How to Find and Keep Volunteers
Jul. 6, 2009
By Martha Blackburn
A key component for any ministry to be successful is to maximize the role of volunteers. I have spent most of my life as a volunteer in ministry. I learned early that not much of eternal value is accomplished alone. It is important to invite others to benefit as part of the team.
Most people do not volunteer for a ministry simply to do a job. They want to make a difference in the lives of others. Team ministry done with volunteers can enhance the ministry as people with different gifts and godly passion become part of the team, and the lives of volunteers are enriched. Here are a few of the keys that I have learned for successfully recruiting volunteers.
Start with Prayer
First, start with prayer. I ask God to lead me to potential team members whom I should invite to become part of the team. I have even used a church directory to pray through the names and ask the Lord to show me those I should invite to the team. I have sought the counsel of others.
Sometimes my list contains names of people who have proven their ability to lead, but others listed may be potential leaders who can develop their gifts while they are serving. In women's ministry I would want to make sure the list of volunteers represents a broad view of the entire church. I would want women of different ages and stages of life represented on the ministry team.
Avoid recruiting someone already overloaded with ministry positions and responsibilities. There are gifted people all around us that are not involved in ministry; we need to invite them to serve.
Cast the Vision
The best way to recruit top volunteers to the team is with a personal invitation, so the second step is to make an appointment to meet with a potential volunteer. At this time, share the vision for the ministry and explain why this opportunity could be a great ministry fit for them. This is a good time to talk about the expectations for volunteers. Close the meeting by asking your guest if her or she will pray about this opportunity and talk about it with family and friends. Set a definite time to get back together to talk about their questions and receive their response. A week is usually enough time for someone to decide if they will serve.
Offer Training
How do we help volunteers to be successful? If a position is important enough to ask someone to serve, it is imperative that we make sure ongoing training is happening for the volunteer to be successful.
Frequent communication and affirmation is important. Most volunteers quit because they lose sight of how their service is contributing to the whole ministry. Frequent updates and checking in with volunteers is important.
Allow for Busy Schedules
Respect other commitments of volunteers. Everyone has a packed schedule. It is important to make sure the team assignment is manageable for each member. You may need to recruit five volunteers to handle what one could have handled some years ago. Too often, good volunteers get overloaded, burn out, and drop completely out of serving. This is a loss to the Kingdom and to the volunteers.
Encourage and Celebrate
Encourage volunteers to invite their friends, family, and coworkers to join them in serving. Most people who serve do so because someone they knew invited them to serve.
Celebrate together. Plan a celebration to honor your volunteers and lavish your appreciation for their service and celebrate their accomplishments. This is a great time to hear testimonies from the previous year and cast a vision for the future with invitations for continued service as volunteers.
Volunteers are essential to successful ministry, and one of my greatest blessings is to see how God works in and through some of those He has helped me recruit. •
- Martha Blackburn is general director of Wesleyan Women, The Wesleyan Church, Indianapolis, Ind.
