Picking up from yesterday, I believe volunteers matter and we have to actively have a plan for how we can grow them so that we can actively carry out the vision God has given us. Unfortunately, this post would be too large if I gave it to you all at once. So, here are half of the cliff notes of some things we are fixing to share with our volunteer leaders this Sunday. This is our plan of how to grow volunteers so we can actively carry out the vision:
Vision: Unveil the love of Christ to every family in the Upstate.
Reality: More families –> more volunteers –> more volunteer leaders
Question: What do we have to do to go to the next level?
1) We will need more Volunteers
I believe we have to be very careful when we begin to say “we need” because it isn’t central to one key part that people have to hear…it’s called vision! I also believe that they constant struggle we Quantity vs. Quality:
- Quantity is the desire of more people.
- Quality is the desire to have more people who know what’s going on.
2) We will need more Volunteer Leaders
The larger we get the more we have to realize that we can’t rely on staff to micro-lead everything. We have to establish volunteer leaders. However, these people must know that leadership isn’t “just” informational; it’s relational. Matter of fact, I believe the role of a volunteer leader is as follows:
- Support the leadership
- If you aren’t in full unguarded dedication to the leadership, you are a distraction. Sound harsh? that’s because it is. If I take time to question my leader it proves one of two things:I’m arrogant and think I hear from God better than him and the leadership team or I’m selfish and think that every decision needs me thinking through it!
- Lead those in your Care
- Personal Interaction
- Constantly Cast Vision
Plan: Set up volunteer leader roles that enable us to grow, remain personal, and is simple and easy for volunteers.
Logistical flow of command:
- (For Crew) Staff –> Service Producers –> Grade Coaches –> Directors & Co-Directors
- (For Cast) Staff –> Production Producers –> Actor Coach & Media Coach –> Actors & Media
Questions:
- Why this structure?
- How does this look on Sunday? (we will look at this one tomorrow)
- How does this look during the week? (we will look at this one tomorrow)
Why this structure?
1) Enables effective & efficient lines of communication
You can only effectively lead 5-8 people. However, most of us are trying to juggle 22 people at a time and our relationship with Christ, families, ministries. Communication must be easy to do and simple enough to understand (who, how and where do I go). It should be made 2-3 times per week and not just as an informational contact, but a relational one.
The more your church grows the more people will feel like they are a very tiny small part of something really big and that can lead to feeling like they don’t matter. Our desire should be to set up a structure that enables everyone (young or old) to know their leader and their leader know them (personally, not just their name & hair color). The kids need to know their DIRECTOR (Group Leader) and see them each week! The DIRECTORS need to know their COACH (Grade leader), COACH their PRODUCER, PRODUCER their staff….you get the idea.
Also, we have to be mindful with our volunteer structures that we are going to grow…it’s a must! So, we must set up a process, structure, procedure that enables growth; not that puts us under a glass lid.
