1. Share the Vision for Christmas<\/strong><\/h3>\nRecruiting volunteers during the busy Christmas season is challenging because people have so many other personal and family commitments. Spend some time sharing the goal and vision for the Christmas season to help people, who may not have stepped up to volunteer before, understand the importance of getting involved and assisting the church reach those first-time visitors or guests of church members.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
2. Create a Streamlined Approval Process<\/strong><\/h3>\nIt\u2019s important to have a streamlined volunteer application and approval process during this busy time. The goal is to get as many people through the process as quickly as possible so you can increase the number of available volunteers to help. The process should include gathering all pertinent demographic and background information about the volunteer. Make sure you find out what skills and experiences they have that would help you target job placement.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
3. Background Checks<\/strong><\/h3>\nVolunteer background checks are an important step in managing volunteers, particularly if those volunteers work around or with children. Churches are legally responsible for children in their care, making it important to know whether a volunteer has a criminal background. You can\u2019t afford to miss this step.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
4. Targeted Job Assignment<\/strong><\/h3>\nConsider what job you assign each volunteer, particularly when you\u2019re managing an influx of new volunteers. Filling a hole with a warm body is not always the best way to get the job done in the way you want. For example, you may not want to put someone who isn\u2019t comfortable around children in the kid\u2019s church for the first time when you know you\u2019re busier than usual.<\/p>\n
![\"img_mouseover3asdf\"](\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/img_mouseover3asdf-300x225.jpg\")
![\"img_mouseover3\"](\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/img_mouseover3-300x225.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"img_mouseover3sdfg\"](\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/img_mouseover3sdfg.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"img_mouseover3cvb\"](\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/img_mouseover3cvb.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"img_mouseover3asfd\"](\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/img_mouseover3asfd.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"img_mouseover3fdsafe\"](\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/img_mouseover3fdsafe.jpg\")
<\/a>
\nMake your Christmas sermon preparations easy and beautiful! Sharefaith has\u00a0over 80,000 graphics, videos and templates for download! Starting at $17\/m billed annually. Start your free trial now<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
5. Equipped for Assigned Tasks<\/strong><\/h3>\nVolunteers give their time to help and make a difference. It\u2019s up to you to make sure they have what they need to do the job. Whether that\u2019s providing adequate supplies, working equipment or a uniform, make sure every volunteer has what they need to do the job successfully. For example, a volunteer in the parking ministry may need a working headset and radio. Make sure you have enough equipment, and it\u2019s in good working order.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
6. Adequate Training<\/strong><\/h3>\nPeople pay attention and judge a church based on the way volunteers interact and treat members, guests and visitors. Volunteers need thorough training on job assignments to ensure they\u2019re completing tasks within the scope of ministry guidelines. This may include setting a dress code and delineating specific behavior while serving in a volunteer capacity. Consistency in practice and the way you do things are what defines excellence.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
7. Reasonable Schedule<\/strong><\/h3>\nDespite the fact that there are countless things you need to do with sometimes not enough available people, it\u2019s important to consider the way you schedule volunteers. The Christmas season is a busy time of year for everyone, so take the time to create volunteer schedules that maximize availability yet not place an undue burden on your free labor. The last thing you want is for volunteers to hesitate about volunteering because they can\u2019t manage the time commitment. Remember these are volunteers\u2014free labor.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
8. Oversight<\/strong><\/h3>\nRegardless of the role a volunteer fills, oversight is important to ensure they feel supported. Someone should be available at all times to answer questions, resolve issues or troubleshoot the unexpected. Make sure volunteers understand the chain-of-command and know who to go to with questions.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
9. Thank You<\/strong><\/h3>\nFollowing a busy season, make sure you invest some time thanking volunteers for their help. Share information about attendance, reaction and success of Christmas-related events to help them recognize the part they played in pulling it off. Most people treasure a personalized handwritten note, so invest the time to show your gratitude.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
