Have you ever heard a church leader say, “I wish I (didn’t) have as many volunteers”?
Me neither.
If God is the foundation the church is built upon, then volunteers are the bricks that form the building.
All church leaders wish they could get more volunteers for their ministries, but why is this such a problem for so many of them?
Being a pastor myself, I understand the stress that comes with not having the help I need in my church.
If multiple people say they can’t make it on a given week, our service to the community can be hindered.
But I’ve also found two simple ideas that have helped me over the years.
So, here are 2 Simple Ways to Get More Volunteers:
1. Start Praying With Your Eyes Wide Open
We need to know that God has placed the volunteers we need within the four walls of our church.
Just like God has called us to serve in our local fellowship, He has also provided all that the church needs to thrive.
The problem most church leaders have is that they pray for more volunteers without really looking around for them within their church.
If this is you, here are some steps to help:
- Write down every area in your ministry that needs more volunteers. (BE SPECIFIC)
- Now, set a regular time to pray for God to bring the volunteers you need while looking at the list you have created.
- Afterward, with these areas in mind, start keeping your “eyes wide open” for the right people in your church.
By intentionally making yourself focus on where you need help, God will start showing you people you never considered.
To recruit more volunteers, we can’t stand back and think God will do it all.
We have to use our focused, intentional eyes.
must read for any pastor
Read This Before Quitting
Are you a pastor on the verge of burn out and wanting to quit? This short fable will help you stay the course with renewed focus and energy.
“Matt is a young pastor, who after being at a church for a few years, is ready to quit the ministry all together. After meeting Steve, a retired pastor, Matt is asked Six Golden Questions that will change his life forever.”
2. Lower Your Standards
Before you stop reading, let me explain …
We all have high standards for our ministries, and that’s a good thing.
God has called us to do the best we can when it comes to His work.
But the problem comes when our standards are so high that no volunteer can reach them.
If we’re truly honest, most of us want volunteers who focus on our ministry above everything else.
We want them to be at every event, arrive one hour before church starts, and never take a day off.
We just don’t understand how any volunteer cannot be as passionate about our ministry as we are.
We forget that volunteers are just that … volunteers.
Church leaders tend to focus on their ministry so much, they forget that their ministry is just a small part of their volunteers’ lives.
Most volunteers have families, jobs, yards to mow, and hobbies they enjoy.
We tend to forget that this may be our life and/or job, but it isn’t our volunteers.
To know if you’re struggling with this, look back at the volunteers you’ve had in the past.
If most of them are not involved within your ministry anymore, here are a few things to consider moving forward:
- Try to give each volunteer at least one week off every month or two.
- Be more considerate when a volunteer calls off. Instead of giving them a guilt trip, remember you are their shepherd and ask how you can help.
- Start showing more concern for your volunteers, as people, than you do for your ministry.
Call to Action
Are you struggling to find volunteers?
Trying to do everything yourself to the point of burnout?
I encourage you to start with these two simple tips and see what God can do.
What Do You Think?
What about you?
Do you have another tip not mentioned?
Feel free to share in the comments section below!
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