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…
Review: Every Good Endeavor
Pretty much the highest praise I can give a book is that it is both deeply thoughtful and highly readable. Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work by Tim Keller (2012) earns that praise. Deep and thorough, itRead 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…
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…
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…
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…
Found stuff: Much help, Little good
A good reminder that we should use our heads as well as our hearts when we want to help those in need. Truly helping others can be challenging. Few countries have suffered an earthquake so devastating, or have been lessRead more…
Paid or Volunteer?
Paid or Volunteer? What work is done by staff at your church? What work is done by volunteers? Usually, the line between the two is pretty clear. Some positions (pastor, secretary) are filled by employees. Others (Sunday school teacher, usher)Read more…
A Question: the Nominating Process
“I’ve got a question.” “I would like some ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ about nominating committees and the election process in churches. Also is it good for a pastor to serve on the nominating committee?” From an anonymous reader November 2012 ResponseRead more…
When My Volunteer is Smarter than Me
I know a thing or two about databases. I love how they organize information and the flexibility they offer over a spreadsheet; I can build a basic Access database. When I was hired as Director of Equipping People to ServeRead more…
Canned Peaches or Fresh Lettuce?
I’ve been thinking of keeping a can of peaches and a head of lettuce in my office. Or bringing them to the next staff meeting. Or pulling them out the next time I talk to some ministry leaders about volunteers.Read more…
Simple Volunteering
Life is complicated. Life is stressful. Your employer wants you to squeeze more work into the same hours, the kids need help with their homework, your elderly relative needs your assistance, and there are important papers somewhere in that pileRead more…
Screwtape Writes on Church Volunteers?
In his popular book The Screwtape Letters, author C.S. Lewis imagined an experienced devil named Screwtape writing letters to advise his young nephew Wormwood on how to move people toward hell and away from their enemy, God. One day IRead more…