10. Feedback<\/strong><\/h3>\nConclude any season or event by soliciting feedback from the volunteers. This serves two purposes. The first provides valuable insight into the volunteer experience and allows you to learn from that experience. Ask them how to improve things for next year or the next event, and you\u2019re sure to walk away with action steps to incorporate into the planning process. The second benefit is that sharing thoughts and ideas validates volunteers and makes them feel like a valuable part of the team, and that\u2019s what engages them and keeps them involved.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Christmas is the time of year when Christians celebrate the birth of our Savior. We come together to share the story and its meaning with family, friends and strangers. In order to have a smooth operation at the church, it\u2019s vital to have an organized process to manage the influx of volunteers and those you\u2019ve come to depend on. A well-oiled system can help not only to get new people involved, but it also allows you to accomplish a lot of tasks that help to sustain and maintain that holy and magical season of Christmas we want to share with others.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Christmas and Easter are two of the busiest times of the year for churches. This is due in part to the reality that many people attend church only on these two days. Because of this increase in church attendance, there\u2019s more to do, and there\u2019s an increased need for help. Many churches do special things […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3562,"featured_media":13792,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[4154,4135,4141,4145],"tags":[1044,1904,1045],"class_list":{"0":"post-13789","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-church-resources-church-resources","8":"category-church-leadership","9":"category-church-ministry","10":"category-church-resources","11":"tag-church-volunteers","12":"tag-training-a-volunteer","13":"tag-using-volunteers-at-church"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogrouting.sharefaith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/JaI1BywIT5Or8Jfmci1E_zakopane.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n
How to Manage The Influx of Volunteers During the Busy Christmas Season - 10 Things to Consider When Managing Church Volunteers - Sharefaith Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sharefaithblog.wpengine.com\/2014\/12\/manage-influx-volunteers-busy-christmas-season-10-managing-church-volunteers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Manage The Influx of Volunteers During the Busy Christmas Season - 10 Things to Consider When Managing Church Volunteers - Sharefaith Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Christmas and Easter are two of the busiest times of the year for churches. This is due in part to the reality that many people attend church only on these two days. Because of this increase in church attendance, there\u2019s more to do, and there\u2019s an increased need for help. Many churches do special things […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sharefaithblog.wpengine.com\/2014\/12\/manage-influx-volunteers-busy-christmas-season-10-managing-church-volunteers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sharefaith Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SharefaithPage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-12-11T00:33:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2017-10-18T23:02:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blogrouting.sharefaith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/JaI1BywIT5Or8Jfmci1E_zakopane.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1050\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"532\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@sharefaith\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@sharefaith\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Sharefaith Magazine\",\"description\":\"The Best in Church Leadership, Worship, Tech and Gear!\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sharefaithblog.wpengine.com\/2014\/12\/manage-influx-volunteers-busy-christmas-season-10-managing-church-volunteers\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blogrouting.sharefaith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/JaI1BywIT5Or8Jfmci1E_zakopane.jpg\",\"width\":1050,\"height\":532,\"caption\":\"How to Manage The Influx of Volunteers During the Busy Christmas Season - 10 Things to Consider When Managing Church Volunteers\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sharefaithblog.wpengine.com\/2014\/12\/manage-influx-volunteers-busy-christmas-season-10-managing-church-volunteers\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sharefaithblog.wpengine.com\/2014\/12\/manage-influx-volunteers-busy-christmas-season-10-managing-church-volunteers\/\",\"name\":\"How to Manage The Influx of Volunteers During the Busy Christmas Season - 10 Things to Consider When Managing Church Volunteers - Sharefaith Magazine\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sharefaithblog.wpengine.com\/2014\/12\/manage-influx-volunteers-busy-christmas-season-10-managing-church-volunteers\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2014-12-11T00:33:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-10-18T23:02:44+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/07d9b52777c86b043b0d71dc2ed51777\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/sharefaithblog.wpengine.com\/2014\/12\/manage-influx-volunteers-busy-christmas-season-10-managing-church-volunteers\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/07d9b52777c86b043b0d71dc2ed51777\",\"name\":\"Patricia Lotich\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a9b8b6f2d078a03513ad03b623d825516244bd2f1bb43ec93a6c9318103bb266?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Patricia Lotich\"},\"description\":\"Patricia Lotich is the founder of Smart Church Management, a site devoted to providing free articles, tools and resources for those managing a church operation. Patricia has ten years of Business Administration and Church Operations experience and has a driving passion to help churches fulfill their call by managing the resources God has given them \\u2013 people, time and money. Follow Patricia on Twitter and Facebook\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9jHXE-3Ap","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13789","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3562"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13789"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13789\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13792"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13789"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13789"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13789"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
