3 ways to make time for your volunteers

It’s funny how we can become so busy doing tasks in ministry that we end up not having much time for, well, people… read on.

In Today’s Email

1. 3 Ways to Make Time for Volunteers

2. RETREAT + COFFEE = $250 OFF

3. J. Oswald Sanders on True Leadership

3 Ways to Make Time for Volunteers

Volunteers are a true gift. Each week people who love Jesus spend time practicing their gifts to show up and join with you in your calling to lead others into a time of corporate worship.

It’s easy to forget just how vital our volunteers are to the work that the Lord is doing. 

Because we spend time coordinating weekend services with our volunteers, communicating things like song selection, roadmaps, chord changes, etc, it’s easy to feel as though we have really connected with them.

The reality is that it is easier than we think to “miss” our volunteers. 

If we miss opportunities to engage our volunteers, to learn and understand them, to encourage and support them, they may end up feeling like a means to an end or a cog in the wheel.

We all want ministry teams that are bought in. We want them all in on the Gospel, first and foremost. We also want them all in when it comes to their service and to their participation on the team.

But that won’t happen without trust. It won’t happen without relational equity. It won’t happen without them feeling like they belong.

And none of these things can happen if they feel disconnected from you.

So, how much of you do your volunteers get? Would you say that you volunteers feel cared for by you?

I think all of us would feel disappointed to a degree if we spent all of our energy at the church investing in those who fill the seats all the while missing the very ones on our team who need truth, encouragement, challenge, care, and support. 

Somehow, so many of us are challenged each and every week with so many things to do that to make time for volunteers seems challenging. (Props to you if you have this figured out…)

So, what can we do to make sure that we are growing our relationships with our volunteers? What can we do to make them feel seen, heard, and like they belong?

You obviously want to love on and care for your team. Here are three ideas for you as you think about it this week to make it happen:

1. Time Block

Because meetings with volunteers don’t always feel “measurable”, they often get squeezed out of our calendars by things that show some progress - whether that’s towards services, events, etc.

To combat this, one suggestion for you is to block out 30 - 60 minutes of your week just to check in on your volunteer team.

This could look like a Tuesday morning, locked in your office from 9:00-9:45, firing texts and calls. Your calendar is blocked out - this is an immovable meeting. This would go miles for your team.

2. Visualize Your Team

At any given moment throughout the week, your brain is processing an endless amount of creative thoughts and decisions that feel urgent. When this happens, it’s hard to keep your relationships with volunteers front of mind.

One way to help with this is to make your team “visible.” There are couple of ways to do this.

One - create a google sheet or a note or something open on your computer that just shows you your team. Even glancing at the names of your volunteers reminds you that… a) they exist and b) they would love to hear from you.

In that document, keep track of your interactions with them. When was the last time you checked in? What are they dealing with personally? How can you pray for them?

Two - actually visualize them! I’ve seen a worship pastor who has a polaroid picture of everyone on the volunteer team in their office. This guarantees that the team gets literally seen. And if they are seen, it is much easier to keep them front of mind.

3. Coffee Blocks

It is unrealistic to meet with every member of your team one on one regularly. One way to make yourself available to your team without overwhelming yourself is to do a regular “coffee block.”

Hole up in a coffee shop to work for a certain window of a day and invite your volunteers to come through.

I have friends that started this in a local coffee shop and the coffee shop became a revolving door for creatives. They chose a regular time that they would be at the coffee shop and opened it up for anyone to come through.

This could be a fun, low pressure way for you to get to know your volunteers better.

Bonus points if you can carve out some cash in your worship budget to pay for coffees!

These are just a few ways to keep your relationships with your volunteers front of mind. However you decide to do this, just know that is it critical for the health and longevity of your team that they feel seen by you as their leader!

RETREAT + COFFEE = $250 OFF

We would LOVE to be your church’s COFFEE SUPPLIER!

We brew our own Likewise Coffee and our partnerships with churches and businesses help us fund Likewise GO! Which you can check out here.

Fill out this form to get more information. We’d love to put your church in contact with our roaster!

If your church brings us on as a coffee supplier, we’ll waive your registration fee for this year’s retreat ($250)!

J. Oswald Sanders on True Leadership

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