The question of volunteer recruitment comes in many forms.
How do we get people off the sideline and into the game?
How do we help members get motivated when it just seems like they want to come and listen or be entertained?
How do we engage people when they are already so busy or say that they’re tired and need a break?
Volunteer recruitment. Pastors and church leaders know they will never be able to do all of the ministry that needs to be done. But seeing people take the next steps to serve is another story.
I’ve never had a church leader come to me and say, “We have too many volunteers.” Instead, we hear the opposite time and time again. How do we encourage volunteer recruitment?
The question is even more important when you consider that people often give their time before they give their money, and volunteers are three times more likely to invite their friends to church.
So, let’s talk about volunteer recruitment.
5 Methods of Volunteer Recruitment
#1 – Get good at saying thanks.
The first step in volunteer recruitment is to thoroughly thank your existing volunteers.
That’s right…before you worry about bringing any new people into your volunteer base, make sure the volunteers you already have serving are the happiest and healthiest people in your church.
If your current volunteers are under appreciated, you’re asking people to jump on board a sinking ship. And very few people want to make that leap.
Have a simple system in place to thank your current volunteers. That system could consist of:
- Personal handwritten thank you notes like these to recognize individual contributions
- An annual volunteer appreciation event
- Regularly scheduled insider communication
- A team structure that makes sure everyone serving has a shepherd to care for their soul
Since people naturally go where they are appreciated, make sure you thank your volunteers over and over again. It’s the most powerful thing you can do to attract new people.
#2 – Highlight volunteer contributions.
Not only should you thank your volunteers individually, but you should also appreciate them publicly.
Call attention to people who go above and beyond. Recognize people by name and in public. Every time you do this, it means a lot to the person you’re recognizing, but it also makes a difference to your larger volunteer base.
