some thoughts on volunteers

Here are some random thoughts I have about working with volunteers. I work with a team of 8 volunteers who make up the student ministry team. As far as I know – we all have a pretty great time together and I count these people as “friends.” Here are some thoughts from my year+ of hanging with them:

They want to give
These adult leaders aren’t just filling in because we NEED a warm body. They’re there because God is using this for a portion of their journey. This is a season of their life. This is the response to something from deep within them rather than merely filling some slot on the schedule

They have better ideas than I do
I went to college for 4 years preparing for this. One of my volunteers is a mom of 2 teenagers. She’s spent 15 years preparing for this. Another volunteer is a former youth pastor. Another is a my wife. Another learned what it means to follow Christ at a real (meaning: not “christian”) university and has real-life experience that mirrors the students’. Of all those people, why are my ideas best? Quick answer: they aren’t.

They have real lives
Some of us in the ministry-as-a-career world forget that most people spend the majority of their days and weeks doing things totally unrelated to our church programs. If you really want to pull off that many events and that many programs, but volunteers don’t have the time, then you’re trying to do TOO much. Knock it off. Slow down. Volunteers are a great measure of the pace of your ministry.

ps. if you “volunteer” with me. thanks. you’re awesome. you’re rockstars. you’re the best.

pps. i don’t think there will be a distinction between “volunteer” and “paid” in heaven. actually, there may be … and I’d imagine the “volunteer” would be a higher status.