This post is part of the Youth Connection, a collection of articles sent as a follow-up to GYMN trainings. You can use these posts in your youth ministry. At the end of the article are questions for you to reflect on or for your youth leadership team to discuss.
I would venture to say that 98% of all youth ministry work is done by volunteers. Sure, there is the exception of paid youth workers in some areas of the world, but even then if their ministry is healthy a majority of the work done in their ministry is done by a large group of volunteers (unpaid committed leaders). Churches and youth ministries were designed primarily to be a volunteer organization. The power of churches and youth ministries truly is the power of everybody, as men and women, young and old, offer their gifts to work out God’s redemptive plan. In our Level 2 training we spend focused time on discussing the recruiting of leaders and other details on teams and leadership. Here I want to dig even deeper and talk specifically about keeping volunteers.
Although this is directed to leaders of volunteers, the principles apply to any team member, whether they are paid, volunteer or even a church leader for a different department. Very simply, yet very profoundly, volunteers should be treated how you would want to be treated. It is always helpful in working with people to put yourself in their position or in their “shoes”. Scripture is very clear about one of the two greatest commandments being to “…love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39). We often speak of this in terms of evangelism, but this verse is not specific. It really means to anyone. Therefore, this would relate to our love for our volunteer teams. Just as Christ took on the flesh of humanity, we are challenged to put on the shoes of the volunteer and ask ourselves, “How would I want to be treated as a volunteer?” and “What would an incredible experience as a volunteer look like?”
It would be personally helpful to take an inventory of how we are doing in caring for and thus keeping our volunteers. Below are a few questions that you can use for volunteers. You may consider answering the questions first as a leader (by answering how you think your volunteers feel) and then ask your volunteers and compare the two. This will show you how in tune you are with the volunteers around you.
Volunteer Assessment Questions:
1. Did the work feel meaningful?
2. Was your emotional energy higher or lower after you served? Did you feel energized or drained?
3. Do you enjoy serving with the team? Is there a comfortable relational dynamic on the serving team?
4. Does this opportunity really fit into your schedule?
Answering the above questions have left some leaders with feedback that was brutally honest. Here is a sample of what the typical feelings of volunteers can be. Too many willing volunteers have been wounded on the job. 
They have responded to an invitation to serve, only to end up in a volunteer position that was poorly created. This resulted in tasks that few people would find fulfilling. Or they show up to serve and discover that they have nothing to do. Unprepared volunteer coordinators or youth leaders often waste the time of others, causing them to lose precious hours that they had willingly carved out from their busy schedule. Some volunteers work hard on menial tasks without ever hearing how their efforts serve a much larger cause; they are given plenty of work, but no vision. Others have felt overwhelmed by unreasonable demands for which they have not received proper training. Many volunteers have been hurt when a coercive leader drafted them to “fill a slot” without considering their gifts or talents or what they love to do. Some have given hours, maybe even years in voluntary service without receiving a single thank you.
We could summarize these typical feelings, problems or shortcomings in leadership of volunteers into the positive which will help us see what volunteers need that we can provide.
1. Clear description of job.
2. List of tasks ready and prioritized for and/or with the volunteers.
3. The tasks are communicated in direct relationship to the overall vision. In addition, stories of success are shared to further engage the volunteers’ excitement.
4. Proper training opportunities are provided.
5. Volunteers are placed or moved into work that fits their gifts, talents and passion.
6. Volunteers are thanked regularly and creatively.
This work with volunteers is really an aspect of disciple-making. It is an area that helps everyone win. Just like in any sports team, there are different roles to play and many sacrifices to be made to insure victory, but we are already on the winning team. Not only does the team “win”, but everyone involved wins as we see described in the next group of statements.
The equippers/leaders/staff win each time they see God greatly use the volunteers they have recruited, loved, trained and empowered.
The volunteers win, because they get the thrill of moving from the spectator’s seat to the playing field. They become instruments of healing, hope, and transformation in the hands of God.
The surrounding community (of believers and non-believers) wins as they receive the service of a loving, unified, multi-gifted force for good.
The Architect of the whole plan wins because He (God) has the pleasure of seeing His children carry forward His grand purpose of fixing this broken world! I know as a follower of Christ you have already won through Christ’s victory on the cross and you can continue to be a winner by sharing that truth to others. Know, that as you disciple others who are volunteering to work with you, that Paul’s comments close to 2000 years ago are still true for you today, “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”(1 Cor. 15:58). This includes your labor to Christ Himself as you minister and care for the volunteers He has purposefully placed in your care.
Chris Davis
GYMN Founder and Executive Director
(thoughts taken from “The Volunteer Revolution”: Bill Hybels)
Reflection and Action Items:
1. Take a few moments to answer the following questions personally and then as a group:
a. How would I want to be treated as a volunteer?
b. What would an incredible experience as a volunteer look like?
2. As a team answer and discuss the following questions together:
a. Are we caring for our volunteers properly? (How do you know? Have you asked them?)
b. Are we providing the right training?
c. Is there a better way we could recruit?
d. What are the faithful volunteers in our youth ministry actually experiencing? (Have we asked them?)
e. Are the volunteers growing spiritually? Are we sure?
f. Are the volunteers energized by the overall vision of our church and youth ministry?
g. Do the volunteers feel like an integral part of a team (not just together, say as a youth ministry team, but do they feel a part of the larger church team)?
h. What solutions would you recommend to improve any of the following above?
3. Take time to discuss the issues that many volunteers may feel or been subject to below. Rate your team on how they are doing in each area? What real steps will be taken to improve? Also use the list of six positive coinciding attributes found in the article as you work through this process.
a. Volunteer’s position was poorly created.
b. Volunteer has nothing to do (wasted time).
c. Volunteer never hears how his or her efforts serve a much larger cause; they are given plenty of work, but no vision.
d. Volunteer has not received proper training.
e. Leadership drafted the volunteer to “fill a slot” without considering their gifts or talents or what they love to do.
f. Volunteer never received a single thank you.
Let me give this opportunity to thank all the volunteers of GYMN, from prayer partners to our trainers. GYMN has very few staff workers and operates mostly on volunteer basis.THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITTMENT AND QUALITY WORK. I know that most of the time, we at GYMN forget to say how much we apreciate what you do. But we do. God, who is a rewarder will give back to you manifold times the blessings you give us and the youth leaders around Asia. Look forward to more years sharing ministry with you.