It\u2019s important to have a streamlined volunteer application and approval process during this busy time. The goal is to get as many people through the process as quickly as possible so you can increase the number of available volunteers to help. The process should include gathering all pertinent demographic and background information about the volunteer. Make sure you find out what skills and experiences they have that would help you target job placement.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
3. Background Checks<\/strong><\/h3>\nVolunteer background checks are an important step in managing volunteers, particularly if those volunteers work around or with children. Churches are legally responsible for children in their care, making it important to know whether a volunteer has a criminal background. You can\u2019t afford to miss this step.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
4. Targeted Job Assignment<\/strong><\/h3>\nConsider what job you assign each volunteer, particularly when you\u2019re managing an influx of new volunteers. Filling a hole with a warm body is not always the best way to get the job done in the way you want. For example, you may not want to put someone who isn\u2019t comfortable around children in the kid\u2019s church for the first time when you know you\u2019re busier than usual.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>
\nMake your Christmas sermon preparations easy and beautiful! Sharefaith has\u00a0over 80,000 graphics, videos and templates for download! Starting at $17\/m billed annually. Start your free trial now<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
5. Equipped for Assigned Tasks<\/strong><\/h3>\nVolunteers give their time to help and make a difference. It\u2019s up to you to make sure they have what they need to do the job. Whether that\u2019s providing adequate supplies, working equipment or a uniform, make sure every volunteer has what they need to do the job successfully. For example, a volunteer in the parking ministry may need a working headset and radio. Make sure you have enough equipment, and it\u2019s in good working order.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
6. Adequate Training<\/strong><\/h3>\nPeople pay attention and judge a church based on the way volunteers interact and treat members, guests and visitors. Volunteers need thorough training on job assignments to ensure they\u2019re completing tasks within the scope of ministry guidelines. This may include setting a dress code and delineating specific behavior while serving in a volunteer capacity. Consistency in practice and the way you do things are what defines excellence.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
7. Reasonable Schedule<\/strong><\/h3>\nDespite the fact that there are countless things you need to do with sometimes not enough available people, it\u2019s important to consider the way you schedule volunteers. The Christmas season is a busy time of year for everyone, so take the time to create volunteer schedules that maximize availability yet not place an undue burden on your free labor. The last thing you want is for volunteers to hesitate about volunteering because they can\u2019t manage the time commitment. Remember these are volunteers\u2014free labor.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
8. Oversight<\/strong><\/h3>\nRegardless of the role a volunteer fills, oversight is important to ensure they feel supported. Someone should be available at all times to answer questions, resolve issues or troubleshoot the unexpected. Make sure volunteers understand the chain-of-command and know who to go to with questions.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
9. Thank You<\/strong><\/h3>\nFollowing a busy season, make sure you invest some time thanking volunteers for their help. Share information about attendance, reaction and success of Christmas-related events to help them recognize the part they played in pulling it off. Most people treasure a personalized handwritten note, so invest the time to show your gratitude.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
