In this episode, Pastor Rick Vinson shares on working with volunteers. Smaller churches in particular rely on a lot of volunteers. If you don’t have the resources to pay for the different ministry positions yet, then you will need to focus on recruiting volunteers. There are ways to compensate the volunteer staff other than a salary where they will feel appreciated, for example receiving a special love offering for them. Do as much as you can to honor them and show your appreciation to them. Begin praying earnestly for God to send workers and volunteer staff to your church now. Many times the Lord draws people specifically to your church who will be an answer to your prayer. As pastors, we need to be keen observers, identifying people and the giftings God has placed in them, and helping them cultivate and use those giftings. This is a great responsibility. Also, there are many who feel unworthy and incompetent when it comes to serving in church. We as pastors need to let them know why we have confidence in them, and point out their specific attributes and skills. This will give them the affirmation and desire to want to serve as you recognize the gifting in them. Next, you need to give them authorization and endorse them as a hard-working volunteer. It is important for them to know that they will be accountable to you as their pastor who assigns their duties and works together with them, versus a committee or board. Motivation, support and incentives are what volunteer staff needs. For example, let them set their hours for volunteering that work well with their full-time job. Give them titles for the volunteer positions and a realistic job description that is fashioned and tailored for their strengths, along with reasonable goals they can accomplish. The job description needs to be one that helps them to succeed. Invest in their growth with continuing education. This is another way for you to compensate them, for example paying for them to attend a conference. Trust them and let them make some mistakes. The church needs to be a safe place for people to grow and learn. We all want excellence but it needs to be balanced so the staff can learn and grow. We need to be able to show grace and mercy. If they make a mistake, you can then point out how to correct it. As a part of growing a staff, empower them and point them to Jesus Who is the head of the church, and connect their job to the entire vision of the whole church. You can’t allow your staff members to separate their ministries from the whole church. They can’t build a wall around their department, and think that nobody else can touch it. They need to have the vision of the whole church and the entire Body of Christ. Encourage and build up the volunteer staff, show them appreciation, celebrate them, applaud them, send hand-written notes, commend the volunteers and invite them to a staff meeting. It is so important to meet with the ministry staff on a regular basis so that you can celebrate their accomplishments and allow them to talk, ask questions and present challenges they may be facing. As a pastor, you need to shield and protect your staff from complaints. Make it clear to any person who complains that the staff member answers to you as the pastor. If you need to discipline someone or address a situation, do it privately and respectfully, as it says in 1 Timothy 5:1-2. Challenge your volunteer staff to grow, maximize their efforts, grow in the ministry that God has given them and walk in unity. When a church staff functions in unity and love as they go about their labors, the result is a powerful testimony to the kingdom of God. Send us Fan Mail
