RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY: keeping volunteers

Showing posts with label keeping volunteers. Show all posts

Why Volunteers Stay on a Team

9:25 AM Dale Hudson

If you're going to build a solid volunteer team, then you've got to have volunteers that stay with you for years. You can't have constant turnover and expect to build a thriving team.

So let's talk about why volunteers stay on a team for the long haul.

They like the person they report to. You've heard it said, that people don't leave bad jobs, they leave bad bosses.

The same can be said in children's ministry teams. Volunteers leave because of a bad supervisor. And people stay because of a good supervisor.

Volunteers stay because their supervisor remembers their birthday and other personal milestones.

Volunteers stay because their supervisor invests in them.

Volunteers stay because their supervisor walks with them through pain and heartbreak.

Volunteers stay because their supervisor knows the names of their children.

Volunteers stay because their supervisor cares more about them as a person than about what they can get out of them.

Volunteers stay because they are connected to other volunteers. Relationships is the super glue that keeps volunteers involved. Work hard to create a "we are family" culture. The more connected your team is, the longer they will stick around.

Volunteers stay because they believe in the mission of the ministry. There is a propelling, passionate mission that they are connected to. Something that is bigger than themselves. Something that is so important that it's worth giving their time, talent and treasure to.

They are in their sweet spot. You place them in a role based not on where you need them, but rather on where they need to be. When a volunteer is in his/her sweet spot, they will thrive. They will enjoy serving. They will stay.

But when they are not placed in their sweet spot, they will quit or stick it out because of their character - but they won't enjoy serving. It will become drudgery instead of delight.

They are inspired. Vision leaks. And when vision leaks, inspiration to serve starts leaking as well. That's why you must continually connect them to the why of their serving.

Focus on doing these things and you will see a better retention rate among your volunteers.

Here's some questions to work through that will help you.

1. What can you do for your volunteers that will cause them to like you more?

2. Do you have any blind spots that can be a turn off for volunteers? Ask someone close to you and find out what your blind spots are so you can fix them.

3. What are some ways you can become more personally involved in the lives of your volunteers?

4. Is there community among your volunteers? What are some steps you can take to better set them up for building relationships.

5. Do you have a clear, easy-to-remember mission statement? How can you help volunteers become owners of that mission?

6. Are my volunteers in their sweet spot? Am I placing them where I need them instead of where they need to be? What steps can I take to make sure people are being placed in their sweet spot?

7. How can I keep my volunteers inspired? What can I do to raise the passion level in the ministry?

p.s. You can get lots of more great ideas for leading a volunteer team in my book - The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams. Check it out at this link.

Your turn. What are some other tips for keeping volunteers? Share your thoughts and insight in the comment section below.

8 Reasons Why Volunteers Leave a Ministry

10:33 AM Dale Hudson

Here are 8 big reasons why volunteers leave a ministry.

If you want to keep your volunteers, then do the opposite of what this infograph says.

Enjoy!

You can a free copy of this infograph at this link.

3 Ways to Lose Your Best Volunteers

8:44 AM Dale Hudson

You don't want to lose your volunteers. Without them, the ministry will quickly crash.

We know all volunteers are not going to stick around and go the distance. Life happens. Some move away. Some have major life changes. Some get sick. You can't control those factors.

But what you don't want to happen is for volunteers to leave because of poor leadership on your part.

Let's talk about 3 big things that can cause you to lose even your best volunteers.

You can lose your volunteers if you're not CHALLENGING them. We are all wired to grow and learn. When volunteers are in a role that no longer challenges them to learn and grow, they can become bored. And that boredom can cause them to start looking for somewhere else to serve.

If you want to keep volunteers, then you need to invest time in helping them grow.

If you are not investing in volunteers, they will not be invested in the ministry.

Challenge them by...

giving them opportunities to step into roles with more responsibility as they grow

offering them feedback

helping them identify and overcome their blind spots

providing them with a personal ministry growth plan

giving them books, articles, podcasts, etc. that will help them grow personally and in their role

You can lose your volunteers if you are not CHERISHING them.

The word cherish is a verb. It happens through your actions and attitude toward your volunteers.

The word cherish means - to protect and care for. When volunteers sense you don't have their best interests in mind, you will lose them. And when they feel like you don't care about them, you will lose them.

