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Helpful Tips for Encouraging Volunteer Work Through Your Church

VOLUNTEERS RESOURCE

Helpful Tips for Encouraging Volunteer Work Through Your Church

(Adapted from "Research Briefs from Related Projects Connecting Faith and Service," Baylor University School of Social Work and partners.)

Challenge members to get involved in community ministry as a required, not an elective, practice of the Christian faith. Challenge them from the pulpit, in Christian education, and at every available opportunity.

Make community ministry an integral part of the life of the church. Serving the community is more important for the faith-life of members than attending a worship service!

Provide opportunities that move members from one-shot or short-term ministries (great places to begin) into involvement sustained over time.

Help volunteers to recognize that this is Christian discipleship, an opportunity to learn, and that they should not expect to be the answer to the complexity of problems they may face.

Always wrap volunteer service with specific prayer for the work. Provide a time for sharing experiences, for reflecting on those experiences with other volunteers and with congregational leaders, and for Bible study related to the work. This is Christian education at its best!

Provide opportunities in which volunteers meet and develop relationships with people over time, such as mentoring services, classes, or community building projects.

Encourage relationships with people who come from different backgrounds and experiences, and may make volunteers a bit uncomfortable, at least at first.

Help volunteers to recognize and respond to the systems that oppress others. Show them how to respond to systemic problems; for example, through community development or emergency relief for persons in poverty. Discuss the impact of these systemic problems in the lives of individuals.

-adapted from a series of Research Briefs from Related Projects, to be released by Baylor University School of Social Work as part of a 30-month research project funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts. The research reported in this brief was conducted in another research project led by Baylor University and funded by Lilly Endowment, Inc., "Service and Faith: The Impact on Christian Faith and Congregational Life of Organized Community Caring (2000-2003)." The research team consisted of Diana Garland, Dennis Myers, and David Sherwood (Baylor University); Paula Sheridan (Whittier College); Terry Wolfer (University of South Carolina) and Beryl Hugen (Calvin College). For more information on this project, contact Diana Garland (Diana_Garland@baylor.edu).

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	The Volunteer Recruitment (and Membership Development) Book

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The Hidden Benefits of Helping

VOLUNTEERS RESOURCE

The Hidden Benefits of Helping

(Adapted from Helping You is Helping Me by Virgil Gulker (World Vision, Inc., 1993), pp. 29-38. Used with permission.)

Volunteers get a kick out of helping others. There is just something about helping others that literally makes people feel good. In a study published in Psychology Today, the main sensations reported while volunteering were: “high”, “stronger, more energetic”, “calmer, less depressed,” and a “greater sense of self worth.” Volunteers are often excited about helping others and sending the message that people care.

Volunteers gain a sense of impact or significance not always available through career or other responsibilities. While family and work responsibilities provide a deep satisfaction, there is often something missing in our experience of life. Volunteering just a few hours a week to help others can make a real difference and provide a much needed sense of accomplishment. Volunteers can find fulfillment in an opportunity to share high level skills or more often, just being there for someone.

Volunteering Enhances Employability. Volunteering provides the side benefit of a valuable work experience. It is a real opportunity to provide invaluable help while broadening your network of potential references and employers.

Volunteering helps you to discover what color your parachute is. “Discovering the color of your parachute” is the process of exploring your vocational strengths and interests. For those entering the workforce or exploring a career change, volunteering is an excellent opportunity to field-test your interests and discover new abilities.

Volunteering helps turn negative life experiences into strengths. When you consider how you may be able to help others, don’t simply think about what you may be good at, think about what you have been through. People in tough circumstances often need to talk to others who will listen with real understanding and speak to their concerns with conviction and authority. Your failures and negative experiences may hold the key to your effectiveness in helping others.