Working day–after–day with people, especially volunteers, those who make up the workers in God’s Church can be a challenge. At times a daunting challenge People are like an engine. Engines as we know, need constant maintenance and periodic tune-ups to run smoothly. Its the same with organizations made up largely of “people volunteers.”
Keeping a group of volunteer workers tuned and running smoothly can be one of the biggest challenges church leadership will ever face.
How do you get the engine started, and keep it running smoothly? A good question for leaders and shepherds of God’s flock. Start... with the mindset that you are working with separate parts, much like assembling the parts of an engine. Start with a vision, one always anchored in the Word of God.
Time has to be spent with people... sharing the vision and what the church’s ministry is all about. Share your passion for ministry and what the potential can be with input from the volunteers. People are busy, but if they believe they can be part of something that matters, they will find the time to serve. Communicate that what everyone is doing in working for the mission of the church is God’s work, following God’s master agenda and not to be done for personal gain or recognition.
The key is to communicate, communicate and then communicate some more. Consider the following “six” words that often trip up our efforts to facilitate a well lubricated engine of volunteers in administering the work of the church. See if they don’t resonate with some of your experiences in working with volunteers within the church.
1) Availability
We often settle for what or who’s available to fill a needed job or activity. What or who’s available isn’t always good or even acceptably sufficient for God’s work. Because it, or he or she was there or available, is an okay reason to maybe climb a mountain, but not a very good reason to put just anyone in charge of a job or task, especially in the Church... the body of Christ. We must always balance the selection of volunteers on the standards of God, and not simply the expediency of getting the slots (jobs) filled.
2) Ignorance
If we don’t know how to make something work, we simply won’t, and we will fail through inaction. If we don’t know how to do something, discerning that it is possible with the right people, we won’t bother attempting it. All too often, we literally do not know any better than to sit on our hands and do nothing. Afraid to fail, so let’s just do nothing and we won’t be seen as failing. We manage in our minds to define and defend the “results” as “success” because we didn’t risk anything. Remember, no risk – no reward, no gain, no progress, no achievement. With God, all things are possible and our reluctance and ignorance are never acceptable excuses.
3) Committees
Nothing destroys a good idea faster than a mandatory consensus. The mantra of... Get everyone onboard, get the “stakeholders” to buy-in and then we’ll be successful with our initiative, is almost always a flawed strategy that leads to inaction and failure. The lowest common denominator is never a high standard, can never be equated to God’s standard and always one of the leading guideposts of mediocrity. Plan with a few enthusiasts... execute with many. Lead the way with enthusiasm and the naysayers will fall into line.
4) Comfort
Why pursue great things for God when you’ve already got 324 channels and a recliner? Isn’t He already satisfied with what we’ve accomplished? Forget about any grand plans until God sends you an email with specific instructions on what to do and how to do it. Relax, stay safe and comfortable while the world passes you by. The “comfort-zone” acts like a set of blinders to what God is attempting to do through you for His Kingdom!
5) Momentum
If you’ve been doing what you’re doing for years and it’s not-so-great, and not much has changed, then you are in a real deep rut. Many people refer to these ruts as a career. God does not expect leaders to seek comfort or hide out in a rut of mediocrity.
6) Passivity
There’s a difference between being agreeable and agreeing to everything. Trust the little internal voice that tells you, “this is a not so good idea.” It just might be your wisdom speaking, gained from a life of being in the Word and walking with the Lord. Listen, pay attention to your inner thoughts, sharpened and honed over time by the Word of God. God has never been “passive” nor can His people be that way. It may sound like a cliche, you are either moving forward or shrinking back... there’s no standing still or sitting comfortably in the bleachers in serving the Lord.
Remember, it’s not about filling the needs with warm bodies, because someone raised their hand and volunteered. Don’t misunderstand me, God designed HIS organization to be made up of a vast army of volunteers. To be useful in God’s Kingdom we have to find the passion within ourselves, always augmented by the right skills for the right job. The leaders who guide us need to be able to draw that passion from us and guide it to effective use to fill the needs of the local congregation.
It’s about aspiring to organize by Godly standards that motivate a desire for excellence from the volunteers who do commit their resources and skills to serving the needs of God’s Church.
It’s about preparing the volunteers to be used by God to do the most important thing in the world... attracting the lost to life giving message of the Gospel. Prepare and manage every aspect of His House of Worship, including all outreach initiatives, always bearing in mind that God wants the best in our efforts. Help others to understand the significance of the mission, and the passion and enthusiasm will follow!