Cherish your volunteers by...

protecting their time - don't ask them to stay over and serve extra services

caring for them when they have a need

showing them you care more about them as a person than about what they do for the ministry

using the ministry to build volunteers rather than using volunteers to build the ministry

praying for them on a regular basis

The word cherish also means - to esteem, admire, dote on. When volunteers don't feel valued, they begin to feel used and this can lead to losing them.

Cherish your volunteers by...

telling them you appreciate them

bragging on them in front of others

giving them a small gift

writing them a personal note of encouragement

treating them with honor and respect

You can lose our volunteers if you are not showing CONFIDENCE in their ability. Volunteers who are not empowered and released to lead, will grow discouraged. Volunteers who are micromanaged and not trusted with responsibility will check out.

If you want to keep volunteers, you must show you have confidence in them.

Show confidence in your volunteers by...

getting out of their way

giving them the big picture and allowing them to decide the path they want to take to get there

asking their opinion

handing off things to them

giving them room to make mistakes and helping them learn from it

Some of your volunteers may be on the verge of walking out the door and you don't even realize it. Be committed to challenging them, cherishing them and showing confidence in them. You don't have to lose your volunteers if you'll do these three things. They want to go the distance with you...if you'll give them a valid reason to do so.

My book "The Formula for Building Volunteer Teams" is a must read if want volunteers to go the distance with you. You can get it now in ebook or paperback at this link.

3 Keys to Closing the Volunteer Turnover Door

10:03 AM Dale Hudson

Do you struggle with volunteer turnover? Seems every time you work hard to get a new volunteer, you lose a current volunteer out the turnover door.

It's normal to have some volunteer turnover. People move away, get sick, change work schedules, have babies, etc. But if you are seeing volunteer turnover beyond that, then there are other issues at play that are causing volunteers to walk out the turnover door.

But the good news? You can close the turnover door. No, it won't ever be completely closed, as I said in the beginning, because life happens. But you can move the door from being wide open to just a small crack. Here are the 3 big keys to closing the volunteer turnover door.

PLACE VOLUNTEERS IN THEIR SWEET SPOT
When you meet with a new volunteer and ask them where they would like to serve, what do they normally say? "You can place me where ever you need me." And the temptation is to do just that...to place them where you currently have an opening. But don't. Here's why.

Don't place volunteers where you need them. Place volunteers where they need to be.

Where do they need to be? They need to be in a role that is based on their gifts and passion. Simply put, they need to be in their sweet spot.

If you don't help people find their sweet spot, their serving will turn sour.

When people are serving in their sweet spot, they thrive. When people are serving in their sweet spot, they serve long term. When people are serving in their sweet spot, they love what they are doing. When people are serving in their sweet spot, they are happy.

How do you help people find their sweet spot? There are several steps among which are having them take a spiritual gifts test and a personality test. Another biggie, is simply asking them, "What would be your dream role here at church?" and "What do you love doing?" These questions will quickly help you access what their sweet spot is.

Give volunteers permission to let you know if they are not serving in their sweet spot. In fact, take the initiative and ask them one month after they start serving if they are in their sweet spot. If they are not, help them find the role that is their sweet spot. If you don't, they will let you know, but it will be too late. It will be when they are walking out the volunteer turnover door.

SET VOLUNTEERS UP FOR SUCCESS
Have you ever been working on a project and realized you didn't have all the right tools you needed? You try to make it work, but you get frustrated and eventually quit until you can get the right tools. It's the same scenario with volunteers. When you place them in a role, but don't give them the right tools or training they need to succeed, they get frustrated and quit.

Make sure you provide adequate training for new volunteers. From an orientation to a clear job description to shadowing a seasoned volunteer for several weeks, it's important to set them up for success. I am thinking now about a volunteer years ago that I pushed into a room without adequate training. It was only a few weeks until he quit. And looking back, I don't blame him. Don't make this mistake with your volunteers.

RELATIONSHIPS
I believe relationships is the super glue that keeps volunteers serving long term. When volunteers are surrounded by people they know, care about, do life with and pray with, they keep serving. Although many of these relationships will be formed organically, there are some key steps you can take to help foster relationships among volunteers.

