“I want to make a difference!” This is why many of us volunteer. It’s a good reason and it applies to all the serving we do, in our homes and work places as well as our communities and churches. ServingRead more…
How Relational is Your Serving?
When serving, balance matters. When asked to volunteer, you weigh and balance the time and effort involved against the time and effort you’re already giving at home, at work, and elsewhere. You also might balance your short-term serving against ongoingRead more…
The State of Church Volunteerism
Presidents annually give a State of the Union address, and effective leaders regularly share their view of the past and vision of the future. Perhaps similarly, my step into retirement has prompted reflection on the state of church volunteerism –Read more…
Church Volunteerism in a Changed World
Twenty-one months after the covid pandemic first threw us for a loop, we’re still in upheaval. Vaccines are prevalent, but many still suffer and many more are fearful. When it comes to church volunteerism, ‘normal’ is a distant memory andRead more…
Were We Ready? Covid’s Impact on Church Volunteerism
Were we ready? Of course not. We had no time. In early January 2020, most of us hadn’t heard of covid. Less than 3 months later, it had disrupted our lives and our churches. But we adapted. By Easter, mostRead more…
Why Look at Serving?
“How’s your serving going lately?” No one has ever asked me this question, and I imagine you’ve never been asked it either. But if asked, we’d likely figure they’re talking about what we’re doing at church. “Serving” is commonly usedRead more…
Tool: A Look at My Serving
What would my life look like if I saw everything I do as serving Jesus? What if I could serve more intentionally, joyfully, impactfully and faith-fully? What if my church family were to do this? What if Jesus’ followers throughoutRead more…
The Covid Pivot
Covid has brought change — tragic changes in health and employment, and inconvenient change, like mask-wearing and limits on eating out. At church we’ve dealt with change in how we worship, share communion, celebrate marriages and bury loved ones. FewRead 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…
Add a Little More Joy to Your Serving
If we’re driving, we need to know how much gas is in the tank. When we’re serving, it can be equally helpful to look at how much joy is in our tank! Let’s do a self-check. Do you look forwardRead more…
A Question: What Will a Volunteer Coordinator Do For Me?
The budget of our church’s volunteer program got a substantial bump this year. Thankfully, we are now able to hire a full-time coordinator. What are the most important parts of a volunteer program that we should shift to her, theRead more…
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…
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…
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