It is becoming clearer that, with salaries for quality people increasing, the best way to pull off quality weekend services is through the help of volunteers – and not just a few! In fact, to adequately conduct ministry-based activities throughout the week requires some level of effort from people not on staff. Dedicated (I re-emphasize dedicated, not mildly interested) quality lay leadership can provide the church a nearly free resource that can be more effective than a church staff member because they are providing that service due to heart-felt motivations.
For those churches that are still trying to do everything via paid full-time staff, read George Barna’s book “How to Increase Giving within your Church”. According to Barna, people “give” more tithes and offerings to ministries they are emotionally connected to. Volunteerism is one way for them to have that connection. A formal volunteer program can actually lower expenses and increase giving. Wahoo!
However, indiscriminate use of volunteers for jobs for which they are ill-suited is a disservice to the volunteer and those that they are serving. Placing the right person in the right position at the right time is the goal. Volunteer scheduling can help with the right time, but to get the right person in the right job some work has to be accomplished. You need to determine what the requirements for the job are and what capabilities the person has who is a candidate.
Determining the requirements (skill set, maturity level, personality traits, experience, even spiritual gifts, etc.) are for a volunteer position is not an exact science. Churches that have implemented giftedness programs tell me that several iterations are usually required to get it correct. And, it is an on-going, evolving process. However, determining a person’s gifts, although not an exact science, is much more quantitative.
Several vendors offer solid giftedness programs to help determine a person’s gifts. One of the ones I really like is DYD (Discover Your Design) from the Giftedness Center. Other reputable programs include Network which came out of Willow Creek and SHAPE from Saddleback. I am also aware of churches that have developed custom programs which they believe match up better to their congregation and volunteer needs.
Even with the availability of these proven tools, it amazes me how many churches do not have a formal giftedness program. I am not sure whether they do not see the need or believe it is too hard to administer so they do not even attempt one. But volunteer burn-out is very real. Serving in a position that one is ill-suited for accelerates the burn-out process. Helping a person understand who God made them to be is a great ministry in and of itself. Too often, there is no where else a person can discover that outside their church.
If you are interested in adopting a giftedness program, start small; first begin to educate your church staff that each one of them has different strengths and weaknesses. In fact, some people’s weaknesses are a function of their strengths.
As volunteers become more satisfied in their service experience, watch how the quality of that service goes up, watch how the pleasantness of the church experience improves, and then track the retention of volunteers as well. Many people are stuck in day-to-day jobs they hate because they are mundane, do not believe in the vision of the organization, or because they are no longer suited for the tasks of that job. Think of the satisfaction a person can get if on the weekends they actually feel they are doing what God made them to do?
Grace to you,
jhook