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Volunteers:
At the Heart of the Church
Identifying, Recruiting,
Training, Recognizing and Keeping Them!
Over and over, leaders in congregations are
frustrated with the involvement, or lack thereof,
of members as volunteers who serve. The educational
ministry area involves many people, so it is an
area which receives a lot of attention and causes
much frustration if few people serve as teachers,
as superintendents, as helpers.
Much has been written about volunteerism, but
sometimes it's hard to put it all together and to
put it into practice. Do we in the church differ
very much from other organizations that rely on
volunteers for staffing programs and filling needs?
YES!
We recognize that each of us is gifted by the
greatest Giver. Therefore, we much be wise stewards
of our gifts. We believe that faith in actions will
bear fruit, so active volunteers are included in
planning as well as doing. People (volunteers) are
concerned about matters of relationship and
belonging, the church's message. WE are valued for
ourselves alone, not just for the work we do. Faith
is the energy of motivation, providing multitudes
of deeds. Therefore, we have a foot in the door of
people's motivations, because we recognize
volunteering both as a privilege and as a
responsibility.
Yet we in the church share some commonalties with
other volunteer organizations and can learn from
them. Most of the commonalties are covered in the
basic administrations and planning tasks that occur
when we work with volunteers.
The basic tasks include:
- Develop a purpose statement. State
our unique mission and purpose in its special place with its special
opportunities and resources so that all members (volunteers) understand the
reason for their involvement.
- Write volunteer ministry position
descriptions. Name, describe, and record all the learning ministries of
members of the church.
- Identify volunteers. Discover the
interests, abilities, gifts and experiences of church members and determine
potential volunteer ministries for them.
- Match volunteers with ministry positions.
Determine which persons are best suited, or have the most potential for each
volunteer ministry position and which positions are most suitable for
particular persons.
- Recruit and gather volunteers. Secure
the commitment of persons to particular volunteer ministries.
- Equip volunteers. Orient, prepare and
equip persons with the necessary information, knowledge, and skills to do
volunteer ministry.
- Support volunteers. Undergird
volunteers and their ministries; recognize and express appreciation for their
contributions.
- Complete a volunteer ministry
intentionally. Help volunteers reflect on the meaning of and learns from
their volunteer ministries. Help them move from one ministry to another.
- Evaluate the volunteer ministry program.
Make any changes necessary for keeping it functioning effectively.
The basic tasks
may seem overwhelming, especially to those of you
in smaller membership congregations. But regardless
of the size of Sunday School or the number of
educational ministries you're working with, the
components of effective volunteer ministry are the
same.
And the volunteers are the same too! Despite all
the cries you've heard that volunteers are a dying
breed, the truth is exactly the opposite. What is
true is that our old stereotypes--the housewife who
gave 60 hours a week of her time to PTA, to the Red
Cross, and to the church--are no longer valid. In
these times we can find all kinds of volunteers who
find creative ways to benefit others, including
those they care for the most--the people of the
God.
However--shorter job assignments and flex-time
options are needed by volunteers in your
congregation! With more women working, men
volunteering more, and with older adults gone for
significant periods of time in the year, fewer
volunteers "sign up" for long term positions. For
example, instead of starting a committee to handle
the mid-week children's ministry, why not have a
task force study the options. Later, if the
decision is made to start a specific program,
another task force (or several) could be set up to
run the program. This allows for more people to be
involved with less overall responsibility and time
commitment.
We easily can get caught up in old expectations of
volunteers, yet we know one sure truth that
continues no matter how people change their
volunteering habits--God's people continue to offer
themselves in service to others. They are compelled
by love, instructed by empathy, equipped by their
Spirit blown gifts, and empowered by the words of
Christ, "Love one another, just as I love you."
(John 15:12) We can, therefore, expect to find
these selfless stewards among our fellow believers.
And we can expect to thank God for them!
To order a
complete planning module on volunteerism which
contains a session plan, and volunteer ministry
position descriptions call 800/328-4648:
Volunteers: At the Heart of the Church Identifying,
Recruiting, Training, Recognizing and Keeping Them!
Code #69-6089 Learning Ministries Series, Unit 1
Copyright © 2002 by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 8765
W. Higgins Road, Chicago, IL 60631. 800/638-3522. Produced by Christian
Education of the Division for Congregational Ministries.
Permission is granted for congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America to reproduce this resource for local use.
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