Encouraging members to serve is an important part of the church’s role in the community, and more importantly, in helping members grow their relationship with Christ. But how do we find these super-servants who freely give their time, energy, and expertise? Where are they all hiding? We have some suggestions to help find them.
1. Just Ask
This first point seems
obvious, but it’s often overlooked. You need to actually ask people
to serve. You may think it’s self-evident but you’d be surprised how many
members just don’t know how to find opportunities to serve.
Extend the invitation to
volunteers across all your communication channels:
- Does your website include a
section for service opportunities?
- Do you regularly highlight
volunteers and service activities on social media?
- Do you call out specific
opportunities in the worship service, bulletin, and Sunday school classes?
- Do you regularly circulate the
needs for short-term service projects with Small Group leaders?
- Do you feature service
opportunities in your member newsletter, along with a call-to-action to
volunteer?
- What are you doing to make it
easy for your current volunteers to invite their friends to a service
event?
In addition to spreading
the word, don’t forget to ask people one-on-one. You may have supporters who
would love to get more involved with your church if they only knew you wanted
them. Consider setting up a display and meeting people in your church lobby.
Set up a laptop so members can sign up on the spot.
Once you start looking outside your immediate circle of regular volunteers, your website and church management software (ChMS) are there to help you. Using your website to serve as a central place for posting volunteer opportunities is always a good idea, but using a ChMS that has a robust volunteer pipeline to expedite the process is always key to making it easier on those looking to serve and for church administrators handling the backend processing and communications.
2. Be Specific
“Volunteer” is not a specific
description of a job. All it means is that someone is volunteering time to do a
task. If you put out a general call for volunteers no one knows exactly what
you mean. Ask for people to do the specific jobs: ushers, greeters, childcare,
or small group leaders. Prospective volunteers will know exactly what you’re
looking for and see themselves in your call for service.
Point to the specific skills that volunteers need to do the job. If you’re willing to teach someone how to do something, make sure you mention it. (Likewise, if you need special experience, make that clear, too.) Getting specific also helps to get around any mistaken ideas about volunteering. Specifics paint a clearer picture.
3. Focus on the Volunteer
Flip the question: ask why
they need you. Why should someone give time to your church? “We need help!” may
be true, but it doesn’t make the most compelling case for volunteering.
Instead, focus on what volunteers gain by giving their time.
- Point out that as Christians we are called to serve. (Mark 10:45)
- Making a difference by helping others in the community
- Using their skills and talents for the Kingdom
- Meeting others in the community and sharing the Gospel
- Serving a cause they believe in
4. Keep it Simple
Is signup easy? Are the
staff members you encounter friendly and helpful? Don’t underestimate the power
of a form that won’t load, a cold-sounding administrator, or an unreturned
phone call to turn a member off your service opportunities.
Look at your website. Does it clearly lay out the next steps toward becoming a volunteer? Does it link directly to your ChMS to help expedite the process (especially where volunteers need to have extra steps like background checks), and does it automatically respond with a confirmation email and alert the right coordinator? When someone expresses an interest in volunteering with you, follow up quickly, even if it’s just to say, “Thanks, we’ll get back to you soon.”
5. Provide Opportunities for Different Levels of Engagement
Maximize the number of
volunteers you can appeal to by providing opportunities to help out at
different levels of commitment. Some like organizing large-scale events like
bagging meals for foreign missions. Make sure you offer a variety of service
opportunities. Make it clear in your volunteer content that you have
opportunities for different levels of commitment. If someone has a positive
experience doing a small volunteer assignment for your church, they may
consider getting more involved in the future.
Once you’ve recruited a
new service volunteer, you’ve only just begun! Now you’ll need to manage and
retain them. Retention is the opposite side of the recruitment coin, and it
might even be more important. It’s important that you have a church management
application that can track and report their engagement over time: this can help
you spot trends and modify your volunteer strategies. Serving the Church and
the community is one of the best ways members can grow in their walk with
Christ. Make sure you make it easier for all your members to participate in
this critical opportunity.
Source: Ministry
Tech
Shelby
Systems has decades of experience working with ministries of all sizes, for
more creative ideas and suggestions contact your Shelby Sales Consultant today!