Encouraging parishioners to serve is an important part of the parish’s role in the community and, more importantly, in helping each parishioner grow in their relationship with Christ. But how do we find these superstar servants who freely give their time, energy, and expertise? Where are they all hiding? ParishSOFT has some suggestions.
1. JustAsk
This first point seems obvious, but it’s often overlooked. You need toactually ask people to serve. You may think it’s self-evident, but you’d besurprised how many members just don’t know how to find opportunities to serve.
Extend the invitation to volunteer across all yourcommunication channels:
- Does your website include a section forservice opportunities?
- Do you regularly highlight volunteers andservice activities on social media?
- Do you call out specific opportunities duringmass, in the bulletin, and at Sunday School classes?
- Do you regularly circulate the needs forshort-term service projects with Small Group leaders?
- Do you feature service opportunities in yourmember newsletter, along with a call-to-action to volunteer?
- What are you doing to make it easy for yourcurrent volunteers to invite their friends to a service event?
In addition to spreading the word, don’t forget to askpeople one-on-one. You may have supporters who would love to get more involvedwith your parish if they only knew you wanted them. Consider setting up adisplay and meeting people in your parish lobby. Set up a laptop so members cansign up on the spot.
Once you start looking outside your immediate circle ofregular volunteers, your website and church management software (ChMS) likeParishSOFT Family Suite are there to help you. Using your website to serve as acentral place for posting volunteer opportunities is always a good idea butusing a ChMS that has a robust volunteer pipeline to expedite the process isalways key to making it easier on those looking to serve and for parishadministrators handling the backend processing and communications.
2. BeSpecific
“Volunteer” is not a specific description of a job. All it means is thatsomeone is volunteering time to do a task. If you put out a general call forvolunteers no one knows exactly what you mean. Ask for people to do thespecific jobs: ushers, greeters, childcare, or small group leaders. Prospectivevolunteers will know exactly what you’re looking for and see themselves in yourcall for service.
Point to the specific skills that volunteers need to dothe job. If you’re willing to teach someone how to do something, make sure youmention it. (Likewise, if you need special experience, make that clear, too.)Getting specific also helps to get around any mistaken ideas aboutvolunteering. Specifics paint a clearer picture.
3. Focuson the Volunteer
Flip the question: ask why they need you. Why should someone give time to your parish?“We need help!” may be true, but it doesn’t make the most compelling case forvolunteering. Instead, focus on what volunteers gain by giving their time.
- Point out that as Christians we are called toserve. (Mark 10:45)
- Making a difference by helping others in thecommunity
- Using their skills and talents for theKingdom
- Meeting others in the community and sharingthe Gospel
- Serving a cause they believe in
4. Keep it Simple
Is signup easy? Are the staff members they encounter friendly and helpful? Don’t underestimate the power of a form that won’t load, a cold-sounding administrator, or an unreturned phone call to turn a member off your service opportunities.
Look at your website. Does it clearly lay out the nextsteps toward becoming a volunteer? Does it link directly to your ChMS to helpexpedite the process (especially where volunteers need to have extra steps likebackground checks), and does it automatically respond with a confirmation emailand alert the right coordinator? When someone expresses an interest involunteering with you, follow up quickly, even if it’s just to say, “Thanks,we’ll get back to you soon.”
5. ProvideOpportunities for Different Levels of Engagement
Maximize the number of volunteers you can appeal to by providingopportunities to help out at different levels of commitment. Some likeorganizing large-scale events like bagging meals for foreign missions. Makesure you offer a variety of service opportunities. Make it clear in yourvolunteer content that you have opportunities for different levels ofcommitment. If someone has a positive experience doing a small volunteerassignment for your church, they may consider getting more involved in thefuture.
Once you’ve recruited a new service volunteer, you’ve only just begun! Now you’ll need to manage and retain them. Retention is the opposite side of the recruitment coin, and it might even be more important. It’s important that you have a church management application that can track and report their engagement over time: this can help you spot trends and modify your volunteer strategies. Serving the Church and the community is one of the best ways for parishioners to grow in their walk with Christ. Make sure you make it easier for all your members to participate in this critical opportunity.
From Ministry Tech