RELATIONSHIPS
Your volunteers will stay because they have built meaningful relationships with the people they serve with. Relationships is the glue that will keep them on your team.
How does this happen?
Place them with people who have the same passion as they do.
People build relationships with other people who have the same interests and passions as they do. Make sure you place volunteers in their sweet spot. When volunteers are in their sweet spot together, they will naturally begin to bond.
Tech guys will bond around their love for computers. People who love babies will bond around babies. People who love to lead kids in worship will bond around that. People who love to lead small groups of kids will enjoy serving with other people who love to do the same. Here's some of our volunteers who love serving preschoolers together.
Pray together every week.
Take time to get volunteers together for prayer every week before they serve together. Let them share prayer requests and pray for each other. When a group of people pray together, their relationship is strengthened not only with God, but with each other as well. I took this picture before a service. It's a group of our volunteers who serve in pre-teens praying together.
Party with them outside of serving.
Last weekend we had a Friday night party with some of our volunteers. No agenda but fun. Volunteers spent several hours hanging out together. It's these types of events that can foster relationships that will last long-term which translates into volunteers staying long term.
Purposely create a family atmosphere.
Be very intentional about creating a "family" atmosphere. When volunteers feel they are part of a family that knows them, loves them and cares for them, they will stay.
Serving is about more than just teaching a class or changing a diaper or greeting a family or preparing a craft. It's about doing life together. It's about going through the good times and the bad times together. It's about supporting one another. It's about helping each other grow closer to Jesus.
Show me a group of volunteers that have been serving together long-term and I will show you a group of volunteers that have built solid relationships.
Your turn. What are some things you do to foster relationships between your volunteers? Share with us in the comment section below.