As stated in the first key, when you place volunteers in their sweet spot, it means they will be with people who share the same passions as they do. This helps relationships naturally form around this common interest. Some other steps you can take to help relationships form is to provide opportunities for volunteers to spend time together outside of serving, share prayer requests, do team building activities and form small groups with volunteers.

You can get many more ideas for closing the volunteer turnover door in my new book "The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams." In this book, I share a proven formula for not only bringing volunteers on your team, but keeping them long term as well.

Will They Stay or Will They Go? How to Keep Volunteers

9:07 AM Dale Hudson

You've got a new volunteer on your team. You're excited. But you're also wondering if they will stick around and serve long-term. Will they stay or will they go? Though there's no guarantee anyone will go the distance with you, there are some key factors that can cause volunteers to stay.

Volunteers who stick around know why they are serving. We've talked about this before. If you only shine the spotlight on the what, volunteers either get bored or burned out. By "what" I mean the tasks of the role like teaching, helping with crafts, greeting, rocking babies, etc. While the logistics and responsibilities of a role are important, they are not conducive to long-term motivation. Long-term motivation comes from the why - the big picture purpose. A purpose such as helping kids know and follow Jesus. Volunteers stay motivated long-term when they know they are part of something big. Something worth giving their life to.

Volunteers who stick around have been given the tools they need to succeed. They have been given clear expectations, gone through an orientation and received hands-on training. They are put in rooms where ratios are followed and adequate help is provided. Don't expect a new volunteer, who is shoved in a room of 30 preschoolers with one other helper, to come out alive, much less stick around long-term.

Volunteers who stick around have built relationships with the people they serve with. Relationships is the super glue that keeps volunteers. When volunteers feel like they are part of a family, they lock in long-term. While you can't force relationships to happen, you can create an environment that gives people the opportunity to establish them. This can be done with ice-breaker activities and team-building games at meetings, sharing prayer requests each week, having get togethers outside of serving, etc.

Volunteers who stick around are serving from the overflow. If you want volunteers to serve long-term, then you've got to keep their cup full. Here are some key ways you can pour into them.

Make sure they are attending the adult worship service.
Have a short devotion ready each week to share in the pre-service huddle.
Don't ask them to stay over and serve an extra service.
Know what's going on in their lives. If you don't, you can't help them in their time of need.
Occasionally give them some time extended time off from serving.
Share with them things you are learning, books you have read, podcasts you are listening to, etc.

Volunteers who stick around are serving in their sweet spot. They are in a role that lines up with their spiritual gifts, passion and personality. Help them find their sweet spot by having them take a spiritual gifts test and by asking questions like, "What is your dream job at church?" Remember, don't place volunteers where you need them, place volunteers where they need to be.

Volunteers who stick around feel valued. Instead of using volunteers to build the ministry, use the ministry to build volunteers. Honor them. Encourage them. Thank them. Pray for them. Believe in them. Invest in them. Care for them.

Here's some questions to think through and discuss:

Are we keeping volunteers long-term? Why or why not?
Do our volunteers have a clear understanding of why they are serving?
Do we set volunteers up for success by setting clear expectations, providing training and following ratios? How can we improve in this?
Are we keeping our volunteer's cups full? How? What are we missing? How can we get better at filling their cups?
Are our volunteers in their sweet spot? Why or why not? How can we get them in their sweet spot?
How are we showing our volunteers we value them? How can we do a better job at this?

The floor is yours. What are some other thoughts or ideas you have for keeping volunteers long-term? Share them with us in the comment section below.

11 Keys to Effectively Leading Volunteers

5:35 AM Unknown

“To lead people, walk beside them… As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence. The next best, the people honor and praise. The next, the people fear; and the next, the people hate …When the best leader’s work is done the people say, ‘We did it ourselves!”

Lao-Tsu

Key #1 – Lead by serving. The Bible reminds us in Matthew 23 that effective leadership is found in serving others. Great leadership is not measured by how many people are serving you, but instead by how many people you are serving.

Key #2 - Lead by relationship. People do not follow a title. They follow someone they love and respect. This does not happen overnight, but as you take time to build relationships with people.