10. Feedback<\/strong><\/h3>\nConclude any season or event by soliciting feedback from the volunteers. This serves two purposes. The first provides valuable insight into the volunteer experience and allows you to learn from that experience. Ask them how to improve things for next year or the next event, and you\u2019re sure to walk away with action steps to incorporate into the planning process. The second benefit is that sharing thoughts and ideas validates volunteers and makes them feel like a valuable part of the team, and that\u2019s what engages them and keeps them involved.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Christmas is the time of year when Christians celebrate the birth of our Savior. We come together to share the story and its meaning with family, friends and strangers. In order to have a smooth operation at the church, it\u2019s vital to have an organized process to manage the influx of volunteers and those you\u2019ve come to depend on. A well-oiled system can help not only to get new people involved, but it also allows you to accomplish a lot of tasks that help to sustain and maintain that holy and magical season of Christmas we want to share with others.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Christmas and Easter are two of the busiest times of the year for churches. This is due in part to the reality that many people attend church only on these two days. Because of this increase in church attendance, there\u2019s more to do, and there\u2019s an increased need for help. Many churches do special things […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3562,"featured_media":13792,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[4154,4135,4141,4145],"tags":[1044,1904,1045],"class_list":{"0":"post-13789","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-church-resources-church-resources","8":"category-church-leadership","9":"category-church-ministry","10":"category-church-resources","11":"tag-church-volunteers","12":"tag-training-a-volunteer","13":"tag-using-volunteers-at-church"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogrouting.sharefaith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/JaI1BywIT5Or8Jfmci1E_zakopane.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n
How to Manage The Influx of Volunteers During the Busy Christmas Season - 10 Things to Consider When Managing Church Volunteers - Sharefaith Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sharefaithblog.wpengine.com\/2014\/12\/manage-influx-volunteers-busy-christmas-season-10-managing-church-volunteers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Manage The Influx of Volunteers During the Busy Christmas Season - 10 Things to Consider When Managing Church Volunteers - Sharefaith Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Christmas and Easter are two of the busiest times of the year for churches. This is due in part to the reality that many people attend church only on these two days. Because of this increase in church attendance, there\u2019s more to do, and there\u2019s an increased need for help. Many churches do special things […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sharefaithblog.wpengine.com\/2014\/12\/manage-influx-volunteers-busy-christmas-season-10-managing-church-volunteers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sharefaith Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SharefaithPage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-12-11T00:33:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2017-10-18T23:02:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blogrouting.sharefaith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/JaI1BywIT5Or8Jfmci1E_zakopane.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1050\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"532\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@sharefaith\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@sharefaith\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Sharefaith Magazine\",\"description\":\"The Best in Church Leadership, Worship, Tech and Gear!\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sharefaithblog.wpengine.com\/2014\/12\/manage-influx-volunteers-busy-christmas-season-10-managing-church-volunteers\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blogrouting.sharefaith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/JaI1BywIT5Or8Jfmci1E_zakopane.jpg\",\"width\":1050,\"height\":532,\"caption\":\"How to Manage The Influx of Volunteers During the Busy Christmas Season - 10 Things to Consider When Managing Church Volunteers\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sharefaithblog.wpengine.com\/2014\/12\/manage-influx-volunteers-busy-christmas-season-10-managing-church-volunteers\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sharefaithblog.wpengine.com\/2014\/12\/manage-influx-volunteers-busy-christmas-season-10-managing-church-volunteers\/\",\"name\":\"How to Manage The Influx of Volunteers During the Busy Christmas Season - 10 Things to Consider When Managing Church Volunteers - Sharefaith Magazine\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sharefaithblog.wpengine.com\/2014\/12\/manage-influx-volunteers-busy-christmas-season-10-managing-church-volunteers\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2014-12-11T00:33:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-10-18T23:02:44+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/07d9b52777c86b043b0d71dc2ed51777\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/sharefaithblog.wpengine.com\/2014\/12\/manage-influx-volunteers-busy-christmas-season-10-managing-church-volunteers\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/07d9b52777c86b043b0d71dc2ed51777\",\"name\":\"Patricia Lotich\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a9b8b6f2d078a03513ad03b623d825516244bd2f1bb43ec93a6c9318103bb266?