Fulfillment...joy...spiritual growth...an avenue to give back...an opportunity to say thanks to God...purpose...a way to make a difference.
But I believe the biggest thing volunteers are looking for is this...relationships.
People are lonely. Recent reports say that unprecedented numbers of people are lonely. Increasing numbers of people have less and less personal connection to close friends and families. Families have 60% fewer family outings and 40% fewer family dinners together.
People are more "connected" through social media than ever before while at the same time being less connected face-to-face. In many cases, the social media connections are not true relational connections.
In every church, people are looking for ways to get connected with other believers. One of the best ways to build relationships in a church is through serving.
Want to build your volunteer team? Instead of telling people how much you need help...instead of guilting people into serving...instead of "requiring" parents to serve...instead of asking the pastor to beg for volunteers from the pulpit for you...
Why not invite people to a family? Why not invite people to a place where they can build relationships? Why not invite people to an opportunity to get connected? It's what they are looking for.
Relationships will not only bring people to your team, it will also keep people on your team. A relationally connected volunteer is a long-term volunteer.
Relationships is where it's at.
