Volunteers give of their time to help a church fulfill its\u00a0mission. Successful volunteer programs are able to create a positive experience by providing structure and support for the volunteer and their job assignments. People who donate their time come to the role with an expectation of having a positive experience.\u00a0 Good volunteer management\u00a0incorporates many things that contribute to a positive experience for the volunteer.<\/p>\n
Everyone appreciates organized systems and processes because they make our lives easier.\u00a0We have all had the experience of going to a service provider only to witness the clerk behind the desk buried under piles of paper and can\u2019t seem to find the paperwork for your visit. Or going to a lender to sign loan papers and the employee frantically digs pieces of paper from here and there trying to gather all of the documents.\u00a0This kind of disorder frustrates everyone and doesn\u2019t elicit confidence in the process.<\/p>\n
Maintain organized systems behind the scenes to create positive processes for volunteers.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are smart.\u00a0If your church is disorganized in the places they can see, they will assume it is even worse behind the scenes.\u201d \u00a0Andy Stanley, andystanley.com<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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2. Use Volunteer Time Wisely<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Volunteers generously give of their discretionary time and want to use that time wisely.\u00a0When volunteers show up for a scheduled shift, they want to be productive and make their time count. This requires ensuring there are enough people to do a project but also that there are enough job tasks to keep those people busy.\u00a0Provide detailed job descriptions so volunteers know what to do and inform them of the approximate time it will take to complete the task.<\/p>\n
Overestimating or underestimating the time it will take to accomplish a task can result in a negative experience. However, if you error on the side of overestimating the time needed, volunteers may finish sooner than expected and have the option of going home early.\u00a0When things take longer than planned it can conflict with other commitments volunteers have and possibly make them think twice the next time an opportunity to help is presented to them.<\/p>\n
For example, three volunteers have been recruited to plant flowers around the church campus.\u00a0 They are asked to show up to help from 9:00 am to noon.\u00a0 When they arrive, it\u2019s important to have someone there waiting for them with all the supplies (plants, gloves, hand shovel, mulch, etc.) staged and ready to go.<\/p>\n
If the volunteers show up and no one is there to greet them it could result in wasting valuable (free labor) time.\u00a0However, when volunteers are eagerly greeted and put to work upon arrival they benefit from the satisfaction that comes with accomplishing something significant for the church.\u00a0 Hence \u2013 a good use of their time!<\/p>\n
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3. Provide Clear Expectations<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Volunteers are very much like employees in that when they come to work they want to know what is expected of them.\u00a0 The more clear the direction the more comfortable the volunteer will be in completing their assigned tasks. For example, a volunteer might be assigned to empty trash cans during a church event.<\/p>\n
Vague expectations:<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re assigned to emptying the trash cans\u201d.<\/p>\n
Clear expectations:<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re assigned to emptying the trash cans around the campus.\u00a0 There are 15 cans located here (show on map)<\/i>.\u00a0 Please empty them once an hour and take the full bags of trash to the dumpster on the back side of the building (show on map<\/em>).\u00a0 The trash bags and gloves are located in the janitor\u2019s closet (show on map)<\/i>.\u00a0 If you have any questions or perhaps need help with a heavy can please go to the information booth and have them radio the set-up team leader whose name is Jack.\u00a0 Do you have any questions?\u201d<\/p>\n
The more detail you can provide the better.\u00a0 It answers their questions before they think to ask them and it eliminates being asked the same questions by multiple people during an event.\u00a0 A clear job description, training on job duties and a mentor (go to person) are crucial to this.<\/p>\n
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4. Provide Detailed Job Training<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Whether a volunteer is scheduled to work in the nursery, as an usher or greeting guests there needs to be training to do their job tasks. This includes a global understanding of the church, specific departmental training and lastly job specific training.\u00a0 All three areas should be covered to ensure the volunteer is comfortable performing their job duties.<\/p>\n
For example, if a volunteer is scheduled to work in the nursery, they will need training on sanitation procedures, drop off\/pick up procedures, child discipline protocol, and emergency response before they begin their first shift. Detailed training helps volunteers feel confident in completing their job duties and fosters a positive worker experience.<\/p>\n
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5. Invite Volunteer Ideas<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Church volunteers are people who are committed to the organization and its mission.\u00a0Because of this passion, they have a vested interest in the systems and processes that make church happen.\u00a0 Allowing volunteers to share thoughts, ideas and opinions helps them feel valued and keeps them engaged.<\/p>\n
For example, volunteers often have great ideas for improvement. If a volunteer works in the nursery and is given the opportunity to offer suggestions on how to improve how the children are ministered to, they feel valued and involved in the organization.<\/p>\n
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6. Show Volunteer Appreciation<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Volunteers donate many hours of free labor and like to be shown appreciation for their contributions. An occasional thank you goes a long, long way in showing someone that their efforts have been recognized and are appreciated. There are also countless formal ways to recognize and reward volunteers.\u00a0 Invest time and dollars into making volunteers feel appreciated.<\/p>\n
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7. Demonstrate Care for Them<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Whether the volunteer is new to the church or has been around for a while, everyone wants to know they are cared about on a personal level.\u00a0Volunteers love when church leadership takes an interest in them and encourages them to talk about their family and personal lives.\u00a0This sense of belonging fosters relationships that are invaluable in times of personal crisis.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
8. Commit To Consistent Communication<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Volunteers appreciate consistent flows of information. This is achieved by creating a predictable and consistent communication process so volunteers know\u00a0when<\/strong>\u00a0to expect\u00a0what<\/strong>\u00a0kinds of information. For example, volunteer schedules can be done monthly, quarterly or annually \u2013 it doesn\u2019t matter.\u00a0 What does matter is ensuring that the volunteer knows when to expect the schedule in the mail.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
9. Fix What\u2019s Broken<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Volunteers are the hands and feet of the church and have a good understanding of what is working and what is not.\u00a0 These workers should be given the opportunity to point out areas that may need to be fixed and be given the assurance that it will be.<\/p>\n
For example, a volunteer in the parking ministry may use radio headsets to communicate to each other.\u00a0 If a worker points out that some of the equipment is malfunctioning, they should be assured that it will be fixed within a reasonable amount of time.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
10. Maintain a Professional Environment<\/strong><\/h3>\n
The credibility of a church is built on its ability to create and maintain a professional environment.\u00a0 Volunteers enjoy helping an organization that takes pride in everything that it does.\u00a0 Churches that are committed to quality by continually improving their systems and processes, strive, not for perfection, but professionalism \u2013 which everyone appreciates.<\/p>\n
Volunteer labor is the engine of the church.\u00a0 Anticipating volunteer needs in exchange for their time commitment is an important step in making sure they have a great experience.\u00a0 One way to do this is to simply ask volunteers how the organization can improve their experience.\u00a0Creating a great experience for this valuable group of people can go a long way in recruiting and retaining a church\u2019s free labor force.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Volunteers give of their time to help a church fulfill its\u00a0mission. Successful volunteer programs are able to create a positive experience by providing structure and support for the volunteer and their job assignments. People who donate their time come to the role with an expectation of having a positive experience.\u00a0 Good volunteer management\u00a0incorporates many things […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3562,"featured_media":14041,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[4135,4141],"tags":[1915,1044,1904,1857],"class_list":{"0":"post-14035","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-church-leadership","8":"category-church-ministry","9":"tag-church-management","10":"tag-church-volunteers","11":"tag-training-a-volunteer","12":"tag-volunteers"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogrouting.sharefaith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/volunteers.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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