Change that pattern by providing solid training, ongoing encouragement via email, and continuing prayer support. Build training into your church’s volunteer program by utilizing the Schedules feature within our volunteer management software. It will provide you with the tools to successfully onboard and train volunteers, so that potential recruits know that your church stands behind those who are willing to serve.
6. PROVIDE “PRACTICE” OPPORTUNITIES
Strategies that allow potential volunteers to “test the water” can help them determine their place of service. For instance, allow a potential teacher to teach one week under the loving eye of a master teacher. Invite that prospective men’s leader to join an event-planning team. Let them serve with less risk while you and they seek God’s will.
7. RECOGNIZE THOSE WHO SERVE
Publicly saying “Thank you” can go a long way for volunteers. In fact, I encourage churches to pray for workers as they begin their service, and then honor them for their faithfulness at least once a year. A simple but intentional “Well done, faithful servant,” can be enough to motivate volunteers for the year to come.
5 Volunteer Best Practices to Prevent Burnout
We know that not everyone in the church is as involved as they should be. This means that a lot more work is spread across fewer shoulders, which inevitably leads to burnout. The problem is that these volunteers tend to keep working long after weariness has set in. And this can lead to resentment and eventual collapse. The individual may stop helping entirely or even leave your church.
Because you love your volunteers and want them to serve comfortably, we’ve put together a handful of tips that you can use to save your volunteers from burning out!
1. BE CLEAR AND UPFRONT ABOUT EXPECTATIONS
If you have a babysitter that you rely on but you constantly ask her to stay late or perform other household duties, eventually she’s going to move on—and she’s not even helping you for free! What happens when you’re doing virtually the same thing to volunteers?
Anytime you ask for volunteers, make sure you communicate what’s expected of them and how long it will take. Don’t ask for open-ended commitments. That gets old really fast. By telling people how long a task will take and what it entails, you’re communicating that you value their time—and you’re giving them the ability to make educated decisions.
2. PAY ATTENTION TO HOW MUCH SOMEONE IS HELPING
It’s easy to overwork church volunteers because no one has visibility into how much someone’s doing. If a volunteer is known for helping out whenever they’re asked, people will unintentionally take advantage. They don’t realize that this person is helping out Sundays in the nursery, making meals for their small group, serving in the prison ministry, and creating Sunday school handouts every week.
It’s important that you have a system in place so that everyone can see how much time and effort various volunteers give to the church. This way, people aren’t taking advantage of anyone’s generosity. If a certain threshold of volunteer time is reached, consider giving them a sabbatical from volunteering.
3. BE AWARE OF HERO SYNDROME
We all know that there are people who will not volunteer—no matter how much they’re asked. But there’s another individual that’s just the opposite. They’re compelled to be in the middle of everything. They want to be seen as a volunteer with a can-do attitude and boundless energy.
It’s incredibly easy to take advantage of these individuals because they’re always up for helping out, but when they crash—they crash hard. The desire to go above and beyond to prove your value and loyalty isn’t much healthier than not helping at all. We need to do what we can to keep the “heroes” balanced. This means ensuring that they take breaks.
4. HELP PEOPLE WORK WITHIN THEIR GIFTING
The church talks about gifts a lot. But the truth is that there are some tasks that come down to service and not gifting. For instance, God didn’t give anyone the gift of toilet cleaning, but church bathrooms still need to get cleaned. So there are a lot of things that people need to be willing to do irrespective of their inclinations.
That said, the more people can do what comes naturally to them, the happier they’re going to be—and the longer they’ll want to do it. An introvert isn’t going to flourish as a greeter like an extrovert might. It’s good to be mindful of people’s gifts and help them work within their strengths.
5. PROVIDE HEALTHY FOOD AND REFRESHMENTS FOR VOLUNTEERS
Most church volunteering happens around people’s work schedules. That means that they’re often running straight from the office to the church. If you’re asking people to volunteer in the evenings or weekend afternoons, make sure that they’re fed and taken care of. This will have a huge impact on their morale.
But beware. When churches do try and keep this in mind, they fall back on the same standby—pizza. If someone’s volunteered at a church for a couple years, it’s quite likely that they’ve eaten a lifetime supply of pizza. After a while, it no longer feels like a thoughtful way to say thank you. So be thoughtful about the food options you’re offering.
