Any Warm Body vs. YOU!
When is the last time you heard or read an announcement that sounded something like this: “We need 10 more helpers for “x” event by next week or we will have to cancel”?
When leaders make a generic announcement to EVERYONE, they are effectively inviting NO one. If just “any warm body” fits the description—then, each individual hearing it does not recognize his/her unique self. And, often the one who does respond to the blanket announcement is typically NOT the right fit for the need.
However, if those making these announcements take time to think it through, write a complete job description, and prayerfully seek whom God would lead to serve in this way, the right person with the mix of gifts that match the job can perhaps be identified and intentionally invited to serve.
No one wants to be just a warm body to fill a slot. Everyone wants to be known and needed and seen as a unique contributor to something. Let’s treat each person with the incredible value they have in the Lord’s eyes. Let’s focus on how He has crafted them and gifted them and provided them with life experiences and skills and talents that fit distinctively meaningful serving opportunities.
And, one final thought: if we are threatening to cancel an event or program because we can’t coerce people into helping—perhaps it is time to reevaluate that program or event to see if we are not simply propping up something that was valuable once-upon-a-time but is no longer a fit for God’s new vision for our church going forward. Are we listening to and taking our cues from Him or from our own long-held traditions?
Questions to ask:
· Where can you be more intentional about viewing open opportunities not as volunteer slots but as discipleship moments?
· Are you taking the necessary time to develop job descriptions—including expectations, orientation/training, hours, resources provided, etc.—so that you know whom you are seeking and they can know what, exactly, you are asking of them?
· How can your invitations to serve become more person-specific and shaped by the gifts and passions needed for the job—more than your need to have the job filled?
Additional Resources:
• Downloadable Resources--See Sample List of Interest Areas; Your Spiritual Gifts—A Study Guide; Knowing Your Unique Calling and Purpose Study Guide; Whole-Life Ministry: A Form of Worship, Grace-Giving, and Living into Your Calling.
Shirley Giles Davis, author of the God. Gifts. You. Your Unique Calling and Design workbook, is a consultant, coach, facilitator who has worked with faith-based organizations, nonprofit agencies, law enforcement leadership, and individuals for over 30 years. Shirley has been EquipConnectServe Director at First Pres Boulder since 1999. She has worked with leaders and organizations in 47 of the United States as well as having clients outside the U.S. Contact Shirley.