By Jake Miller / Director of Guest Services / Browns Bridge Community Church
We come in contact with our volunteers every Sunday. We know their roles on our teams, and we see them fulfill their responsibilities. When the opportunity presents itself, we engage in a little small talk. But… do we really know them? Who are they are during the week? What do they do for a living? Are they married? Do they have kids? How is their family life? What is their story?
As paid staff, it can be easy to forget that our volunteers have a life outside of Sunday. That narrow view often causes us to think of our volunteers as people who simply accomplish a task on Sunday… and nothing more. We tend to forget that, like us, they have families, careers, and hobbies. Like us, they deal with stress, pressure and deadlines. Like us, they have successes and failures. The list goes on.
In the busyness of Sunday, there is much to be done and little time to build relationships. But what would happen if we actually took the time to invest in relationships with our volunteers… outside of Sunday? To make it personal. Grab coffee with them, or take them to lunch. Invite them into our homes. Take a genuine interest in their lives.
When we make it personal, everything changes. Our interactions with them take on more meaning. Our conversations with them have depth. The relational mileage increases our ability to lead them effectively.
Investing in the lives of our volunteers takes intentionality. It takes time. But it’s so worth it.
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December 14th, 2009 at 8:57 am
I appreciate this. It IS easy to forget that your team of volunteers have lives that consist of more than their volunteer role. Thank you for the encouraging reminder. And your absolutely right that when we invest in our teams, everthing changes. It spills out in every area. And in the end…it all just keeps getting better!