3. Form manageable teams.
Organize your ministry into small teams. This allows leaders to shepherd and disciple their team members. Trained, full-time staffers may be able to supervise 12 to 15 people. Volunteers can manage three to five people.
God’s design for ministry has almost always been through teams. God designed people with different gifts and personalities. When those differences are seen as strengths and meshed into teams, volunteers grow a sense of belonging. Plus, the excitement of seeing something bigger than themselves emerges.
4. Meet the spiritual and emotional needs of volunteers.
Burnout never comes from hard work. It’s due to emotional and physical fatigue combined with feeling unappreciated. Because of this, we try to avoid the burnout syndrome by caring for our workers. Directors meet twice each month with their ministry teams for Bible study, training, accountability, prayer, and fellowship.
A small group of teachers in a given classroom…or workers who sort curriculum…or greeters who guide visitors…can minister to their teammates. Joining this type of “ministry group” allows people to grow spiritually. Volunteers who receive personal, spiritual nurturing last longer and perform better. As a result, they create greater impact in the ministry.
Because one group meets many needs—spiritual nurturing and planning for the ministry task—volunteers can attend fewer meetings and build friendships. People form a close bond with those who best understand ministry joys and struggles.
