Worship Wednesdays
Volunteers come from all walks of life, and today were pleased to recognize our VolunteerSpot community serving in their places of worship.
Please welcome our guest Sue Brage, editor of Church Volunteer Daily. Twice a month she'll be sharing best practices and fresh ideas that make volunteering with your faith community (or school or nonprofit) even more fun and rewarding. Today's article is on the importance of including people of all ages and walks of life in your organization's service efforts.
Contestants Wanted for the next Volunteer Leader Challenge!
In the Volunteer Leader Challenge, the latest reality show, contestants will maneuver their way through an entire year serving in their local churches. Their objective? To recruit and train volunteers to serve in every position imaginable without losing their sanity…or any kids, keys, volunteers, or the approval of senior leadership and quite possibly, the entire congregation, who will be voting! They must coordinate VBS, plan snacks to exclude every possible food allergy, line up 30 nursery helpers, while at the same time, helping children discover the love of God. It will be a wild ride, and at the end—there will be one champion volunteer leader left standing.
Ok, there is no such reality show. (You were ready to call, weren’t you?) Still, in reality, many of us have taken on positions or projects without fully knowing what we are getting into, and then once we figure it out—it’s too late, the challenge has begun! Over our years of working with church volunteer leaders, three prevailing challenges have emerged...
1. Finding (and keeping) committed volunteers
This comes as no surprise to any one who has ever worked with volunteers. The lesson is if we put either of these tasks on cruise control, we will make our jobs harder in the long run. To master this challenge we must always watch for fresh ideas and approaches for recruiting, training, and recognizing our volunteers.
2. Getting everything done
As we’ve listened to those in ministry, it’s obvious that most of them feel stretched too thin and pulled in too many directions. Balancing church and family, doing vs. delegating, babysitting instead of leading. There is a constant tug-of-war going on for our priorities, our brains, our time, and even our emotions.
I think the first step to mastering this challenge is to understand that even the most “balanced” leader has to continually realign his or her priorities, focus, and time commitments. You need a solid sounding board to help you let go of unrealistic expectations, set proper boundaries, and give yourself a well-deserved break once in a while.
3. Dealing with conflict (and a myriad of other communication issues)
I love C.H. Spurgeon’s quote: The day we find the perfect church, it becomes imperfect the moment we join it. Humans are an imperfect—and difficult—lot. Overcoming this hurdle will require prayer, patience, and loads of grace. It will also require the ability to communicate with others in a positive way, even when dealing with negative issues.
While the idea of this reality show is completely fictional, these three main challenges are very real. As you continue serving, growing, and facing these obstacles head on, I believe God will reward you in a far greater way than you could ever imagine. And the biggest reward will be knowing you are helping touch lives and make people’s lives better for the cause of Christ.
Banner Ad: For ideas on how to keep more volunteers for longer, download Church Volunteer Daily’s free report filled with volunteer appreciation ideas.
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Sue Brage worked in nonprofit marketing and communications for more than nine years before joining Group Publishing as Online Publisher and Editor for Church Volunteer Daily.com. Her experience as a writer, editor, and volunteer coordinator (not to mention wife and mother) gives her a unique perspective and ability to encourage and help leaders. She has a big heart for people and great passion for helping others serve their churches and communities better. Follow Sue on Twitter and @SueBrage and @CVCDaily
