Effective volunteer management for churches is a bit different than for other organizations. Volunteer managers often worship alongside the people who volunteer, forming more personal relationships than those at other nonprofits.
Volunteers play a vital role in keeping the church running and supporting events. Here are a few ways to manage church volunteers to get the most out of your congregation.
Plan Well in Advance
Many church members lead busy lives. They work, care for a family and often volunteer in other places as well. If you have an upcoming event that will require a lot of volunteer recruitment, plan as far ahead as possible to give your volunteers a chance to put the commitment on their calendars. Waiting until just a week or two beforehand will limit the number of volunteers available.
Make a Personal Appeal
While putting blurbs in the weekly bulletin may net a few volunteers, asking someone one-on-one is more likely to ensure a positive reaction. This strategy tells the person you sought them out and want them, in particular, to assist you — a type of personal appeal that’s hard to turn down.
Connect With Your Volunteers
At a church, people want to form connections. They’re driven by a desire to relate and share their interpretations of different teachings. When you’re in charge of church volunteer management, forge personal relationships with them to make the volunteer experience more meaningful. You might share a short prayer before beginning your task or incorporate a recent sermon into the job at hand. Use whatever means you feel most comfortable with to forge bonds.
Offer Food During the Event
Food provides a fantastic way for you to say “thank you” to your volunteers. You might bring snacks or a full meal for a volunteer activity after a Sunday morning service, when people will be ready for lunch. Make sure to have water bottles on hand as well. Your volunteers will have more focus when their stomachs aren’t rumbling.
Celebrate Volunteer Achievements
So much that happens in the church community comes from volunteers. Whether it’s making a Christmas nativity scene, creating an intricately painted new stained glass window, or putting on a successful vacation Bible school, volunteers participate in countless things that the church gets excited about. Give credit to the people behind these amazing accomplishments — both in the bulletin and through announcements during your service.
Communicate Frequently About Dates and Times
Volunteers require reminders about when they should be somewhere and what they need to bring. Finding the right method to send these reminders to big groups — such as by using a volunteer management software like Volgistics — will free up your time for other tasks. Volunteers appreciate an extra nudge, especially if they tend to commit to things but forget to follow up.
When you learn the right volunteer management tools, you’ll have a more successful experience with the ones at your church. To see how Volgistics can make that job even easier you can schedule a demo or get in touch with us today.