Susan Ellis wrote a great post on “Keeping Former Volunteers as Long-term Friends.” If you lead volunteers in a particular ministry at your church, think of that ministry as your ‘organization.’ If you’re a pastor or staff leader, think ofRead more…
Want Volunteers? Get to Know New Members
Talked to a new member lately? New members make great volunteers. They’re excited about their new church. They want to get to know others, and they recognize serving as a great way to build relationships. Most are open to gettingRead more…
Want Volunteers? Consider Your In’s and Out’s
An intriguing way to grow volunteerism at church involves looking at the “in’s” and “out’s” — people volunteering inside, and outside, your church’s walls. What’s the ratio of inside/outside volunteering at your church? List all your volunteer opportunities, noting whichRead more…
Good Stuff: Thanking Volunteers
“Thank You” offers thoughts, discussion and links on thanking volunteers. It includes the surprising observation from research that while “over 60% of organisations are holding formal gatherings to thank volunteers, . . . less than 20% of volunteers like toRead more…
Good Stuff: Helping Men Serve
What percentage of your volunteers are men? What types of volunteer opportunities do we offer for men? I asked myself these questions while reading “Men Adrift,”a thoughtful, and lengthy, article on how cultural and technology changes have affected men withRead more…
Recruiting 101: Want Volunteers? Avoid This
“Help! We need more volunteers!” You hear that a lot around churches. If you’re working with volunteers, you probably don’t have enough. It’s true whether you are a pastor, church staff or a volunteer yourself. Volunteer recruitment is not onlyRead more…
Recruiting 101: Want Volunteers? Spell It Out
If you were looking for work, would you be interested in a job where the responsibilities were only vaguely described, where hours and benefits weren’t mentioned at all, and no one had clear answers to your questions? Me neither. YetRead more…
Recruiting 101: Want Volunteers? Invite Them
Recruitment is invitation. When you recruit, you invite someone to consider an opportunity to serve. Remembering this truth makes the process easier, more pleasant and more effective. Party invitations are attractive and are sent well in advance to a selectRead more…
Recruiting 101: Tips
The three other articles in the Recruiting 101 series cover common practices to avoid; the important job description, and how to invite people to serve. Many other aspect of recruiting (such as helping new members get involved, ministry fairs, parentsRead more…
Worth noting: The 24/7 Work Culture’s Toll
A New York Times article, “The 24/7 Work Culture’s Toll on Families and Gender Equality,” paints a sobering picture of the lives many of our church volunteers lead outside of church. Some excerpts and my thoughts. “The pressure of aRead more…
Good Stuff: Motivating Volunteers
Good stuff from the United Kingdom: a short and to-the-point (and free!) downloadable guide on motivating volunteers; part of a series on guides on volunteerism basics. Although not specifically geared toward church volunteers, virtually all of it applies in churchRead more…
Good Stuff: 5 Ways to Say Thanks
Good reminder on how to appreciate volunteers: “5 Ways to Say Thanks.” Numbers 4 and 5 are especially appreciated by high-capacity volunteers and leaders.
Good Stuff: Work as Worship
We don’t often think of an ex-con as a role model, but this one is: “How an Ex-Convict Learned to Worship Through His Work.” Great sermon illustration and discussion starter for vocation, calling in daily life, work as service.
Good stuff: Fighting Against Ignorance
Is there a particular ignorance in church volunteerism so dangerous that we should ‘pick up our swords’ and fight against it? Susan Ellis shows how thoughtlessness, ignorance and arrogance devalues volunteers in non-profit organizations in her recent Hot Topic: “FightingRead more…
The value of volunteering for job seekers
According to LinkedIn, 41% of hiring managers say volunteer work is just as valuable as paid work on a CV,” says a Volunteer Match blog post.