Hello!

Our volunteers at Sound Life Church mean a lot to all of us on the staff. The questions I have had to most commonly ask myself is: “How do we recruit, train, and retain a group of volunteers?” I’m going to warn you from the beginning, I don’t have this all figured out yet, but I do have some observations that I would like to share with you.

This week we’re going to discuss the first step in volunteer recruitment: asking for help. I know, it sounds ridiculous, but too many people (wrongly) assume that the perfect volunteers will just show up out of the blue begging to be a part of your team. You have to invite them first! When asking for help, remember that the word is “volunteer” not “volun-told.” People, in my experience, dislike being ordered around like robots. So, when you ask, use words like “Would you be able to…” and “Would you be willing…” Don’t say things like “Hey! You’ve got two arms and a strong back! Stack those chairs!” It doesn’t work. Incidentally, when asking for help from someone with a specific skill set or trade, make sure you are clear on exactly what you need accomplished. Many people are willing to offer their expertise, but don’t want to turn a volunteer ministry experience into something that reminds them of their day job. So, if you need wrenches turned, wires spliced, or cabinets installed, make it clear that you are willing to work alongside them, learn about their trade, and do the cleanup part for or with them. The keys here are listen, learn, and participate. You’re asking for expert help, not general labor.

In the end, all we are asking for is time they are already willing to give. Remember, it truly is not what you say, but how you say it. I just want to take a moment to thank all the volunteers that have offered their time and expertise to the Ministry Services team over the last two years. Thanks for your expertise, friendship and passion for service! Over the next couple of posts, I’ll write about volunteer training and retention. In the meantime, ask yourself two questions:

1. Where can I serve?

2. Who can I invite to serve with me?