Key #3 - Lead by following. To be an effective leader, you must first be an effectively follower. This means following the vision and direction of the Pastor and church you serve. This means not becoming a ministry silo, but instead coordinating with the other ministries in your church.

Key #4 - Lead by encouraging. 65% of workers say they have received no recognition or appreciation in the past 12 months. Be an intentional encourager. Walk around and personally thank your volunteers each week for serving. Keep a stack of note cards by your desk and discipline yourself to write thank you notes regularly.

Key #5 - Lead by learning. Effective leaders are always in school. They listen to their volunteers. They ask their volunteers for input and feedback.

Key #6 - Lead by equipping. An effective leader is an equipper. They realize their priority is to equip volunteers for the work of the ministry and they are constantly helping others reach their potential. They pour into others instead of trying to do everything themselves. They can step back into the shadows and everything will run smoothly without them.

Key #7 - Lead by praying. Nothing of eternal value is ever accomplished without prayer. Let your public leadership be a reflection of the private time you spend in prayer.

Key #8 - Lead by growing spiritually. You cannot take people where you have not been. An effective leader has a growing relationship with Jesus. This includes spending time in God’s Word on a daily basis. Each week you should have a fresh truth from God’s Word to share with your volunteers.

Key #9 - Lead by having character. Character means keeping your word and delivering on what you promise. It means having integrity and honesty. It means being trustworthy and reliable.

Key #10 – Lead by putting others in the spotlight. They would rather see their volunteers shine than themselves. They are quick to give others the credit for the victory and quick to take the blame for failure.

Key #11 – Lead by humility. The Bible reminds us again in Matthew 23 that an effective leader is someone who is humble. If you think you’re a great leader…then you’re not. Pride will drive away volunteers, while humility will attract them.

I don’t know about you, but I have a lot of work to do in all of these areas. Let’s strive to become more effective leaders for Christ.

Posted by Dale Hudson

10 Keys to Keeping Volunteers

8:33 AM Unknown

It’s normal to have some occasional volunteer turnover. Life happens…people move, work hours change, family situations shift, or sickness comes. But if you are seeing a large turnover rate each year, it will be difficult to build and maintain a solid team that is effective for the long haul. Here are some keys to better volunteer retention.

Place volunteers in their sweet spot. Don’t place them where you “need” them. Place them where their gifting and passion is. When volunteers are serving in their sweet spot, they will go home energized. When they are not, they will go home drained.

Create a “we are family” culture where friendships are fostered. Relationships are an anchor for volunteers.

Make sure they are attending “big” church. Attending the adult service should be a requirement for serving. Corporate worship and teaching fills their spiritual tank so they can serve from the overflow.

Stay away from, “Can you stay over and help for an extra service today?” When you ask a volunteer to do this at the last minute, they may say “yes,” but it will take a toil on them.

Don’t let them overload on serving. I’ve seen it. A zealous volunteer commits to serving in too many areas or ministries. Before long the “S” falls off their shirt and they burnout. Encourage volunteers to focus on one area of service.

Give them time off. Volunteers should have opportunities to take a break. Perhaps it’s on holiday weekends or during the summer. Our Small Group Leaders serve every week during the school year. We purposely don’t have Small Groups during the summer so they can have the opportunity to take some time off.

Show you care more about them than about what they do. When volunteers feel loved, valued, and cared for, their hearts will be endeared to yours. Recently I called one of our volunteers whose mother was in the hospital. His first response was to apologize for not being able to serve that weekend. I was immediately convicted. I wish his first thought had been, “Dale is calling to check on my mother and pray with me.” I want our volunteers to know that first and foremost we care about them as a person.

Honor them by honoring ratios. When you shove a volunteer in a room with 35 three-year-olds, you are not setting them up for success. Keeping your child-to-adult ratios in check is one of the best things you can do to retain volunteers.

Say thank you on a regular basis. Everyone wants to know they are appreciated. Everyone wants to know they are making a difference. Personally thank volunteers as they are serving. Thank them with notes, emails, texts, Facebook, etc.

When a volunteer leaves, find out why. Ask them to do an exit interview. Listen humbly and with an open heart. Learn from any mistakes that were made.

You may not be able to completely close the back door, but you can make it smaller by intentionally taking these steps. A great volunteer team is made up of rookies…and veterans.