Why Churches Should Have the Advantage When Asking for Involvement

[See the three most-recent prior posts for some initial thoughts on this subject.]

The 2022 Volunteer Match survey of over 1,000 US volunteers provides very useful data that can be used as guidance when we invite people to serve in and through our faith communities.

When asked to list the top two factors that helped people decide where to volunteer, the combined results were as follows:

1.    I feel strongly about the mission of the organization. 67.03%

2.    How the volunteer time fits into my schedule. 41.76%

3.    Growing new skills/experiences. 37.36%

4.    How great the need is for this volunteer service. 37.36%

5.    I enjoy the specific volunteer task. 35.26%

6.    Using special skills I have. 32.87%

7.    Opportunity to socialize. 30.77%

8.    Someone recommended the organization. 15.38%[i]

Mission, need, connection, and usefulness are all driving themes. Churches, of all organizations, have a clear mission and mandate from Jesus. We are to love God, love self, and love neighbor. We are to involve ourselves in the areas of need in our communities and wider world. We are to be fellowships of connection and flourishing. And, all of us, as children of God, are created and called and purposed to serve according to our God-given gifts and abilities.

So why, then, does there continue to be patterns of increased volunteer involvement in our communities at the same time that churches seem to continue to struggle to fill open serving positions?

I’d say that we’re failing in:

·         Effectively communicating our mission, vision, values, and purpose. If Jesus is transforming us into His likeness and we are abiding in Him more and more, Jesus Himself says that the world will notice—others will be attracted to His love moving in and through us. Have we been so bent on communicating our politics, our “don’ts”, our divisions, our judgment that we have alienated not only strangers but those in our midst who desire to live a life of love?

·         Scheduling in such a way that people are excited to be involved without feeling overburdened and overwhelmed as they add a “must-do” instead of a “get-to-do” to their schedules?

·         Teaching new skills. What new expertise could someone gain/learn while helping in your ministry area? Are open positions solely the helping-behind-the-scenes things (nothing wrong with that if your people are all those with the spiritual gift of Helps)—or, can someone envision eventually co-leading with you or creating new curriculum/content or planning and executing a significant outreach effort?

·         Clearly articulating the need/s in ways that intersect with each individual’s interests, passions, and desires. What “sells” isn’t our ministry desperation but our ministry missions/goals and how involvement can benefit those volunteering.

·         Involving existing volunteers in asking others to get involved. It’s long been a fact that satisfied servers are the best ones to engage others in the same kinds of service.

·         Personalizing our invitations—which requires getting to know each potential volunteer and asking about special skills and talents they hope to use and/or hone. If we learn of unique skills—even those that might not fit our current ministry need—how can we tap into those so that each person feels especially useful?

·         Connecting people with others as part of their service. Many want not only to make a difference but also to make friends, find mentors, feel like part of a family/community.

As we create ministry opportunity descriptions (yes, you MUST have a job description for each position you hope to fill), we should also be keeping in mind the following list of skills that people (in the 2022 Volunteer Match survey[ii]) WANT to use when they serve—listed in descending order of mentions:

·         Caring/people skills (again, here the church should actually have the advantage!)

·         Creative skills

·         Specialty/business/technology skills (so often, churches are far behind the curve in being up-to-date with technology. Many of our people are very well-versed in what is current and can be the ones to bring us up-to-speed.)

·         General physical labor

·         Professional and trade skills

·         Advocacy skills

As we seek to involve each person in meaningful service, we also need to be mindful of the fact that these people and skills are not needed solely inside the church walls—but might be better used serving local agencies (advocacy brings to mind victim or child advocates; physical labor could mean building homes locally or on missions, etc.).

Yes, being better communicators, more effective schedulers, increasing our flexibility, focusing on teaching/training, having a volunteer succession plan, involving others, getting to know our people well, building community, discipling, and helping with skill-building is a lot of work. But it’s holy work. If you are a church leader, you are called to be an equipper of God’s people—His saints—for ministry.

So, let’s equip others—for God’s glory and the flourishing of His church and ultimately the world.

[Continued in the next series of posts.]

Shirley Giles Davis, author of the God. Gifts. You. Your Unique Calling and Design workbook, Your Unique Design Class Guide, Your Unique Design Facilitator Guide, and Gifts-Calling-Purpose blog, is a consultant, coach, facilitator who has worked with faith-based organizations, nonprofit agencies, and executive leaders in a diversity of fields for over 30 years. She has also been Equipping Ministries Director at her church since 1999.

Photo © Shirley Giles Davis.

All rights reserved.

[i] https://solutions.volunteermatch.org/hubfs/

[ii] Ibid.