Your volunteers won’t be jealous that they aren’t receiving the attention; they will feel mutually appreciated. They love the fact that you notice individuals. In fact, every time you highlight a contribution made by a volunteer, you sow the seeds of volunteerism in your entire congregation.
My pastor, Andy Stanley, frequently says, “Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone.” Don’t let the fear of leaving someone out cause you to miss the tremendous opportunity to recognize people publicly.
When I was pastoring a church in Atlanta, one of my favorite ways to do this was giving out an award at our quarterly leadership event. These awards were a big deal and they were a highlight of the evening.
We’ve got a whole training on how to do this inside of the Church Fuel One program.
#3 – Leverage the power of “by the way.”
“By the way” moments are a great way to recruit volunteers without having to put on the hard-sell or preach a full sermon.
Mention needs. Say thanks. Highlight contributions without making them a main point.
In other words, make it normal to talk about volunteering.
When you mention the busy school teacher who serves in the nursery in your sermon, you subtly remind people that serving is not just for people with loads of free time.
When you reference a few volunteers who were at your house talking about football, you remind people that you’re connected to people who serve and that volunteering is a way to get to know others.
Great communicators are masters of the “by the way” moments.
