What Do You Believe About Volunteers?

Happy New Year!

I pray that you all had a wonderful holiday season and are ready to greet this year energized and ready to continue our training on making our CM volunteers stick.

If you take nothing from this lesson except the following it will have served its purpose. There is no such thing as just a volunteer as in ‘Oh I am just a volunteer’. When those who are serving Jesus in ministry feel that they are not important because they are not receiving a paycheck or that only those who have Pastor or Director associated with their names are the only ones who can do real ministry,  this is ripe soil for the enemy in which to plant his seeds  and prepare for  attack. What you believe about volunteers will determine whether they grow in leadership and commitment or remain stunted.

There are four truths you must believe before your volunteers will ever become leaders in your ministry.

1.       Truth 1: God Has Promised To Meet All Your Needs

“My God will meet all your need according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:19

This verse should remind us that the ‘all’ does not only refer to everything we need for salvation in Jesus (AMEN!) but it also means he will meet our ministry needs including our need for volunteers. I can personally attest to this fact as we have been in this situation at our church before and are again and I have total faith that he will deliver as he always has.

Remember, recruiting volunteers is not just about training people for the jobs you have open it is about God calling faithful people into ministry. That is his job, not ours. Our job is to remove as many things blocking their paths as possible so they can enter the ministry successfully and serve to God’s glory.

Are you praying about your volunteer needs? For the volunteers you do have to continue growing and following the path the Lord has laid out for them?  As I have learned (and continue to do so) we can beat the drum until our fingers fall off trying to recruit but it is to no avail until God speaks to them.  This does not mean you stop recruiting but if you are constantly doing so then stop. Spend the next month in prayer telling God what your needs are , that you are trusting him to soften and speak to the hearts of those he is calling and ask him to convict and inspire them.

If you believe God will meet your needs then some of those volunteers will do ministry as well as if not better than you can do it if you train them right and set them free to do God’s will.

2.       Truth 2: Every Christian Is Called To Do Ministry

“You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into this wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9.

This means that you and I and every Christian in your church are called to be a priest. Priests do the work of the ministry. They are set apart by God to teach, to serve, to evangelize, to be prophets - and to do it all to glorify God.

As a CM leader it is your job to equip your volunteers to do effective ministry. You are to coach, not do it all yourself.  The Lord has gifted me with the ability to teach children but I believe my calling is to teach at the preteen level as I feel I have the best connection with that age group and am drawn in that direction . I am forever grateful for and amazed at those on my team who have the gift to teach and serve in the toddler area which includes my very busy three year old daughter.  We all have things we can do better than others or are more equipped for. If someone has to be perfect to be a part of your ministry you will be a very lonely coach.

If we are all part of the priesthood then that makes every person in your church a potential candidate for serving in CM. That does not mean everyone will be equipped by God to do so but it is meant to open your eyes and look past the faithful few who sign up for everything at those who may not be serving anywhere yet.

Everyone has a calling to do something.

Next month we will explore the two final truths you must believe.

In Him

CJ Schindler

Back to Archives