If your ministry has found itself in a whirlwind of quick volunteer turnover, it's time to take a closer look at your recruitment process. When volunteers feel like their needs are not met, or are disappointed by the reality of working at your church, they are often quick to leave.
Cultivating an environment that supports and encourages church volunteers starts from the beginning. Looking for church workers that give their all and serve with you for years? Follow these tips to make 2022 your year for volunteers.
Fun and Friendly Environment
Although volunteering at a church requires people to be responsible and hardworking, why not make it fun, too? Adding a dash of playfulness and excitement into the daily lives of your workers will transform their attitude toward serving.
Offer opportunities for volunteers to socialize outside of church through team-building activities to forge deeper bonds. When your volunteers know each other better, they will come together to create a stronger team.
Inclusive Church Volunteering
Volunteering in churches provides people of all ages with a way to give back to their community, so be inclusive with who you welcome into your team. People of different backgrounds and ages bring different (yet equally valuable) things to the table.
Find a place in your church for every person who applies to volunteer. There are countless jobs available, from meet-and-greet to admin assistant, so it is just about finding the right place for everyone. Don’t leave anyone behind.
Supportive Team Leaders
Treat each and every church volunteer with the same care and respect you would expect yourself. While this commandment sounds obvious and should come as second nature to Christians, it is easy to get lost in the hierarchies of a church environment.
Open communication channels are one of the most vital factors when supporting your workers, so offer all your team leaders the training, time, and resources needed to provide regular meetings and discussions with volunteers.
Church Volunteer Job Descriptions
Don’t fall into the trap of recruiting volunteers without a job title or description. The truth is, church volunteer job descriptions should be as specific as possible to attract workers who are genuinely interested in the role at hand.
Think about it. You’ve signed up to volunteer at a church hoping for a personable role where you can get to know the people in your community better, but you get assigned an office role crunching numbers, which uses none of your natural gifts. Would you stay?
Set Realistic Expectations
Get your new volunteers ready for the job before they even start by clearly outlining the expectations for the role. How many hours are they expected to work per week? What will their main responsibilities be? Will they work alone or as part of a team?
Knowing if a person is a good fit for the role before they start saves everyone involved valuable time. Setting realistic expectations helps them assess with clarity whether or not they are genuinely interested in the job at hand and have the skills to help.
Interesting Roles
Get creative with the jobs on offer to pique the interest of your volunteers. When you offer roles like Events Coordinator and Content Creator, you open up the world of volunteering possibilities, making use of the unique skills people have to offer.
Remind your prospective volunteers that lending their time to the community will bring them closer to God while giving them invaluable insight into different areas of work. These specific and niche roles will provide essential material for their resumés.
Skill Development
Invest in your team of workers with regular training opportunities. Showing your volunteers that you genuinely care about their long-term development and success will inspire them to give back. Plus, a skilled team will bring much more to your ministry.
You can facilitate training in a range of ways, from buddy systems and skill-sharing sessions to online training programs and practical courses. With endless resources available online for free, investing in your volunteers doesn’t have to break the bank.
Host an Event
Sometimes, people don’t sign up to volunteer because they aren’t given the opportunity. Maybe they aren't sure if your ministry is recruiting or don’t know that they are welcome to apply. The best way to clear out any confusion is by planning an event.
Promote it locally within your church, on an external sign, or even in the local newspaper. Getting the word out could inspire people from all walks of life to turn to God and start serving with your community. Use the event to give an insight into your church’s soul.
The question “how to recruit volunteers?” has a simple answer. Volunteer recruitment strategies rely on a warm and welcoming environment, support every step of the way, and specific job descriptions.
When you create a community of care and friendship, word of mouth will do half the work for you. Be proud of your volunteers, give them room to grow and progress, and your ministry will reap the rewards.