THE CARE AND FEEDING OF VOLUNTEERS
It is important to thank your volunteers in such a way that they
hear God saying, "This is my child whom I love - with whom I am
well pleased." Showing appreciation to your volunteers gives them
a sense of satisfaction and increases their desire to stay with
your ministry long-term.
We have listed a lot of suggestions below, but you shouldn't turn
volunteer appreciation into a "program." Quite the contrary.
Genuine appreciation flows from a genuinely appreciative heart.
How you can show appreciation to your volunteers:
- Create a slide show or video presentation showing volunteers
interacting with children and shut-ins; with Bible studies
and office chores. Show the video during a church coffee hour
that honors the volunteers.
- Celebrate their birthdays. Be the first to call and sing
Happy Birthday, or leave a balloon bouquet at their home.
Donate a monetary gift to their favorite charity in the
volunteer's name.
- Hold a picnic for the volunteers and their families. Or host
a special breakfast.
- Send periodic notes of encouragement. Thank their family, as
well, for their support. Give Biblical references of
gratitude and encouragement.
- Give coupons to movie theaters or a free movie rental at your
video store.
- Label families as team members. Give each family member a
button that says, "My mom's a Sunday school teacher" or "My
dad mows the lawn."
- Start a chain letter. Write a thank-you note to a teacher.
Attach a list of all the students and their addresses. Send
the note and list to the first person on the list explaining
that he/she should write a note and pass it on in the same
way. Have the last person mail the note to the teacher.
- Telephone. Make monthly phone calls to show your
appreciation. Ask if they need any extra help or support to
do their task.
- Create a mentor program to help volunteers understand the job
and do it well.
- Declare Volunteer Appreciation Month. On each Sunday in the
month show your thanks. Give flowers, take out an ad in your
newspaper, have parents serve a breakfast to the volunteers
before church, and have children present a "thank-you"
service for the whole congregation.
- Budget for it. When you're creating your budget for the
coming year, include appreciation items with adequate funds
allocated to this area. Or you can ask for financial help
from others in the congregation to purchase items to show
gratitude.
- Take your volunteers on a retreat. Use the time to teach them
a new skill, but primarily build a spirit of teamwork in
volunteerism.
Christine Yount is editor of Children's Ministry
Magazine and leads workshops on effective methods for
teaching children about God and the Bible.
Reprinted by permission from Awesome Volunteers by
Christine Yount, copyright (c) 1998. Group
Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Ave., Loveland, CO
80539, 1-800-447-1070.