"Affirm volunteers for WHO THEY ARE instead of WHAT THEY DO.
It means so much more when you affirm someone for who they are. Paul knew this. Look in the books he wrote and you will see him affirming people for who they are.
"We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints..." Colossians 1
"Philemon, each time I mention you in my prayers, I thank God. I hear about your faith in our Lord Jesus and about your love for all of God’s people." Philemon 1
"Your strong faith in the Lord is like a breath of new life." I Thessalonians 3
Here's an example. You want to affirm a volunteer who teaches a 1st grade class.
Instead of saying - "I appreciate you teaching the class. Thanks for all you do."
say...
"Thank you for your heart for God and His Word. Your love for the kids shines through."
When you do this you will affirm your volunteers at a much deeper level.
