Volunteer Gifts They'll Really Appreciate

Church leaders appreciate their volunteers, but some of us aren't always sure how to express it. We know some people who throw a big thank-you party and others who give an engraved keepsake to those with decades of service. We enjoy giving a small, thoughtful gift to our volunteers every now and then.

These methods are all well and good. But it's everyday gifts of appreciation that volunteers notice most of all. Here are seven of the best everyday appreciation gifts.

Top Ten of 2010

What did people find most interesting on The Equipper website in 2010? Here are the top ten most viewed articles and resources for the past year:

article: Ministry Fair: Getting Connected
4-week Bible Study: Called to Serve
Article: Simple Volunteering
Article: Inviting Everyone to Serve
Presentation Tool Kit: Job Descriptions
Article:Asset Mapping
Article: Beginnings at St. Peter Lutheran
Article: How to Recruit Church Volunteers
Article: Screwtape Writes on Church Volunteers
Sample form: My Ministry Commitment. Use of this form is described in "Inviting Everyone to Serve" at #4, above.

News & Notes

The store on The Equipper website remains closed for a time.
Out and about:

I'm presenting a webinar (internet seminar) on "Effective Volunteer Recruitment" for Wheat Ridge ministries on Thursday, Feb. 10 at 2 p.m. Central time. Register here.
I'm presenting on "Multiplying the Number of Volunteers in Your Congregation" Sat. Feb. 26, in Hartland, Wisconsin at a conference of the South Wisconsin District of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod. Information here.

Good Stuff on the Web

Here's a very creative way to "Get Out of the Office - Go Thank a Volunteer."
"Some Callings are More Equal than Others" raises some very interesting points with applications that are quite sensitive. Do we celebrate all vocations? Or is there a "soft bigotry of vocational gnosticism"? Share this with trusted leaders and friends. It will help define what we think -- and the implications of our attitudes.

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