Pain. Grief. Suffering. We’re experiencing and see a lot of this lately. Some are responding with violence and anger. Many followers of Jesus are perplexed at how to respond. This article suggests responding with prayer and lament. Perhaps this isRead more…
Serving God and Others Through Entrepreneurship
I generally think of entrepreneurs as people aiming to make a living. But this post is by a man who is an entrepreneur in order to serve his city and his Lord . . . and to change the culture.Read more…
A Dream Volunteer Job, and Why It Doesn’t Work
“Two retired English teachers . . . have solved the mystery of why volunteers like them are rarely invited to help . . .” This column from the Washington Post speaks volumes about a major roadblock for volunteers. It’s asRead more…
The Jungle Cruise and Insubordination
What can we learn from Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise? What Laszlo Bock has to say here about employees is actually MORE true of volunteers. Empowerment can be key in keeping volunteers, particularly the highly skilled ones. How does a leader ofRead more…
Good Stuff: Do We Overspiritualize Calling?
In “Stop Overspiritualizing Calling,” Bethany Jenkins uses her own experience as a pianist to question some aspects of the way we talk about calling. It’s a great starter for helpful and important discussions on calling. Here are some quotes andRead more…
Good stuff: Our Response to Declining Commitments
“People don’t commit like they used to.” “We need to teach these younger people to make a commitment.” “Why aren’t more people stepping up to help?” I hear these comments often. Short term volunteering is very popular, but it’s gettingRead more…
Good Stuff: Good Deeds and Good News
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…
Good Stuff: Benefits of Volunteering
A good reminder of some of the side benefits of volunteering in our communities. http://blogs.volunteermatch.org/engagingvolunteers/2016/09/28/unintended-consequences-of-volunteering-and-theyre-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…
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…
Good stuff: Settling for less?
Are You Settling for Less? Do those of us who are employed by, or volunteering for, churches settle for less when it comes to our own needs? When we, or our ministry we lead, has a need, and there’s aRead more…
Former Volunteers as Friends
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…
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…
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