Product Details
Explore ways to get and keep volunteers—a problem most ministries face, regardless of the ministry’s size and scope.
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Guests: A. Trevor Sutton. Trevor is a pastor and writer living in Lansing, MI, where his diverse congregation spans two campuses—one that’s urban and one in the suburbs—and speakers of an interesting variety of languages.
Introduction: Explore ways to get and keep volunteers—a problem most ministries face, regardless of the ministry’s size and scope.
Show Notes:
- Frustration of getting and keeping volunteers (tip of ICEBERG)
- How and where to find them
- Same people all the time
- Complicated network of issues that arise (the tip of the iceberg): fear, capability, busyness, details, end date, appreciation, previous experiences
- Testing people’s assumptions—are the assumptions really true?
- How to get to the root of the struggle: play the WHY game (Toyota’s approach)
- Pyramid approach
- Least effective ways to ask
- Broad approach: announcement in church or newsletter or email
- Generic
- Most effective ways to ask
- Narrow or focused approach
- Personal, use a template but add a personal greeting
- One-on-one conversation
- Matching your approach to the level of engagement
- Least effective ways to ask
- Know your people—does the person’s passion or situation match the volunteer need?
- How to keep and support the volunteers you get
- Think of getting them as the beginning, not the end!
- Train them to retain them
- Keep in touch: What can I do to help you serve and encourage you?
- Celebrate them—tangible memento in conjunction with a meal
- Give opportunities to conclude their service
- How to raise up volunteers
- Leadership pathway for future leaders
- like a “farm” league
- women’s and men’s small groups
- once per month for ten months: conversation, books, prayerfully leadership might lead
- Getting to know them well during this experience
- Leadership pathway for future leaders
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Serving with a Heart like Jesus book
- Who, what, where, how, and why Jesus served
- Encouragement: giving thanks for and celebrating volunteers
- A mix of people who serve: known and unknown, big and small ways, variety of gifts
- Other thoughts
- When it’s a good fit and a Spirit-led situation, it works!
- Scripture—what does service look like biblically?
- Ask other ministries—share wisdom and best practices
Resources:
- Serving with a Heart like Jesus softcover book (Item #SHJ23SC)—click the "notify me” button
- CTA’s Focus on Leadership with Dr. Adam Bowers:
- Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service by Disney Institute with Theodore Kinni
