If no one is following you, you aren’t a leader.
Sure, anyone can receive an official title or be given decision-making power. But real leaders are people that others follow, not only because they must, but because they choose to, and even better, because they want to. Sometimes titles are attached to good leaders, but a good leader leads with or without a formal title.
When I was an associate minister at the Old Hickory Church of Christ, I was wearing multiple hats, and therefore had to keep many plates spinning. It was clear to me immediately that I alone could not make everything work without a lot of help. I wanted to share some reflections on what has helped me in leading volunteers well. Some of these lessons are from failures rather than successes, but I believe all of this is worthy of consideration.
Church volunteers are different.
One of the biggest differences between leading in a church context versus any other context is that you generally don’t have financial incentives as a way to motivate people. In most workplaces, people will tolerate mediocre leadership practices as long as a paycheck helps to justify the nuisance. This also works to a degree with church staff, but church volunteers are something entirely different. Not only do we not give them financial compensation, but we rely on them to contribute monetarily to the very ministries in which they are now serving. They give and give in every sense.
Think about it. If someone is involved in church in any way, it is something they chose to do. No one has ever really had to help with anything at church. Good attitudes or bad attitudes, when you are leading a ministry effort and someone else gives up any time or talent, no matter how meager we perceive it to be, they did it for God and they didn’t have to do it at all.
We should never consider any volunteer work insignificant because Jesus himself said that even someone who gives you a cup of cold water–free at most restaurants!–because of him, that they’ll be rewarded for it. When it comes to giving credit, people tend to minimize the good efforts and to maximize the mistakes. Jesus does the opposite. He takes our shortcomings onto himself, and instead he seeks to give us credit for all the good that he can. This is a great paradigm for us in how we should treat volunteers. Sometimes we have to deal with the bad, but we should look for the good.
You need to “pay” your volunteers
In my own experience, I knew that I needed people who volunteered now, but it was critical that I could also call on them in the future. Of course, most Christian people are volunteering to serve God rather than us, but we can’t forget that there are plenty of other places they can go to serve God. Why serve alongside me? Why here in this place? Why both this time and again next time?
How can we treat our volunteers in such a way that we (1) avoid burning them out and (2) make them feel so good about helping out that they’ll be anxious to say “yes” again next time?
The solution is to “pay” your volunteers. Because a financial approach to this is mostly off the table, we have to think about other ways to give something back to those who give to God by the way they serve with and help us. Here are some ways to think about “paying” your volunteers.
Paying Your Volunteers
People are willing to do amazing things to help with a cause that touches their hearts and their consciences.
- Provide tools and training. Often, the problem isn’t the people’s willingness, but their understanding of what needs to be done. “Just tell me what you need,” I’ve heard so many people say. Do you have formalized times where you pull people aside and help them know the best ways to go about serving?
People volunteering with teens and children need clear teaching about safe practices for working with children, how and when to report concerning information they receive, and what sorts of ways we can protect the children and ourselves from legal liabilities.
People volunteering as teachers need opportunities to learn and go deeper so that they can help others to do the same. Consider bringing in a content expert or sending your teachers to a workshop or seminar to help them all go deeper on a topic that would benefit your setting. Even if they have to self-fund, they’d be more likely to go if they went as a unified group.
People feel better about serving when the people leading them equip them well to serve effectively. How are you equipping your volunteers? For them, the experience says, “What I’m doing is important and worth taking seriously.” - Provide your gracious presence. If someone is helping you, even if they are more than capable of taking a task and completing it, it can be dignifying to have a leader set aside time to observe and appreciate your work.
Some ministries require everyone to work hand-in-hand. Others happen more individually. But for you as a leader to slow down and pay attention, you can encourage your volunteers a lot. “Just think of what an impact you made in that person’s life because of what you did.” “I cannot thank you enough for your willingness to do all of this. I would be so much less effective if I were trying to divide my time. Your focus has made this area so much more effective.” “May I share this story with others? I’d love them to know about the great work you’re doing.”
Don’t show up to inspect, but to appreciate. They’ll likely tell you what needs to improve without you having to point it out. Help them frame their efforts in ways that feel meaningful, because they are. Remind them of the great potential benefits of their efforts. - Provide times of celebration and thanks. There will never be a time where people don’t believe they are too busy to slow down. Most people have full schedules. It is therefore on the leader to insist that it is a spiritual matter to give honor to whom honor is due.
Put it on the calendar. Schedule in advance. Invite other leaders to write notes and letters of appreciation. Organize a small gift. Whatever it takes, don’t let it slip through the cracks.
This could be an annual effort to appreciate specific groups of volunteers. Another great opportunity is immediately after a big event. Send a hand-written note to each of the people to say, “Here are some ways what you did are really great. It means a lot to me that you did that. Thank you so much.” - Provide evidence of why it all matters. It is powerful to hear stories of how God has been at work in a person’s life, especially if it is because of something that you helped to do. Ask about these kinds of stories. Who has come to Christ because of our church? Who has worked their way through a terrible season? How did the church show up in the best possible ways? Any time you can put a face on the answer to these questions, it will move and motivate people.
These are stories we must insist on telling and retelling. It helps us to forge an identity based on something good. It fills our tanks with good fuel to keep pushing through and working, trusting that God will provide the increase. Our efforts are making a difference. Help your church see how.
How do you “pay” your volunteers? When you’ve volunteered, what has motivated you to volunteer again?
Other Posts You Might Enjoy:
