In building volunteer teams, sooner or later, leadership will be one of the key deciders in the growth and health of your volunteers.
Read moreWhen we all need shelter, shade, relief
There’s a fun game to play with young children. You take a sip from your drink, smack your lips and then open your mouth and say AHHHHH!!! Do that a few times and the kiddos are soon copying you. “Smack – Ahhhhhh” That’s refreshing!
As we approach the first official day of Summer, June 21, it may take more creativity to find that “Smack----Ahhhhh” refreshing feeling. Unless you are in air conditioning or in a pool.
What “refreshment” is your favorite? Call it out!
Ice cream? (what kind? flavor?)
A nap?
A cool shower after working in the garden?
What if you don’t have easy access to ice-cold drinks or a cool shower?
ISAIAH 4:6
“And there shall be a tabernacle for a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.”
Yes, the heat will wear us down. And storms can damage property and ruin a day at the park.
Similarly, the heat of stress, arguments, uncertainty, and loss can wear us down even more.
The storms of life can leave us looking for a place to hide.
When we are serving, we don’t know what storms our guests are coming in from today.
We don’t know how hot it is in their lives.
But we do know that this is the one place where we will serve to pave the way for people to know the One who does know. And the One who can bring relief and shelter for all their worries, burdens, and uncertainties.
We bring the refreshment in the form of being servants for our King.
POUR OUT so much grace to others so that their internal child will smack their lips, with a wonderful sigh of ahhhhh.
Focusing on others, remembering that it’s not about you. Be fully present to really see people, opening the door to “the tabernacle” they are looking for – even if they don’t know they are looking for Him.
Consider it like offering a cool drink of water to someone more thirsty than they realize.
BONUS FUN FOR VOLUNTEERS THIS SUMMER:
Fans for the volunteers! Or use umbrellas for shade when serving outside. They are good for more than just the rain.
Have refreshing drinks either in Huddle or at Debrief or available throughout the day!
Lemonade - Root beer floats - Ice tea
What is a realistic sustainable serving schedule?
How long can you hold a twenty-pound bag of sand? Five minutes? Two hours?
Okay, how about if it’s something you love to do? Maybe it’s gardening or reading. You love it. But can you do it nonstop for days, weeks, and months? Of course not.
Well, maybe you can, but you might end up a sun-drenched, rain-drenched gardener. Or perhaps a worn-out, burning-eyed reader. We all need breaks and a healthy rhythm of work and play.
But all sensibility gets thrown out the door when we connect it with our passion. Our calling. And yet, we can get in just as much trouble when not checked.
I know a budding chef who had an opportunity to flex her cooking muscles by providing hot lunches for a team of builders. The twenty employees work in an exclusive neighborhood, tucked far away on a lake with nary a restaurant within thirty minutes. The employer thought providing free lunches would be a great idea and a huge benefit. It was. But the lunches were not just sandwiches. No way. With a young chef itching to try all the recipes and an unlimited budget to boot, I knew this was a recipe for disaster.
Everyone was cheering her on. She had the platform and the resources. She was able to cook everything onsite in the office showroom kitchen. Only the best appliances and tools. But she was alone. What could go wrong?
In the beginning, it was glorious. An example of a weekly lunch menu would be:
Monday: Greek grilled chicken, gyro meatballs, roasted red potatoes, hummus and pita.
Tuesday: Shrimp & grits, Cajun chicken, red beans & rice, fresh corn and potatoes.
Wednesday: Tuscan gnocchi with chicken, stuffed shells, Caesar salad, and Rosemary focaccia bread.
Thursday: Tandoori Chicken, Indian Butter chicken, Rice, Cucumber Salad, and Naan Bread.
Friday: Poke bowl bar with salmon, teriyaki chicken, and shrimp.
Pretty awesome! And according to the reviews, everything was delicious.
But after a few months, this responsible and dedicated chef started missing days and weeks and now, it is uncertain what, if any, lunches will continue.
Meanwhile, questions are surfacing. Do we bring our lunch and eat on the job site? Do we leave the job site to come into the office and waste precious hours? Morale is declining for a variety of reasons and this is just one more straw added to the pile.
And it all started with good intentions, an aspiring, talented chef and deep financial pockets to pull it off. But it was not sustainable. It was extravagant. It was unrealistic and frankly, unnecessary. Heck, everyone would have been well-fed and more than satisfied with simpler meals Tuesdays and Thursdays and deli sandwich trays on the other days.
How does this relate to our volunteers?
Well, I hear about people serving “all the time”. Are they? Or they want to do “all the things” because they have a heart for the Lord and people.
We’ve all heard that “too much of a good thing” can be more overwhelming and even harmful. As one mango is yummy and nutritious, fifty mangos will cause stomach issues. |
Even a good thing, like serving, we discover a burned-out volunteer who is bitter or missing.
Or a volunteer who has had too much attention or responsibility placed on their shoulders and a cloud of entitlement emerges which can prevent others from wanting or being able to participate.
Resulting in leaders asking, “Where are all the volunteers?”
It’s time to consider the bigger picture of your serving teams. How often do most of the volunteers truly serve? How long is the expectation for serving? A season (and what’s the definition of a season? A year? Does anyone know? Worse, does anyone truly hold volunteers to the time commitment? Do we let people serve, “as long they want to” or because “Joe” always does such and such?
We may be creating an unsustainable serving environment.
Perhaps it’s time to dig in and set healthy boundaries, clear expectations, and the commitment to maintain them.
Leading volunteers well is more about caring for them well. We can do that when we provide safe, sustainable serving opportunities.
"Why Can't I Find Good Leaders?"
