How to recruit and keep new volunteers: Address their 3 biggest fears.
Photo by Melyna Valle on Unsplash
Sundays come every week, and oh, how we love our serving teams for making church happen! But if you feel like you’re the one constantly asking people to sign up to do more things, and start noticing they avoid you at the coffee table, or run the opposite direction when you try to talk to them after prayer meeting, don't take it personally! Instead, address these 3 common fears that rise up in people’s hearts when they hear your volunteering announcements.
#1: Fear of chaos.
Also known as:
fear of the bait and switch
fear of the disorganized manager
fear of the ballooning job description
Underlying a volunteer’s fear of chaos is the fear of realizing they’re stuck in a situation they would’ve definitely avoided, had the reality been accurately presented. Regardless how much someone loves to serve, no one wants to underperform in front of the whole church!
The Trellis method: Build trust by revealing how your operational systems create clarity and stability for this volunteer role.
Provide a realistic description of the role and a manageable scope of responsibility. Promise your potential volunteer a period of skills training before they start, plus "on the job" support during their first few serving assignments.
You'll be surprised how many people you can win over just by communicating a sense of stability and safety.
#2: Fear of commitment.
Also known as:
fear of burning out
fear of the everlasting obligation
fear of the manager’s anxious attachment
A volunteer who is afraid to commit wants a guarantee that there are term limits!
The Trellis method: Build release valves into your organizational structure.
Prior to this recruiting conversation, you will have already strategically assigned certain tasks to an "entry level" volunteer role, creating a space on the team for those who are afraid to commit––or cannot train to the fullest capacity––while still meeting parts of the existing need.
Tell your potential new volunteer that they are simply joining a rotation or team of volunteers for a season of time, not shouldering the entire responsibility until Jesus returns. Perhaps they would even like to ask some of their community group members to join the rotation too, you know, to really guarantee that each volunteer regularly gets a Sunday off!
#3: Fear of missing out (FOMO).
Also known as:
fear of wasting time
fear of having no impact
fear of being the wicked, lazy servant who did not invest their talents
The potential new volunteer who is wrestling with this fear is probably faced with a lot of other worthy opportunities to invest their time, passions and skills––including the other ministry teams in your church! How do you convince them that they are needed and wanted on your team?
The Trellis method: All of your systems, workflows, and organizational structures have been grounded and designed in the context of your church's vision and mission.
Now is your chance to cast vision for how this serving role directly ties into and supports the wider mission of your church. By articulating this about a serving position, you are activating a new volunteer’s individual purpose in the larger body of Christ.
Offering someone an opportunity for belonging as a contributing member of the church family gives them an immense sense of purpose and motivation. Ultimately, you are extending them an invitation to join hands in a work that is bigger than themselves––and you.
Casting vision, creating purpose, and calming fears go a long way in tearing down some of the barriers preventing more people from signing up to serve on the church production team, or on any ministry team for that matter!
Let your strategically designed operational systems do the heavy lifting, not your volunteers.