The keys to volunteer recruitment
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Part of the conductor's role is to set the spirit of the church. Pay personal attention to the areas that matter, where the vision is being worked out through gifted people. Here are some realities to remember when recruiting volunteers.
• Recruiting volunteers is a never-ending job. In most smaller churches, the pastor is a team of one responsible for recruiting. Help is there in larger churches through recruitment teams or leadership development ministries, but you can't just hope people will volunteer. Keep the conductor's hat nearby.
• Make the steps or process to serve in your church simple and clear. Church leaders think people in the congregation understand how to get involved in a ministry, but church people have no idea how to get involved. You must show them how.
• A tiny percentage of people come and volunteer their service. An average person feels unqualified to do spiritual work. Others learned from past experience that volunteering for a task often turns into a lifetime assignment. Help them understand they're called to ministry. Invite them to join you in God's work—his mission on earth.
• Busyness in life has increased.Most people can give you only two to three hours a week of time in addition to Sunday worship attendance. Between jobs, home, and outside activities, a working couple can easily be busy one hundred hours a week. They aren't less committed, just selective. Use their time wisely.
• Treat your volunteer teams well. People who give three or more hours a week volunteering at your church become unpaid staff. Take care of them.
• The larger the group, the more difficult it is to recruit volunteers. Think of your church as a congregation of small groups, classes, or other smaller gatherings. Use these smaller groups as a base for recruiting. Face-to-face groups are a source of volunteers in every church.
• Ministry is a partnership. As conductor, you are not a boss, and your people are not your employees. The people who serve in your church are your partners. Treat them that way!
• Show people you care about them.The more people-oriented you are, rather than program-oriented, the easier it is to recruit and motivate others.
Excerpted fromThe 10 Key Roles of a Pastor: Proven Practices for Balancing the Demands of Leading Your Church, by Gary L. McIntosh, Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, June 8, 2021. Used by permission.
 | Gary L. McIntosh (PhD, DMin, Fuller Theological Seminary) is president of the Church Growth Network and professor of Christian ministry and leadership at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. He is an internationally known speaker and church consultant who has written more than 25 books, including his most recent book, The Solo Pastor: Understanding and Overcoming the Challenges of Leading a Church Alone. He lives in California. Learn More » |
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