The most successful volunteer ministries are based on strong relationships. The ministry will grow if friendships are cultivated between leaders and volunteers and the volunteers feel appreciated by the leaders. But the church will suffer if volunteers feel disconnected from their leaders, kept in the dark, or unappreciated by them. In light of this, Bill Hybels offers the following advice in his book The Volunteer Revolution:
”Volunteers should be reminded, again and again, that they’re valued, that the role they are playing is not insignificant; that God treasures every task they perform, every hour of service, they render.”
So you have to find ways to help your leaders stay connected to their volunteers throughout the week. But staying in touch with volunteers regularly is one of the most significant challenges in
Ministry is due mainly to the busy nature of your congregations’ lives. Making an effort is well worth it because your volunteers will be more committed when they feel valued and appreciated.
One way to help your leaders show appreciation is by providing web-based communication tools (email, social, within your church software, etc.). Reminding volunteers that they are valued puts “deposits” into the relationship bank, which pays dividends for your ministry. These tools also help simplify the coordination of events and tasks as well as track progress. Seeing progress and milestones being reached further instills your volunteer’s feeling of adding value.
Be sure to encourage your volunteers to recruit their friends for volunteer opportunities. Their established relationships make it easier for their friends, and potential volunteers, to say yes. They already have a relationship built on mutual interests and trust, so several hurdles are already covered.
There are many ways to show appreciation to your volunteers, so think outside the box, especially since volunteers contribute significantly to handling your church’s workload. Where would we be without our Sunday school teachers, greeters, parking lot crew, event teams, and nursery staff, to name just a few areas?
Having difficulty getting your volunteers back in the game?
Every church depends on volunteers to carry out the life and operations of your ministry. Your church’s health and impact directly correlate to the people who serve on your teams’ quality and competency.
And yet, many church leaders remain frustrated at their lack of volunteers or enthusiasm for serving and being part of their church teams.
We created this guide to show you how to re-energize volunteer momentum at your church.
Carol has worked in the ACST Marketing department and managed most aspects of marketing over the last 20 years. Before ACST, she spent many years handling marketing for companies across the US, including Novell, WordPerfect, Purolator Courier, ArtToday.com, and U.S.News & World Report. Carol is a cradle Catholic who has been active her entire life (a long time!) and has served in volunteer positions within her parish, including formation instructor, lector, code red responder, and numerous other volunteer roles.
