A lot can go on during a Sunday church service. Whether it’s tech, photographers, singers in the worship band, welcome teams, etc. When it comes to getting all these things working and running, volunteers are a must-have. Volunteers can come in handy in almost every event, program, or for whatever your church may be having in the future. Especially during the holiday season with church programs and events.
While volunteers can come in handy, sometimes it’s hard to recruit them. You want volunteers with confidence in their ability to perform the task they will be working on. It doesn’t have to be difficult to recruit volunteers, and with the right platform and recruiting knowledge, it should be a piece of cake!
Have a Plan
It is important that future volunteers have a plan set in place that is easy to follow. Part of the confidence that volunteers have can come from a good plan set in place by church leaders and teams. The plan can include where the volunteers will be, and what their tasks are. It does not need to be long and complicated, but with a plan in place, it should be easy for your volunteers to feel confident in what they’re doing.
Be Clear
When you are working with people who have either never volunteered before or are long-term volunteers, you have to be clear with what they’re doing. Communication is key to many things in life – especially when working with others. Being unclear can cause confusion, and that can cause the event or program your volunteers are working on to not go as smoothly as you’d like. Even Sunday service volunteers need clear instruction on what they’re supposed to be doing, even if it’s as simple as opening doors for other church members. Always make sure your volunteers feel confident and capable while doing their jobs.
Time Management
Making sure that each volunteer gets enough time off as they work is important to make sure they don’t feel overwhelmed. Asking someone to be a volunteer can be tricky if you don’t explain to them how it will affect their time. Some people may think it will take up too much of their time, they will be scheduled too often, or that scheduling will be unpredictable. You can easily make a future volunteer feel comfortable with the idea when you explain that this is simply not the case. Be clear about scheduling, and make sure to take into account their own personal needs. This should make them feel confident in the idea of being a volunteer.
Offer Guidance
Many people are unsure of volunteering because the task is something they have never done. Offering guidance can give them the assurance they need in whatever job it is that they are going to do. Some volunteering is very simple, but for events, it can seem a bit more daunting. When you explain to someone the exact specifics and help guide them, they will know exactly where to be, at what time, and they will know what to do. This is guaranteed to make all the difference in their volunteering experience.
Appreciation
Now, recruiting volunteers is one thing, but making sure they stay motivated is another. When you show your volunteers appreciation for their hard work and time spent, they will most likely keep wanting to volunteer. By doing this, you are also helping grow your volunteer’s confidence. Showing someone appreciation can go a long way. When you show them appreciation, it can be a simple thank you, but in this circumstance, it doesn’t hurt to go beyond that. A small gift, a chat over cover, spending personal time with them, or anything like this. Simply going out of your way to show appreciation can mean so much to a volunteer who is going out of their way to serve others.
Conclusion
It can be difficult to recruit volunteers without some kind of clear instruction or plan. Yet when there is a clear plan like guidance and time management, you should be having volunteers coming to you looking for exciting opportunities! As someone who personally volunteers at my local church, I know that I have more confidence knowing that there is a plan for every Sunday, that my leaders communicate and guide me on exactly what I need to do. Also, I stay motivated when they take their time and show me appreciation for the work I do. Follow these tips to help recruit your volunteers with confidence!
