Be Care Full!

As a ministry leader it’s vitally important to pray for, locate, recruit and cultivate relationships with volunteers.  The church is one of those places where the use of volunteers isn’t just important it’s necessary.  It takes all kinds of volunteers to make ministry happen.  Some are great and some simply are not.  I have a very short list of volunteers that are so good it makes you wonder if they are paid workers.  They just blow me away.  They are almost perfect!  Now, speaking of perfect and for the sake of moving this blog along if I could build the “perfect volunteer” I would build in the following traits:

#1) Good Attitude – God loves a good attitude and so do I.  A volunteer that has that “Can-Do” spirit spreads that attitude to others.  it’s like a good virus! Phil 2:5

#2) Dependability – This is easy! One that commits to serving and then actually follows through with that commitment as if they were serving God and not man.  The dependable volunteer is by far the most valued! Phil 2:19-23

#3) Graceful– this means forgiving! They forgive their fellow volunteers when they don’t do something quite right.  Forgive the parents when they don’t treat them very nice, forgive the kids for not always being angels and forgive the leadership for being imperfect. Grace is beautiful! Col 4:6

#4) Flexible – The most irritating thing a volunteer has to go through is being tossed around, left hanging and abused by the leadership.  Oh admit it…that happens in ministry.  It’s not by design, it’s just what happens from time to time.  That’s were flexibility is essential for the perfect volunteer. Phil 1:23

#5) Appreciative – I love a volunteer that looks at volunteering as their opportunity to show God how much they love Him.  Not because some desperate children’s leader begged them but because they are so unbelievably thankful to be a part of God’s team, serving the most wonderful thing ever – our perfect loving and awesome God!  Gotta appreciate that! Col 3:15

#6) Self Sufficient – The perfect volunteer embraces their position and owns it. They don’t present problems without possible solutions and they take great pride in trying to make the things around them excellent (IE: environment, people, attitude). Of course, this trait requires that the leadership allows for this type of behavior.  If leaders want volunteers to act like leaders too then they have to empower their volunteers to do so.  Good reminder for me! 2 Corinthians 3:5

#7) Prayerful – You can tell the volunteers that pray a lot. They have more of everything on this list.  That’s because they are in communication with God and that’s always a good thing.  A prayerful volunteer is probably praying for themselves last and every child, parent, leader and the church first.  Prayerful volunteers just get it! Eph 6:18

#8) Obedient – This does not mean obedient like a dog or fearful slave.  This means obedient to the authority of God and respectful to the leadership in place.  The perfect volunteer does both even when it’s hard sometimes. Eph 6:5-7

#9) Hard-working – Need I say more?  I might add Smart-working! Prov 12:24

#10) Teachable – Everyone should be more teachable!  If you are willing to listen, then you’re willing to learn and those willing to learn can someday be willing to teach others who are willing to listen.  It should be cyclical! The perfect volunteer is always willing to learn just a little bit more all the time. Prov 8:32-36

11) Communicative – The perfect volunteer doesn’t mind sharing their thoughts, concerns, suggestions, hopes, dreams and their heart.  The trick here is that they share those things with the leadership.  As a leader, I should be willing to listen and affirm.  Face to face, phone, email, text, etc… It doesn’t matter just communicate. I’ll use James 1:19 here to remind me that as a leader if a volunteer shares their thoughts, concerns, suggestions, hopes, dreams and their heart with me that I should be quick to listen and slow to speak.

12) Sacrificial – the perfect volunteer would put the needs of others before themselves.  Yes, that means being the one that changes diapers, cleans noses and loves on that one tough, ultra hyper kid that makes those really annoying noises! Phil 2:3

Now that I look at this list, I realize how far I have to go before I’m the “Perfect Volunteer”.  Truth is, none of us will be able to become the perfect volunteer because we would need to be Jesus.  He was the perfect volunteer because he was and is the perfect example of all of the above traits.  We can however, try to be more like Jesus everyday and try to live out being the perfect volunteer in all of the aspects of our lives – Marriage, raising kids, our work, our friendships, church and of course, our relationship with God.  I can guarantee our lives and this world would be a better place if we all tried to be all of these things to God and each other.

I hope to be the perfect volunteer someday!

Blessings,

Brian