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Culture of Volunteers
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 in Church Life, Faith, Worship Leadership by Fred McKinnon
I just read an incredible article by Tim Stevens about the culture needed in churches for volunteers. This quote rocked my world:
It takes a volunteer-centric culture in the entire church, from top to bottom, to build a ministry that is truly focused on plugging people in positions where they are wired by God. Without that, a scarcity mindset takes over and we shift to turf-guarding and silo-building. And that produces frustration, bitterness and cynicism on a church staff–which no one likes to be around.
WOW – how true is that. Checkout the rest of the article at LeadingSmart.Com.
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2 Responses to “Culture of Volunteers”
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Does this kind of thing ever make you wonder if we are doing “church” wrong?
“It takes a volunteer-centric culture in the entire church, from top to bottom, to build a ministry that is truly focused on plugging people in positions where they are wired by God.”
Is the focus on plugging people into positions into the local “church” or the one true church? The Hebrew word for worship also means service. What is more important, plugging people into childcare for Sunday morning or helping people discover how to live lives of worship (service) to God?
How many hours (staff and volunteer) does it take for service on Sunday for large churches and “mega” churches? How many hours a week is the average church attendee worshiping God by seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness; loving God with all of his heart, soul, mind, and strength…and loving his neighbor as himself; or being transformed by the renewing of his mind? (Pulling the beam out of my own eye so I can finish typing.)
What if the focus was not on Sunday morning, but on what the members of the body of the one true church do all week?
I am not suggesting “neglecting the assembly,” but I ofter wonder if there are bigger problems with the way we assemble than having problems finding enough volunteers. Could getting the more important one right also resolve the other?
Great points, Deane … I hesitated to publish this one yesterday, because:
1 – Thursday is a light traffic day on the blog
2 – I’d published “Slow Dance” only a couple of hours before, and seldom ever publish 2 blogs.
I hate the conversation didn’t take off on this one … yet.
So, my thoughts … I think your questions are valid, but I also think that many of the “either/or” presentations are actually being fulfilled simultaneously.
And yeah, for the sake of discussion, the context of Tim’s quote is definitely geared for the corporate gatherings, not individual life. As individuals, we don’t need to recruit a lot of volunteers to walk out our own personal faith in the every-day life.
Example:
#1 Is the focus on plugging people into positions into the local “church” or the one true church?
My answer: isn’t one the expression of the other? Not sure either/or works, it’s both. The context of this particular article; however, was definitely the local congregation.
#2: What is more important, plugging people into childcare for Sunday morning or helping people discover how to live lives of worship (service) to God?
My Answer: can’t these be one in the same? Helping a volunteer find their “shape” as we’re teaching in our new “301″ class upstairs that started last night … that will definitely plug the right person into their Sunday “reach out” role … but at the same time, we hope that it will equip them and illuminate them for further service outside the 4 walls. Serving in Vacation Bible Schools at other churches. Working with kids at the Boy’s Club. Spearheading the children’s outreach on a foreign missions trip. Etc., etc.
As long as we have the “corporate assemly” we’ll need volunteers and servants, it seems. The issue of how they operate “after they leave” is one of teaching, awareness, and discipleship … and I totally agree, is a big deal, and one that we’re lacking in tremendously.
Then again, I look at some of the stuff that is going on “Monday-Saturday” as an extension of our own “local church” – not just the foreign missions, but the local work … the kids, all week this summer, packing boxes for the hungry at the Boy’s Club, serving at Salvation Army, serving at Mannah House, being “Unleashed” in the community.
The “God of This City” projects where we’ve repaired homes, reached out to the poor and needy.
The guys who drove up to the Cordele Farmer’s Market this week, and brought a pickup truck load of corn, melons, peaches, tomatoes, fruits/veggies … and gave them out for free to some widows, some of the poor and needy (and yes, to some of our SSCC STAFF, including me) …
Slowly, I think we’re getting it. It’s a minority, yes .. but I’m seeing people begin to make a difference.