Volunteers

The air has finally turned to morning briskness, and there is hope for the end of the lingering heat of summer. With the change of seasons comes the looming, hectic stretch of Reformation, Advent, and Christmas for church workers and lay volunteers.

In October we pause and say “thank you” to our church workers.

Thank you. If you haven’t received thanks from your congregation, thank you. Thank you for your tireless service to bring the gospel forth in your communities and in the households set before you.

Now, start your engines! (Did we even get a chance to slow them down?) Here we go!

Looking at the calendar ahead can be utterly exhausting.

If only we had more volunteers! If only the youth would step up and serve an Advent meal! If only these parents would do more than drop their children off—what if they stayed and engaged? WHY IS NO ONE VOLUNTEERING?

Okay, maybe we have volunteers. But WHY ARE THE SAME PEOPLE ALWAYS VOLUNTEERING?

This is a frustration I see in congregations again and again: a lack of volunteers, with the same faithful people stepping up time and again.

If you are one of those faithful volunteers, Thank you! If you are a church worker or lay leader working hard to recruit volunteers, Thank you!

So, how can we address the volunteer challenge in our congregations? Let’s consider a few questions.

• What are we asking people to do? Is the request connected to an intentional, mission-aligned activity?
• Is the ask for an ongoing, seemingly never-ending responsibility? Could the task be broken into manageable commitments with a clear beginning and end?
• Does the event require a significant amount of energy to produce? Are we creating activity for activity sake rather than focusing our energy on intentional connections?
• How are we asking for volunteers? Are we relying on a blanket announcement or a note in the bulletin?
• Are we making personal invitations? Have we asked a specific individual to consider serving in a specific way?
• Who is doing the asking? Is the invitation coming from someone who communicates the purpose and value of the work, or someone who primarily expresses frustration about it?
• Does the request align with the individual’s gifts, interests, and abilities?
• Does the request pull them away from their family, or give them an opportunity to serve alongside their family?

We may never have all the volunteers or the level of engagement we desire. But perhaps we can improve the way we invite people to participate in the life and ministry of the congregation.

Consider the upcoming events, activities, and programs on your congregation’s calendar. Which are most important? Are there events or activities that remain on the schedule simply because “it’s what we have always done”? There is value in honoring longstanding traditions. But when volunteer engagement is a challenge, it is worth reevaluating the purpose of an event and considering whether it should continue in its current format. Taking an objective look at who you are as a ministry and the needs of your congregation and community today and into the future, can help you determine where your energy is best spent.

What if we narrowed our calendars to the activities most closely aligned with our mission and then made intentional, personal volunteer requests that fit the needs of each activity?

As we enter another busy season of congregational life, perhaps the answer to our volunteer challenges is not to add another announcement, create another program, or ask the same faithful people to do even more.

What can we intentionally focus on as a congregation and execute well?

Deb Jurchen serves the District as Congregational Consultant for Family Life Ministry. In this role, she will share articles and resources to encourage congregations to connect with and serve the families in their community.