"You can't fire a volunteer!" That's probably the first thought of many people when reading the title of this article. And the second thought is likely of the particular volunteer or two they'd like to fire.

• "Kids helped design the newest skate facility in Prairie Park in Elgin, and volunteers are building it;" from Volunteer Park Builders give new meaning to free play. At your church, do staff do most of the planning, or do staff involve the volunteers who will be working on the event or project in the planning of that event/project? When the project/event is for kids, have you tried involving kids in the planning? The linked story gives some good ideas.
  


• "We believe most organizations give lip service to the idea that people are important, and yet they really look at their organizations first through many other lenses, and primarily the financial lens." Instead, Colleen Kelly recommends "looking at the people first." From an interview on the book "People Lens" by Volunteer Vancouver. As the body of Christ (I Cor. 12, Rom. 12 and Eph. 4), the church is full of people who are given gifts by God for service. The linked interview above gives the basic idea of the book. If you desire to expand the people-focus of your church's recruitment efforts, the book, a PDF download, is a good buy at only $8.95.