Volunteer appreciation is a term that gets thrown around a lot.  You know you need to appreciate your volunteers, but some children’s leaders forget what it means.  That’s what I want to address today.

Appreciating your volunteers is important, especially in younger generations like mine.  We like to know that we’re really being helpful and doing good.  It’s important to us in any area of life.  There’s an issue though.  In a lot of ministries, “volunteer appreciation” means a sheet of paper that says “You’re a lifesaver!” with a mint in the middle.  The thought is appreciated, but it usually doesn’t mean much.

When was the last time you shot off a phone call or email to a volunteer just to say, “Thanks for changing the life of a child”?   Better yet, when is the last time you took your volunteer to lunch just to say thank you?  Make volunteer appreciation more than a cheesy candy gift.  Make it something real- something a volunteer can walk away from and feel encouraged and cared for.  Make it personal.

This week on the blog, we’re all writing about our favorite resource for summer events.  Mine is a little bit of a “different” resource to consider.

This evening I was reading through my devotional book I read every night, Extreme Devotion.  (It’s really great, and you can check it out by clicking its picture to the left.)  Today’s devotion was about a missionary who went to Korea in the 1800s with a Korean Bible in tow.  The missionary was killed before he ever spoke to a single Korean.  However, his Bible is still read today by Christians in the restricted nation of North Korea.  Over 150 years later, his action and subsequent death are still a testimony to Korean Christians.

You know what’s so cool about that?  He had nothing to do with the growth but planting the seed.  It’s kind of like he planted a garden then had to move away, so someone else started tending it.  That’s where the parallel comes in.

Sometimes (no, most of the time) we have trouble letting go of our “gardens”.  You know them: the ministries, events, duties, etc. that you’ve always done.  It might be camp, VBS, summer outreaches, or whatever you may do.  It’s your baby and you don’t want to let it go.  The thing is, sometimes in order for it to really grow, you need to let go of it.

The death of any great ministry can be a leader who won’t let go.  It’s just like a parent who won’t let go of their child once they’re out on their own.  God has put volunteers in your church specifically so you can let go.  I appreciate being able to serve under a children’s pastor like Ryan, who’s willing to let go of these projects when he can.  For instance, a good portion of our VBS planning has been handed off to one of our best volunteers, Carol, for several years now.  There was an opportunity to let go, and he took it.  It’s helped both Ryan and our VBS in the long run having someone with the resources necessary to really invest in the ministry.  He recognized that a volunteer was put in his path to be a great resource for him.

So what this summer could you hand off to one of your “resources?”  Look at the things you refuse to let go of, but could really use someone else to tend to them who has the time and know-how.  Use the amazing volunteers God has blessed you with to their fullest!  It is called “summer break” after all.

OK, so it doesn’t even have to be VBS.  It could be camp, craft fairs, sports events, or just about whatever you do during the summer.  I’ve got a unique perspective on this, because I’m still a volunteer!  So what are a couple of ways you can keep your summer volunteers vivacious?

1. Ask for the right volunteers.
   I know you’ve probably heard this a kajillion times, but don’t beg for volunteers.  Instead, start your summer volunteer search with an intimate time with God, asking Him to provide the volunteers you need.  I love the way the Message puts this passage from Matthew 9: “So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. “What a huge harvest!” he said to his disciples. ‘How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!’”  When you involve God from the very beginning, things change.  He’ll bring the volunteers you need.  That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ask for volunteers.  Just involve God.
2. Remind them that what they’re doing is important.
   Something that has always helped me as a volunteer to keep from being burnt out is remembering how important what I’m doing is.  I’m helping to show children that a really cool, amazing God loves them and has a plan for them.  I’m helping their families grow together.  I’m helping the children’s pastor to not lose his/her mind.  (Most of the time.)  Make sure your volunteers aren’t serving out of obligation, but because their actions matter.  It may just be one or two weeks a summer, but their volunteering still matters.  It’ll make all the difference in keeping them interested.
3. Treat them well.
   Even though I’m a volunteer, I still enjoy treating the other volunteers.  Every summer, I try to bring homemade cookies and coffee (good stuff, not the Sam’s Club brand junk) to share with the other volunteers at our events.  It’s always appreciated.  (Or so they tell me.)  Care for your volunteers.  You’re not the queen of a beehive in charge of hundreds of worker bees who are in charge of the children.  You’re in charge of people.  Treat them right!  They’ll respect you more, and they’ll have a better attitude too.  I speak from experience, amigos.

How do you keep your volunteers around?  How do you get them?  Let us know in the comments!

You. You know who you are. The person who sits in coach class and puts your seat allllllll the way back. Hence, the person behind you sits cramped and uncomfortable while you lay in comfort. Yep, you’re a layer-backer.

No one likes the person who puts their seat back like that. Unfortunately, I spent three hours on a plane from Dallas to San Diego this week with a person like that in front of me. That person was more concerned with his comfort than the comfort of those around him.

If, in all your days of reading this blog you haven’t noticed that I like to use random things to make ministry analogies, this is going to be one of those posts. So what does it have to do with children’s ministry? Simple. Many times we, as humans, choose to ignore the comfort of others in favor of what makes us feel better. We come up with this “cool” idea that we are totally sold out to, but our volunteers aren’t. We just insist on pushing through with it, because we’re convinced it’s what we need to do. In the process, we totally alienate all of those around us and end up trying to run our ministries all by ourselves.

Sometimes you just need to take a step back. Let go of your emotional attachment to something and simply look at it through the eyes of another person. There may be this sudden realization that what you are convinced is good, is not really that good.

That’s not to say that you should ignore God’s will for the favor of man. That’s also a dangerous place to be. If you are sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt that what you are doing is right, do it. God will help you with that.

Let people know you really care about what they have to say. Accept input from others. It’ll really help for you to communicate with those you serve and that help you to serve.

Last Sunday evening our Pastor made this statement during his sermon: “Servants can bring glory to God.”

Now, the way my mind works, I think over everything way too much.  But thinking about it brought this thought to my mind: Volunteers are good.  Servants are better.

You can have tons of volunteers in your ministry, and people will look in and say, “Great!  They’re having an effective ministry.  Just look at all of the volunteers.”  But are you really?  What is the heart attitude of those serving?  Is it a “I’m doing this because I have to do it to fulfill an obligation” or is it a “I honestly want to serve”?

A volunteer brings no glory to God.  A volunteer is all about bringing glory to themselves.  They are inward focused in their service.  On the other hand, a servant is outward focused.  They’re all about bringing glory to God.  If they are truly serving with a servants heart, ministering will not be a chore to them. (more…)