Volunteers are Gold… (and how to make them feel that way)

Orginally published on Thursday, January 18, 2007 at 9:08 AM
by Todd Rhoades

I’ve seen the phrase “volunteers are gold” used around the church scene before (mainly from Brad Powell at Northridge Community Church) and I believe it is one of the truest statements I’ve ever heard. Volunteers are the most valuable commodities in ministry. Without them, nothing would get done in our churches. But I’m sure that most of us would agree that we could do a better job at making our volunteers feel valuable...

This is something we must do if we’re going to excel in our ministries. If you’re like me, there was a time in your life when you served as a volunteer before taking on vocational ministry, but as time goes on, you’ve forgotten what ministry feels like from a voluntary position. I mean, as a paid staff person my paycheck from the church is a big weekly “thank you”. But for some volunteers, there can be extended periods of time where they are shown no sense of appreciation nor made to feel valuable. If we want to maintain healthy levels of volunteerism in our churches, we must become better at appreciating those who are doing the work, no matter how small the task. The following are a couple of ideas that you can implement to improve your standards of volunteer appreciation.

The most basic place to start is to simply say “thank you”. I know, a novel idea. Yet I think that a lot of leaders tend to dismiss this step because of its simplicity. Sure, saying thank you to the same people week in and week out can seem forced or insincere, but it’s one of the best things that you can do for your volunteers. I never let a week go by without saying thank you to every person who serves under my leadership. Not only do I thank them for their service, but I try to point out one specific aspect of their performance from the day that was particularly excellent. For instance, I might go up to my bass player after our services and say something like “Mike, thanks so much for serving today. The line you played at the end of our first song was just perfect and sounded amazing!” In that moment I’m not only thanking my volunteer, but I’m showing him that his efforts were noticed and made a difference in our services. Never underestimate the value of a simple thank you.

On top of an ongoing sense of gratitude toward your volunteers, try to find an occasional way to say thank you in a big way. I know that there has been a big buzz lately on church admin sites as to how much we can legally give in gifts to our volunteers, but a big thank you doesn’t have to be expensive. Throw a dinner for your volunteers. Do an awards banquet. Bring in a guest speaker. Take them to a movie. Have congregants write about what their service has meant to them- Just do something out of the ordinary to express your appreciation to them. The effort alone will go a long way.

Finally, one of the best things you can do to help your volunteers feel valued is to keep and maintain a sense of vision and purpose for them. At the end of the day, we all want to know that what we are doing is making a difference in the lives of other people. But if there is no sense of vision for your volunteers it will be easy for them to become disillusioned and float from one area of ministry to the next. Volunteers need to know that their efforts are making a difference and they need to be told often. As a leader, it’s imperative to maintain the vision for those you lead and help them see how they are fulfilling their purpose. 

Volunteers are gold. Actually, they are more valuable than gold. Without them, you and I are powerless in our ministry. With them, you and I can empower an entire community of believers to change this world for the Kingdom. So the next time you’re with your volunteers, may you realize that you’re with one of the greatest resources God has given you for your ministry.

FOR DISCUSSION: How do you make your volunteers feel valued?  What is the best thing you’ve ever done/tried in this area?  What were the results?

Brice Basquez is the Pastor of Worship Arts at New Hope Community Church in Bryan, OH. His main responsibilities at New Hope are planning and coordinating worship services, music, and drama. Brice enjoys family, jazz, Kansas University basketball, golf, face-melting-and-ulcer-forming spicy food, and beating his Senior Pastor at "Name that Tune" Brice resides in Bryan, OH along with his wife and son.

 

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Hi... I'm Todd Rhoades. I'm a Christ-follower, husband, father and I love to connect leaders with other leaders. Hopefully you'll find something here at MMI you like and will return often. If you want, you can find out more about me or follow my every step on Twitter.

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