Article
What best communicates love to you? Is it a crazy, over-the-top gesture? While those can be great, they can’t replace regular rhythms of attention and concern. When we think about showing love to our volunteers, our minds often go to creating big appreciation events or purchasing expensive gifts. Then we get frustrated by budget and time limitations. But the secret sauce of showing appreciation isn’t in the grand gestures. Rather, it is in the intentionality of knowing our people and expressing genuine love through relationship and kindness.
What You Can Do Every Week
Sending a dozen roses to every volunteer might not fit into your budget and also may eventually feel a little creepy. But there are simple things you can do every single week to communicate your love to your volunteers.
- Pray. I know that sounds like the Sunday school answer. But praying for those we serve alongside builds a spiritual connection that can be difficult to understand. It softens our hearts and it invites God into the relationship. Pray God would expand your love and make it obvious to every volunteer.
- Slow down to say “hi”. Ministry times are busy and you are likely spinning many plates. More than once, I have caught myself running past a volunteer and telling them something to do without even pausing to say “Good morning.” Slow yourself down enough to be people-oriented instead of task-oriented.
- Say “thank you” out loud. Look for an opportunity to thank your volunteers for serving every single week. Don’t assume they know how much you appreciate them!
- Provide the resources they need. Make sure your volunteers have the supplies they need for the week. By resourcing them well, you make volunteers’ jobs easier, which communicates your care. Make sure problems in their space are resolved. If they report something is missing or broken, address it ASAP. Looking at the same broken table every week communicates, “This isn’t really important.”
- Make it a pleasant place to serve. Kids’ ministry should be the most fun place in the whole church. Look for ways to decrease stress and emphasize joy. Provide a spot just for volunteers that has snacks, drinks and other treats.
- Build community. Kids’ volunteers often sacrifice time with adults to serve kids. Help connect your volunteers with one another for relationship-building, prayer support and fun.
- Understand that volunteers have lives. Once, a leader called a volunteer three times in a row during the day. The volunteer finally answered, even though she was at work, assuming it was urgent. The leader wanted to know the location of the attendance roll from the day before. We show our volunteers we care by honoring that they have lives beyond their ministry volunteer roles.
- Pay attention to the Holy Spirit’s prompting. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to ways you can connect with your volunteers or meet their needs. It may be a hug when someone is feeling down or an encouraging word when they are stressed. You love your volunteers well when you are tuned into what God leads you to do.
What You Can Do on a Regular Basis
- Make a plan to connect. During one season of ministry, I recorded every volunteer’s name on my calendar. Over the course of 60 days, I had 2–3 volunteer names pop up on my calendar each day. I would pray for those volunteers on that day, but I would also send a text, a handwritten note, or schedule a coffee or lunch. This plan made sure I connected with everyone. When the sixty days were up, I hit repeat!
- Know their favorites. At the beginning of a ministry season, collect information about your volunteers’ preferences. This could be a simple form they fill out at church or an online form you send out. When you see a volunteer go above and beyond in their role, or maybe when the Lord brings someone’s quiet faithfulness to mind, get them a personalized treat — their favorite candy bar, a $5 gift card to their favorite coffee shop, etc.
- Provide training that matters. Volunteers want to do their job well. How can you best set them up to succeed without overwhelming them with content and time requirements?
- Honor their time. Be strategic with meetings and the extra time you ask of your volunteers. Have you ever left a meeting and thought, “Why didn’t they just email that information?” Your volunteers will feel the same! You communicate care by ensuring the time you ask of them is well used.
- Feed them well. I had a ministry rule: if I expected volunteers to attend a meeting or training, they could trust we would have great food. I’m a firm believer that good food is everyone’s love language. Make room in your budget to get the good bagels, cater in everyone’s favorite tacos or splurge on a yummy dessert.
- Remind them of the “why.” Let’s be honest, serving in kids’ ministry week in and week out can be draining. Loving your volunteers means reminding them why what they are doing matters. Remind them that their presence isn’t just making your life better logistically, but that their service is making an eternal difference through child discipleship.
What You Can Do Every Now and Then…
- Have a party. At least once a year your team needs to gather together. Consider not using this time for training, but rather celebrating all God has done. Have great food. Create memories together. Consider ways to honor their work and dedication.
- Give some swag. Invest in shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, bags or other items branded with your kids’ ministry logo. Smaller options include Christmas ornaments, stickers for water bottles, magnets for cars or pens and pencils.
- Allow the whole church to celebrate your volunteers. Consider having a once-a-year opportunity for the church to honor your volunteers. Have parents and kids write notes or record videos sharing the impact individual volunteers have made. Highlight them on social media. Recognize them in the service and celebrate them like they are rock stars.
I’m sure you’ve heard the joke about the man who never told his wife he loved her. When she complained, he informed her that he told her once on their wedding day and if it changed he would let her know. That is obviously a bad plan for marriages and it is a bad plan for our volunteers as well. Recruitment is the beginning of a relationship. Every chance you get, communicate to volunteers their value and your love.
Jenny Smith serves as the Lead Brite Developer for Awana. She previously served in children’s ministry for 20 years in the local church and has served ministry leaders through writing, coaching, and speaking. Jenny is the mama to three amazing girls and lives in Bradenton, Florida. She loves traveling, reading, and eating ice cream.
