A subject that seems to come up a lot is our volunteer strategy. We’re no different than you. We love our volunteers! We try to create a great volunteer experience. But we’re always looking for ways to get better.

Below are a few common questions we’ve been asked this week that we thought we’d try to answer. We hope this will help your team continue the valuable conversations you’ve begun at Drive.

Question 1: How can we recruit more volunteers?
While we all tend to blame “them” for not volunteering, the blame may belong with us. A lack of volunteers may be our fault.

Questions for your team:

• How do you help your current volunteers feel safe, valued, and part of something bigger than themselves?
• How do those who don’t volunteer perceive your church’s volunteer experience?
• How could you more effectively communicate your need for volunteers?
• What are some new ways you could recruit volunteers?
• Are the steps to becoming a volunteer easy and obvious?
• Are there volunteer opportunities for all kinds of people—even non-Christians?
• Do you celebrate your volunteers often and meaningfully?

Resources for your team:

• Listen to Andy’s message called “Engage” to learn about one way we recruit volunteers.
• We believe one of the things God uses to grow our faith is personal ministry. Listen to Andy’s talk about this at northpointstore.com.
• Check out our new product called Casting Vision For Serving. It’s available at Drive and will be available soon at northpointstore.com.

Question 2: How do we clearly communicate our vision to our volunteers—continually?
No doubt your staff is passionate about your church’s vision. You probably feel like you talk about it too much. You don’t. Talk about your vision every week.

Questions for your team:

• How often do you hear your volunteers communicating your vision to others?
• How and when does your staff share stories about your vision being lived out?
• Have you empowered your volunteer leaders to cast vision to their teams?
• How and where could you communicate your vision more effectively?

Resources for your team:

• Use our resources on making vision stick (book, audio message from Drive 2009, and DVD message) at northpointstore.com.
• Listen to Jeff Henderson’s talk called “Vision Is a Team Sport” at northpointstore.com.

Question 3: How do we keep volunteers committed?
Most people don’t sign up to volunteer planning to quit in the middle of their assignments. Something happens to disillusion them. What part of this can you control?

Questions for your team:

• How do you communicate expectations for volunteer roles?
• Do you offer volunteer opportunities that require various levels of commitment? Give examples.
• How do you make sure your volunteers have fun?
• How could you celebrate your volunteers more effectively?
• In which environments do you see volunteers recruiting other volunteers?
• How do you provide care for your volunteers when they face difficult circumstances?

Resources for your team:

• Preview our video at northpointstore.com to see how we celebrated our volunteers.
• Listen to Andy’s message called “Together” at northpointstore.com.