When building volunteer teams, leadership will be one of the key deciders in the growth and health of your volunteers. But how many times have you wondered; “Why can’t I find people to lead?” The answer, actually the people, are usually right in front of us.
So the next question is: Have you looked? I mean, really looked? Beyond yourself.
Too many times when we hear “replace yourself” we take it so literally and look for someone just like us. You know, someone with our same experience, our energy, our passion, our skills, our speaking skills, our brilliant hand-jive moves…well, you get the picture.
I would even say that the biggest roadblock or barrier to finding leaders is you and me. If we could only get out of the way, we would see that future leaders are serving right beside us, hanging out with us at the front door or getting coffee together on break. I know I’ve overlooked many amazing people and it cost both my own health (physical, mental, and spiritually) and the volunteers serving.
Remember what Jethro said to Moses…”this thing you are doing is not good. You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you..” (Exodus 18:17-18).
In one day, I got pink-eye in both eyes and shingles! I also noticed folks were not very happy around me either.
Here is what I learned.
We assume:
That they know they are leaders.
Most of the time, when I approach someone to start the conversation about leadership, I hear: “Who me?!” “Why me?” or “Oh no, I could never be a leader.” And yet they display the gifts, character traits, skills and passion that say to others, “Follow Me!” If we are truly connecting with people, listening to what’s going in their lives, we can discover hidden gems. Sure, they may be leaders in the world of business or organizations, but for some reason, they do not always translate their skills or value into the world of church leadership. I’ve even had a brain cancer scientist dismiss his ability to be a leader. It’s our job to speak truth and encouragement into their life.
That they know they have permission to lead or take on responsibilities.
If they are leaders, they should just “do it”. But many times, volunteers don’t know IF they should go beyond the to-do list because the vision has not been clearly communicated, celebrated and even more precisely, they don’t even know what the thing they could be doing is! It may be obvious to us; those of us who work and live and breathe our ministry 24/7, but the permission and vision has never been given specifically to someone. It takes more than a wholesale “let’s go get um” rally, it’s a one-on-one conversation. Can you say “shoulder-tap”?
That they are not qualified to do as much or good a job as us.
Qualified? Really? Boy, the definition of leadership in the church needs an overhaul! We have been conditioned to believe, been taught or have had modeled as to what a leader should look like. Yet, this may or may not always be the best or most obvious answer. The bible is full of never-would-have-picked-that-one for leaders. We should seek out, with discernment and wisdom, some of the unlikely people that have already said “yes” to serving with you to develop, grow and encourage to become the best they were created to be.
And NOT just to fill a role, but here’s a crazy idea – because people matter.
Here is the bonus. You get to play a part in someone discovering their greatest gifts because you offered an opportunity that expanded their life and those around them.
It’s simply smart to not rely solely on our own filters, experiences or preconceived ideas to be the only indicator for deciding leadership potential. Get more input!!! Spend time with potential leaders – seek to understand first.
And, if your first go-to includes the word “too” when dismissing a candidate, like:
They are too young or too old.
They are too new to step up now.
They are too set in their ways to lead.
Stop and consider beyond the "too" and dig in to what is really the barrier to leadership.
Perhaps, no one has spent time training them.
Perhaps no one has asked their opinion on anything.
Perhaps, they are in the wrong role and it’s time to regroup or get creative to provide new opportunities.
Of course, there is no one size fits all program or process.
People are messy. I am messy. But we are all worth. And, there are levels and steps where everyone can play a significant role.
It’s our responsibility and great joy to help another person figure it out!
Why not celebrate with your volunteers?
While many church volunteers are still missing from serving, there are people who continue to show up. But what do you if they are more about just checking the box, doing the bare minimum, and then going home? Or, at worse, worn out and checked out.
Let’s face it. Life is just plain hard these days and everyone is exhausted. The fact that people are showing up should be celebrated!
I know that time and money are tight and, for now, all the balloons, cake, and the dreaded confetti needs to be on hold for another time. I believe you can still have fun and celebrate every time a volunteer shows up.
And I have an easy solution for you! PIPE CLEANERS!
That’s right. They are super cheap. I found these (see pic) at Target, 350 pipe cleaners for only $5.00.
Now, what to do with these? Well, I’m glad you asked. I have a few ideas below but the main thing to remember is that whenever you are holding or passing them out, you simply must hold them splayed out like a bunch of flowers.
Use in Huddles to cast vision to be flexible. Invite each volunteer to pick ONE. Watch as they carefully chose the right color. Have fun with it. Ask, “Are you sure?” “Is this your final answer?” Share: Flexibility means the ability to be easily modified and the willingness to change or compromise. First, thank you all for showing up and demonstrating flexibility as we’ve had to modify our Sundays. Is there a place that, maybe, you have not served in but could lend a hand today? Is there an area where you have avoided serving but maybe today is an opportunity? Maybe you only talk to people you know really well. What if you approached or talked to people you don’t know? So, let’s wear them today to celebrate your service and be challenged with what we each can do to be more flexible. You can put them on your belt loop, on your wrist, or be creative!
Use in the children’s area after church to hand out. But even better. During special times of the year - or even now to kick off Back To School - our Ushers would hold them like flowers to give to kids in the worship center. Here is the thing, the kids would come running to the Ushers and beg for one. Our response: “Great! If you go and show me where you are sitting, I will bring one to you!” This did two things:
It was a simple way for our Ushers to get comfortable with engaging with our guests before the service began.
We were able to meet and engage the parents, and guardians of the kids.
Don’t forget the power of play to connect and encourage your volunteers to connect and encourage your guests.