Building Your Church's Volunteer Team

Great team builders are great volunteer recruiters. Churches are volunteer based organizations. No matter how great the staff or well staffed a church is its ability to sustain itself and accomplish its mission is dependent upon a large base of engaged volunteers. And perhaps even more challenging, the larger the church the larger the percentage of volunteers it needs. This makes developing a strong volunteer culture a critical factor for growth and health.
Here are five practices of a great volunteer recruiter:

1. Be a positive watcher. Look for people who are doing things well. When you're the person who notices when others do good you'll create an environment of positive expectation.​

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1. Give truthful, specific praise. Saying "thank you" is always a good practice but supercharge that practice with specifics. A children's Bible class coordinator might say, "I want to tell you thank you. I have noticed how you are always in class, on time, and with a smile on your face to greet your students when they arrive."
2. Develop a praiseworthy reputation.  Great volunteer team builders make people feel better about themselves. Be a positive encourager who builds the esteem of others.
3. Be a fan of others. Have you ever had a supervisor whom you dreaded to see enter the room because you knew what you would hear is what you are doing wrong? When you're a fan of others they'll respond to your presence by doing better.
4. Be a talent scout. Look for opportunities to call people into new roles of ministry and service. For me this often means looking at the person first then finding a role for them rather than needing to fill a role then looking for a person.

If you're looking to break growth barriers, to become a healthier church, or to simply increase your personal effectiveness as a leader develop your team building skills as a volunteer recruiter.