8 Ways to Say Thank You to Church Volunteers
Anybody can say “thank you” with a card or a gift. But there are a lot more ways to show someone you appreciate what they do. As you get to know them, you’ll learn what makes your volunteers feel most appreciated. Try thanking them in a few different ways to find what works best.
Here are eight ways to say “thank you” to your church volunteers:
1. SPEND TIME WITH THEM OUTSIDE OF CHURCH
When you only see someone once a week, it’s hard to get to know them personally. And if your volunteers feel like you don’t know them, they may not care what you write in a card or if you give them a gift. They may feel like you don’t care about what’s going on in their lives or what they’re sacrificing in order to serve. When you see them at church (or your weekly ministry meetings), you’re obligated to be there. Spending time with your volunteers outside of that shows them you care enough to invest your personal time in them.
Don’t let this time feel like a “check-in” meeting. Use it to get to know them. Find a comfortable environment—play frisbee golf, take them out for coffee, or invite them over for dinner. You could even help them with a project at home.
2. IDENTIFY SPECIFIC THINGS THEY’RE DOING WELL
Anybody can say “good job” without knowing anything about you or the job you’re doing. It’s not a meaningless compliment—it’s still nice when someone says “good job”—but you can do better.
Specific complements are opportunities to affirm someone’s gifts—gifts they may not even realize they have until you point them out.
Check out these three compliments:
- “Good job!”
- “You’re so good at noticing the details. I’m really glad you’re here to make sure we do this right.”
- “It’s so clear that you really care about people. Thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus.”
See the difference?
3. BABYSIT FOR THEM
Most likely, your volunteers have work, school, and other things besides your ministry that keep them busy. For volunteers with young kids, even the weekly meetings or extra time at church require some juggling—they may even need to hire a babysitter just to help you out.
One of the biggest blessings you can give people you serve with is free babysitting.
Seriously. Give Mom and Dad a night out together (free babysitting could be a great addition to a thank you gift card). Babysitting is an investment in your personal relationship with your volunteers, and it lets you say thanks in a meaningful way.
4. HAVE A VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION SERVICE
Thanking volunteers with a special service does a few things:
- It makes volunteers feel like your church values what they do
- It shows your congregation what your ministry has been up to
- It can inspire others to volunteer
Highlighting your volunteers provides a tangible picture of what the body of Christ can look like. Show your congregation a variety of roles. Talk about the skills and gifts that help each volunteer thrive in their position.
Your service might use videos, volunteer testimonies, share stories and projects, or simply talk about some things you’ve noticed about how each person has served your church.
5. TAKE YOUR VOLUNTEERS OUT TO LUNCH
Buying people lunch means spending time and money on them. This could be a monthly, quarterly, or randomly scheduled time to thank your church volunteers. However you decide to do it, use lunchtime to celebrate the work they’ve done and to show them your appreciation. Let them choose where to eat for bonus points.
6. TELL THEM WHY THEIR ROLE IS VALUABLE
Especially when your role involves menial tasks, it’s easy to feel like it doesn’t matter. But every volunteer role at your church is part of something much bigger. Help your volunteers connect what they do to what your church is accomplishing. Cast the vision for your ministry’s mission and talk about how they make that mission possible.
7. RESPECT THEIR TIME
Your volunteers are making personal sacrifices to serve in your ministry. So be respectful of that.
Create a schedule and stick to it. When your meetings start late or end late, you’re showing your volunteers that you don’t value what they’re already sacrificing to be with you (especially if they start late because you’re unprepared).
If you know you have more material than what you can cover in the allotted time or that a special event is going to extend beyond the usual window, communicate that to your volunteers as early as possible. Likewise, if an event might get done early, tell them in advance so your volunteers can plan their lives around the adjusted schedule.
Respecting people’s time shows them that you appreciate what they’re sacrificing. And it lets every meeting end with, “Thank you for your time tonight” instead of, “Sorry we ran late.”
Showing gratitude is important
Volunteers are the powerhouses behind strong, vibrant ministries—and it’s important to show appreciation for them. Thankfulness is a vital motivator. There are plenty of little ways to acknowledge the people who serve alongside you, but this list should get you off to a good start.