Volunteer Culture: Debunking the Myth that Volunteering Takes More Time – Part 1

by: Mark Waltz

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I’m often asked what it takes to move a local church from staff-led ministry to ministry led and carried out by teams of volunteers. It’s certainly not an overnight process to make such an intentional change.

Tags: Mark Waltz, Serve, Staff, Volunteer Culture

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Volunteer Culture: Debunking the Myth that Volunteering Takes More Time – Part 2

by: Mark Waltz

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In our local churches we sometimes operate in a fantasy land, ignoring the reality that our people are living outside the four walls of the church. We create programs, activities, and opportunities for people to volunteer their time and talent as though our people are sitting around with nothing to do.

When we do ask them to step up and participate, we’re often vague, and sometimes shaming.

It’s as though we think people walk through the front door of our church saying, “I want my life to count. I want to make a difference. Everything I’m doing now, I’ll stop to be involved here.” I wonder if we see a blank slate in the lives of our members and attendees and think it’s our job as pastors and staff to “fill ‘er up!” Really?

None of us really thinks that. We know better. But sometimes we don’t lead like we know better.

• The weekend bulletin/program is filled with a menu so large people are overwhelmed looking at it.
  • We forget that people already have a full menu. They work jobs that already require more from them than they feel they can give. They are the taxi service to get kids to school, soccer practice, school games, dentist appointments, shopping and over-nighters. They have their own doctors’ appointments, gym schedule, cleaning and social lives. People are busy! Aren’t you?
  • Then on top of that menu – not in place of it – we lay out an extensive array of opportunities for involvement. We tend to categorize the options: volunteer opportunities, Bible studies, group life, weekend services, etc. However, not all, but many people see the menu as a whole. “I can choose to volunteer, attend a class or be in a group. I can’t do everything.” Meanwhile the local church is communicating, “You need to be in a group, attend midweek classes, volunteer through a church ministry, be in the weekend service and spend time with your friends who need you to be Jesus in their lives. And don’t forget your family. Oh, and here’s one more all-church project we need everyone to prioritize.” Really? How’d we come to think people live a 9-day week? 
  • Trim. Trim. Trim. Here’s the simple truth: too many options on the menu means people won’t choose. It stresses them out. They’re paralyzed. Or they’ll choose and end up backing out. “Buyer’s” remorse. 
• People can’t figure out how to volunteer.
  • People want to help. They want to be involved. They want to make a significant contribution with their time and talent. 
  • If you want them to help, you’ll need to make onramps visible and easily accessible. Host a ministry fair, a volunteer expo. a VolunTour or Backstage Pass. Make a clear pathway through your website. 
• The what – the task – is communicated without the why. 
  • I just wrapped up a lively lunch meeting with four men from our Elkhart campus. The focus was connecting new people. The foundational conviction was people must hear and embrace the vision to make a connection at all. All four of these men spoke from their own experience. The why behind the what at Granger Community hooked them. Knowing why, the what was easy. 
  • If people are going to give up time in the middle of their work day like these men did today; if they’re going to give time on the weekends; if they’re going to stay late and show up early – they deserve to know “why.” It informs and motivates the activity of serving.

Here’s the recap…

• Reduce the menu. Don’t overwhelm your people with too many choices.
• Make onramps to volunteering visible and easily accessible.
• Cast vision. Explain the why behind the what. Give context for the task.

Next post…

• Invest in people; don’t merely expect them to invest in your ministry.

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Of course, while you’re waiting for the next post, you should pick up THE handbook on all things volunteering by Tim Stevens and Tony Morgan: Simply Strategic Volunteers (also here).

And then, hop over to ENGAGED (Verb), the blog of Kim Volheim, our director of volunteer involvement at Granger Community.

Oh, and I did write more about this topic in Lasting Impressions (also here).

Read Part 1 here.

Read about Mark here.

Tags: Mark Waltz, Serve, Volunteer Culture

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Volunteer Culture: Debunking the Myth that Volunteering Takes More Time – Part 3

by: Mark Waltz

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When your church decides to intentionally develop a culture where it’s normal to volunteer, where it’s natural to serve, it’s easy to make it all about the task. And when it’s all about the task, we can make it all about our church. It’s all too easy to forget that it’s first about Jesus and people. I know – shocking. Earth-breaking. But true. Here are a couple examples.

• The objective, the task alone drives the recruitment of volunteers. 
  • Often churches look at the ministry goals in front of them and go into recruitment mode to get the task of ministry done. And why not? We do have a mission. We have an agenda. There are clear goals with distinctive objectives that must be accomplished. However, even with clear vision cast, the task shouldn’t be the lone motivator for inviting people to serve. 
  • People matter. Inviting them to serve is an opportunity to invest in their personal development, their spiritual growth. Their participation on the team should encourage new friendships, invitations to take steps in their journey, and constant learning to live out the character of Christ as a servant.
    • Make it normal for people to connect outside of their serving time. Time to share a meal, play a game, enjoy worship, just be. 
    • Encourage conversation beyond the task: what are some steps toward Jesus we can take together as a team? What is God up to in our personal journys? Provide space for that dialog. 
    • Create intentional systematic ways to share prayer concerns. Follow up with cards, phone calls and emails. Build a culture of care in your serving environments.

• Leaders appear arrogant about their church. 
  • Sometimes our promotion of our teams, our ministry objectives, our volunteer opportunities can sound like they are somehow more important to the kingdom than the volunteering our people are already doing in their kid’s school, their neighborhood association, the Red Cross or the community soup kitchen.
  • This past week I learned of another woman in our church who I didn’t know as a volunteer. She wasn’t part of any team. She didn’t appear to have lifted a finger to help our ministry. I was so wrong. Since being diagnosed 10 years ago with cancer, the local oncology clinic has called on her to sit with, listen to, provide encouragement to new patients who’d learned they have cancer. She’s been pulling people back from the edge of hopelessness for the past decade. She’s loved like Jesus, prayed with people, shared scripture and hugged new friends. She has volunteered her time. She’s given her life. That counts for the Kingdom. It is the Kingdom.

 Recap:

• Invest in people; don’t merely expect them to invest in your ministry.
• Celebrate every expression of servanthood for the Kingdom – even if it’s not in your local ministry.

Read Part 1 and Part 2.

More from Mark Waltz here.

Tags: Mark Waltz, Serve, Volunteer Culture

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