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Patricia Lotich\"},\"description\":\"Patricia Lotich is the founder of Smart Church Management, a site devoted to providing free articles, tools and resources for those managing a church operation. Patricia has ten years of Business Administration and Church Operations experience and has a driving passion to help churches fulfill their call by managing the resources God has given them \\u2013 people, time and money. Follow Patricia on Twitter and Facebook\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9jHXE-3Ap","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13789","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3562"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13789"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13789\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13792"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13789"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13789"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13789"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Consider what job you assign each volunteer, particularly when you\u2019re managing an influx of new volunteers. Filling a hole with a warm body is not always the best way to get the job done in the way you want. For example, you may not want to put someone who isn\u2019t comfortable around children in the kid\u2019s church for the first time when you know you\u2019re busier than usual.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Volunteers give their time to help and make a difference. It\u2019s up to you to make sure they have what they need to do the job. Whether that\u2019s providing adequate supplies, working equipment or a uniform, make sure every volunteer has what they need to do the job successfully. For example, a volunteer in the parking ministry may need a working headset and radio. Make sure you have enough equipment, and it\u2019s in good working order.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n People pay attention and judge a church based on the way volunteers interact and treat members, guests and visitors. Volunteers need thorough training on job assignments to ensure they\u2019re completing tasks within the scope of ministry guidelines. This may include setting a dress code and delineating specific behavior while serving in a volunteer capacity. Consistency in practice and the way you do things are what defines excellence.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Despite the fact that there are countless things you need to do with sometimes not enough available people, it\u2019s important to consider the way you schedule volunteers. The Christmas season is a busy time of year for everyone, so take the time to create volunteer schedules that maximize availability yet not place an undue burden on your free labor. The last thing you want is for volunteers to hesitate about volunteering because they can\u2019t manage the time commitment. Remember these are volunteers\u2014free labor.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Regardless of the role a volunteer fills, oversight is important to ensure they feel supported. Someone should be available at all times to answer questions, resolve issues or troubleshoot the unexpected. Make sure volunteers understand the chain-of-command and know who to go to with questions.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Following a busy season, make sure you invest some time thanking volunteers for their help. Share information about attendance, reaction and success of Christmas-related events to help them recognize the part they played in pulling it off. Most people treasure a personalized handwritten note, so invest the time to show your gratitude.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Conclude any season or event by soliciting feedback from the volunteers. This serves two purposes. The first provides valuable insight into the volunteer experience and allows you to learn from that experience. Ask them how to improve things for next year or the next event, and you\u2019re sure to walk away with action steps to incorporate into the planning process. The second benefit is that sharing thoughts and ideas validates volunteers and makes them feel like a valuable part of the team, and that\u2019s what engages them and keeps them involved.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Christmas is the time of year when Christians celebrate the birth of our Savior. We come together to share the story and its meaning with family, friends and strangers. In order to have a smooth operation at the church, it\u2019s vital to have an organized process to manage the influx of volunteers and those you\u2019ve come to depend on. A well-oiled system can help not only to get new people involved, but it also allows you to accomplish a lot of tasks that help to sustain and maintain that holy and magical season of Christmas we want to share with others.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Christmas and Easter are two of the busiest times of the year for churches. This is due in part to the reality that many people attend church only on these two days. Because of this increase in church attendance, there\u2019s more to do, and there\u2019s an increased need for help. Many churches do special things […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3562,"featured_media":13792,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[4154,4135,4141,4145],"tags":[1044,1904,1045],"class_list":{"0":"post-13789","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-church-resources-church-resources","8":"category-church-leadership","9":"category-church-ministry","10":"category-church-resources","11":"tag-church-volunteers","12":"tag-training-a-volunteer","13":"tag-using-volunteers-at-church"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogrouting.sharefaith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/JaI1BywIT5Or8Jfmci1E_zakopane.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>
\nMake your Christmas sermon preparations easy and beautiful! Sharefaith has\u00a0over 80,000 graphics, videos and templates for download! Starting at $17\/m billed annually. Start your free trial now<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n5. Equipped for Assigned Tasks<\/strong><\/h3>\n
6. Adequate Training<\/strong><\/h3>\n
7. Reasonable Schedule<\/strong><\/h3>\n
8. Oversight<\/strong><\/h3>\n
9. Thank You<\/strong><\/h3>\n
10. Feedback<\/strong><\/h3>\n