses on the stuff that is always on an aspiring volunteer’s mind. It can be very tempting for newcomers to just do their favorite part of ministry work and close themselves off from learning other things a church might call them to do. On the other hand, not knowing how to ask the right questions habitually will create roadblocks because church volunteers are always faced with something different to do each day!
Lastly, chapter nine addresses something that is very critical in volunteer work, and that is setting boundaries. (Or, to use the book’s own words, “Saying No.”) Without going into too much detail, this is a very helpful chapter that uses the Bible on how to properly set boundaries on what can and cannot be done through the course of volunteer work.
This is really an excellent way to end the book, because many of the previous chapters may give readers the impression that being a volunteer is about becoming overly accommodating and open. By ending it with this, they are reminded that boundaries still exist and there are ways to communicate them in ministry.
Still, I think the best way the entire book brings itself together is the idea that the boss of a volunteer isn’t the pastor, or the head of a particular ministry or church office. The boss is still God Himself, and Jamie’s use of the Bible throughout the book really reinforces that.
A Handy Reference for Church Planters and Outreach
Naturally, I would very much recommend this book to people who are thinking of being more active in church but are a bit intimidated by a lot of unknowns.
Imagine going to the church bulletin board, seeing all the things the church needs help with that you can sign up for. Yet, when you officially get started, there is not really a lot of structure! Where do you go? How should you behave? Do you just come in and start doing things your way?
There would be a lot of stumbling for sure! But if they had this book, they would at least have the wisdom, prudence, and spiritually positive attitude to prop them up. The way Jamie has backed up her approach with a lot of Bible references also equips the readers to do the same. It has just the right number of chapters that can be consulted should a reader need ideas about a particular situation.
Aside from that, though, this book can also be very useful for people in charge of volunteers. It might embarrass some to admit this, but those who start out in ministry generally don’t have much to work with. Having this on hand can help leaders better understand what is going through the minds of the people who show up and want to be of service but don’t know where to start.
Remember, this was written by someone who has volunteered in so many of her own church’s programs. If anything else, it presents a good model of how volunteers can be expected to behave as they spend more time in whatever ministry they choose.
As Simple and Honest as It Looks
In many ways, the book’s appearance, format, and easy-to-read content drive home its message of being a humble church volunteer. The cover is mainly just a single, plain color and embodies the very same principles of humility and service that it imparts to readers.
It is everything an aspiring church volunteer could use to pursue God while in service to others.Want your own copy of Servants Heart from the Voice of a Volunteer? You can find one right over at the Readersmagnet Bookstore. It is also available at Amazon andBarnes & Noble. And if you want to check out other books by Jamie Pulos-Fry, you can find them on her website at https://www.two4avalon.com/.
