Lessons on Volunteer Management from Church

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Someone has ever said this to me: Social service organisation seems to be the reverse of the church; in the former, staff forms the majority with volunteers being the minority while volunteers form the majority with pastoral and ministry staff being the minority. How true! Perhaps, we may have a thing or two to learn about volunteer management from the church but still recognizing that the two are uniquely different organisations serving the needs of two very distinctively different profile of people.

Being the curious me and one who have a keen interest in the practice of volunteer management, I seek to understand how particularly my church do it; the factors that might just be the right ingredients for a successful volunteer programme.

1. Relationships & Bonds - I believe that this might be a fundamental "ingredient". If I were to be daring to make an assumption, I would say that everyone yearns to belong to communities and yearns to relate to one another. And relationships and bonds may just be the one thing that keep people "rooted" into a place. Thus, in order for a person to make the commitment to want to serve in an organisation, he/she must first feel that he/she has a stake there. He/she won't feel that they have a stake until he/she develops a sense of place and a sense of belongingness to the place. He/she will not be able to develop this sense of place and belongingness until he/she feels comfortably settled in the midst of similar-minded individuals with shared visions and purpose(s). Think cell groups and people serving in ministries.
   
2. Opportunities - A simple demand and supply discussion. It is no point having people who would want to serve but have no avenues to serve. Think of the various ministries of the church and the various roles played by volunteers from the congregation.
   
   Opportunities would include:
   
   (a) Management Support - What is the management's belief of the role of volunteers in the organisation? What is their vision? Does it have a clear mission and vision and how can volunteers contribute to that? What is their volunteer management philosophy? Do they dedicate resources to the management of volunteers? What is the level of empowerment of volunteers?
   
   (b) Variety - As certain that we are all different and have different skills, interests, preferences, experiences, talents, motivations and expectations, there should also be a multitude of ways to serve, tapping on giftings. Think of the ushers and video crew in the church... some love to meet people and shake their hands, some prefer to avoid contact and support from behind the scenes. Some prefer to do something they are good in, some prefer to learn new skills. Some prefer to do things that they are familiar with while some prefer to do new things unrelated to their jobs.
   
   (c) Roles & Expectations - Are roles and expectations clearly spelled out so volunteers know what is expected of them, what is permissible and what is frowned upon? Are roles carefully carved out vis-a-vis staff's role to complement one another rather than compete against one another to cause tension and suspicion that volunteers are here to take over staff's "rice bowl"? Do volunteers know how their roles contribute to the organisation's vision and mission? Do staff understand the role volunteers play in contributing to the organisation's vision and mission? What is the level of empowerment of volunteers by staff? Are resources (e.g. training and mentoring) dedicated to help volunteers perform their roles? Think how the church decides what is done by staff and what is done by volunteers?
   
   (d) Communications - Opportunities may exist but how are these communicated? Is the mode of communication effective and reaching out to the right audience? Is the format easy to comprehend and user-friendly, catering to all groups? Is there a regular means of communicating opportunities to serve so people who decides to serve can readily find information on it? Think of the church bulletin and church announcements.
   
   Also think of marketing and branding. Is there a face to the volunteer programme? Is there a consistent identity that is being used? Is the branding image easy to understand and replicate? What is the extent of "word of mouth" marketing in place? "Word of mouth" marketing tends to be a more convincing form of marketing since testimonies are powerful and personalised. Think sharing of testimonies.
   
   (e) Motivators - Maslow states that everyone have needs. Does the management and staff recognize that everyone is unique and have different needs? Most times, volunteers are on lookout for intangible benefits e.g. sense of satisfaction, sense of belongingness, try and learn new things. Does management and staff recognize this and use this information to help structure volunteer assignments and in their interaction with the volunteers? Think of the life changes, spiritual and emotional support provided by the church. life change
   
3. System - Once people are keen and committed to serve, there need to be a system to properly manage the work with volunteers. This would include tools, forms, policies, guidelines and workflows. Are there systems to manage the recruitment, selection, placement, retention & recognition, apparaisal, support, training and exit of volunteers? Are there mechanisms for feedback to refine systems? How open are management and staff to feedback? How is feedback viewed by volunteers, staff and management? Do they view it as "avenues to get back at people" or "avenues for others to find fault with me"? How sensitively are feedbacks being handled? Think of processes put into place on how you sign up to help out in ministries, the forms, the procedures, the training etc.
   
4. Climate - If you are a visitor, what is the first impression of the organisation? Do you feel welcome? How warm, friendly and welcoming are frontline staff? What is the general climate in which staff and volunteers work together? Is there an emphasis on results or process? Are there frequent celebrations involving staff and volunteers? How receptive are staff to volunteers? How receptive are volunteers to staff? Does the climate promote care and growth e.g. leadership? Is the organisation family friendly and engaged the family? Think of the welcome ministry, carpark marshals, usher, information counter officers.