One of our listeners, Gordon, recently sent in the following question:
“I was wondering if you have any ideas that could help get volunteers out of a small congregation (80-100) to help out consistently.”
I wanted to share my response with the rest of you.
Getting your pastor on board is the biggest thing. If it is his passion to get volunteers, it’ll become the church’s passion to provide them.
Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers. God loves these kids more than you do… put it to him! If he wants these kids properly ministered too… then he’ll have to provide the help!
Remember to be faithful with what you have. It’s easy to get bitter and angry with parents, choir members, pew sitters and the like. They’re all too easy to get angry at when you’re stressed but God has promised that if we’re faithful over little that he’ll make us masters over much. Complaining or bitterness will ruin it so don’t grow weary in your well doing!
The right people are worth waiting for. We can be tempted to fill the positions we have with whoever we can find to fill them. But I don’t want bodies … I want hearts. I want people that God has called. People God has called don’t quit after 2 weeks. They don’t leave you hanging. You don’t have to wonder if they’ll show up this week. AND… the only thing worse than having no workers is having the wrong workers. Ministry is not dealing with drama, gossip and issues with your workers… it’s what you do when that stuff isn’t an issue. While you wait for the right people, just trust that God is perfecting them, preparing them for the day they will serve with you in HIS ministry.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
I served in a small church and found out that consistency and leadership recruitment issues are the same as in a large church. Thankfully the same principles apply to solving the problem. People respond to vision, not tasks. They respond to relationship, not obligation. I put my heart and soul into making sure that new leaders have an amazing time. I develop a strong relationship with them and make sure they have what they need to succeed. I ruthlessly define what serving is all about and the qualities/characteristics I’m looking for in a leader. I keep the bar high because no one rises to low expectations. I recruit with story. I tell stories of how serving and consistent participation in our ministry made a spiritual impact and changed someone’s life – and I am always looking out for new God stories to tell. These principles work. Two years ago 60% of my team served 1-2 times a month. Now almost 70% of my team serves EVERY WEEK. That’s a big change – but putting those principles into practice and praying my guts out was the difference.
{ 1 trackback }