Here’s a good read that reminds us of how good deeds and Good News go hand in hand. Serving/volunteering leads to opportunities to share the good news of Jesus . . . and to the growth of His kingdom. “TowardRead more…
Service Enterprise Certification!
Rejoice with me! At St. Peter Lutheran in Arlington Heights, Illinois, we’re rejoicing in our recent Service Enterprise certification. See details here. We’re the first congregation in Illinois, and perhaps the nation, to successfully complete the year-long certification process. Although thatRead more…
Three Little Words
I clearly remember the day I uncovered three little words with a huge impact on retaining volunteers. I was talking to a man who set up coffee and donuts every Sunday. He was new to that ministry, so I asked,Read more…
Scheduling Volunteers
We’re all jugglers when it comes to our calendars. On top of our regular work/school hours, there are the soccer tournaments, band recitals, business trips, family get-togethers, and weekend getaways. One result: many volunteer no-show’s at church because “something cameRead more…
Invite Seniors to Serve
Picture the seniors who volunteer at church. Do you first picture the sweet grandmothers who stuff inserts in the bulletin? They are wonderful, valuable volunteers. But also picture: The “elder statesmen/women” who serve in leadership and influence roles Retirees whoseRead more…
Good Stuff: Community Volunteering in Dark Times
Many are uneasy in the United States these days, as we anticipate the inauguration of a new president, following a divisive political campaign and election. Susan Ellis considers this as she looks at the role of volunteers in initiating changeRead more…
Good Stuff: Transforming the U.S. Mint
Have you ever read the rankings of the best places to work in federal government? Me neither. But here’s an inspiring story of Ed Moy, director of the US Mint, who in just three years raised the Mint’s ranking fromRead more…
Good Stuff: When Millennials Give
“Connections to a Cause: The Millennial Way of Charity” is mostly about financial giving, but also is about millennials volunteering. Some quotes: “Causes matter more than institutions” “millennials are most likely to give when they feel inspired by an organizationRead more…
Good Stuff: Benefits of Volunteering
A good reminder of some of the side benefits of volunteering in our communities. Unintended Consequences of Volunteering — and They’re All Good
Good Stuff: God’s bookkeeping = All Grace!
Do you set goals? Do you track your progress in reaching them? About 5 years ago, our senior pastor began working with staff who report to him create annual goals and regularly review progress on those goals. It’s been aRead more…
Good Stuff: Reasons a Team Lacks Joy
Enjoy your volunteering? In “Five Reasons a Team Lacks Joy,” Eric Geiger notes that each reason for lack of joy can be counteracted by the leader. Perhaps we leaders should be looking for, and measuring, signs of joy in ourRead more…
Experiments in Video Blogging
I’m experimenting with video blogging as a communication tool to promote serving opportunities. Check out my first efforts under the “Watch our videos” heading here. My criteria for success are that I can be reasonably ‘myself’ on camera, that itRead more…
A Question: Where’s the Joy?
I’ve got a question. “Do you have any articles about serving with joy? I feel some of our teams around here are in a slump.” — from Carolyn at a church in Wisconsin Response Thanks for asking, Carolyn. It’s anRead more…
Good Stuff: Are You Wearing Your Oxygen Mask?
Self-care is important for all of us, but especially so for those who lead volunteers. If we don’t “put on your own oxygen mask first . . .” we’ll hinder and hurt (and probably lose) the volunteers who work withRead more…
Reporting and Accountability for Volunteers
Holding Volunteers Accountable We in the church, in general, don’t have our volunteers do nearly as much reporting as do other nonprofits in general. But this article, Accountability and Reporting, is still useful for ideas on easy ways to getRead more…
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