Do your volunteers know and believe that what they do matters? Don’t assume they do. Show them. Here are five ways …
Show their work on social media.
Take pictures of your volunteers in action and then post them on social media. Add comments that highlight their ministry. Here are a few examples of pictures I’ve posted on our volunteer Facebook page.
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| Gardine Demesmin helping kids memorize God’s Word at our Boynton Beach Campus. |
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| Andrea Rosario, Maria Gutierrez, Yvette Avila and Tina Sands serve at our Royal Palm campus as part of the welcome/greeter team. They help new families feel loved and at home when they walk through the doors. They’re a big reason families feel welcomed on their first visit. |
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| Roxann Taylor and Carol Wegener loving on kids and families at our Stuart Campus yesterday. Thank you ladies for helping kids and families discover how much God loves them. |
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| It’s volunteers like Nick Rasek that make CF Kids such a special place for kids to learn about God. |
Connect their work to the fruit.
Make sure they know when a family is dedicating their child, when a child steps across the line of faith, when a child follows Jesus in baptism, when a child lives out something they taught, when an entire family is reached and other examples of fruit that have come from their ministry.
Let your volunteers know that they each had a part in the lives that were changed. Whether they greeted at the door or rocked a baby or taught a class or handed out a craft or led a song … God brought fruit from their ministry.
Here’s another picture we posted a few months ago. We were celebrating with our team. One hundred thirty two kids had followed Jesus in baptism that past weekend. I wanted to remind them they each had a part in what God did.
Have the kids and families tell them.
It means so much to your volunteers to hear from the kids and families they’re impacting. Have special appreciation days where you have the kids and families bring notes to your volunteers. Pause during the children’s service and have the kids thank the volunteers for serving and impacting their lives.
One of the most impactful moments I’ve seen is when kids gather around their volunteer leader and pray for him or her. Try it. It’s priceless.
Personally tell them.
I personally remind our volunteers on a regular basis that they matter. That what they do matters. A lot. Saying “thank you” helps volunteers feel appreciated. But don’t stop there. Take it a step further. Tell them that what they do matters. This helps them feel valued.
Pass along the good words.
When you get a thank you note or email from a family that has been impacted … don’t keep it to yourself. Share it with your volunteers. 
