Stop Looking for Volunteers
God’s call on people’s lives is a compelling force for ministry…
It is so common in the church to hear the lament, “How do we get enough volunteers to staff our ministry? We just can’t seem to get enough people to sign-up.” This is a frustrating and painful feeling for any church leader to experience…so much to do and so few to do it. At the same time, people are wondering, “Is this the best way I can serve my church? I seem like just another warm body.”
There is another way to look at this challenge, however. Allow room for God to act, just as He did in so many stories in the Bible. God called people to a task…and even when they refused, He persisted. Many of them finally answered and were blessed. In today’s church, God’s voice may not be quite as obvious, but the expectation that we will serve in ways that fulfill God’s plan for us remains a powerful aspect of the Christian life.
By adopting both a personal and church-wide commitment to call, and by implementing a formal process of call, we can open ourselves up to God’s intentions for our service. And we can directly influence the effectiveness of our ministries by placing the “right people in the right roles.” A call process that includes prayer, reading Scripture, gaining the insights of others…and more prayer…can help both the ministry team seeking to call members and the individual seeking clarification of her call.
So, stop looking for volunteers at your church…no more sign-up sheets or “help wanted” ads in the Sunday bulletin. Instead, start seeking God’s call on the lives of those in your congregation. God will be praised, individuals will grow through their service, and your ministry will be stronger.
March 30, 2007 at 1:43 pm
Intentionally stopping and making space to listen is so important to this process. Most of us are to busy trying to decide what to do, rather than trying to discern what God wants done!
March 30, 2007 at 2:59 pm
I agree SBO. However, stopping to listen and discern God’s will is hard to do sometimes. We get caught up in everyday tasks that make it easy to lose our focus.
March 30, 2007 at 3:29 pm
That’s true John! It’s also a pretty panicky feeling when time is ticking and that “right person for the right role” hasn’t stepped forward! However…I can tell you from personal experience that when we do have the discipline to stop and listen to God and wait for God’s time, it’s INCREDIBLE what can happen! I’ve seen it time and time again with seemingly the least likely people! Gives me goosebumps every time!
March 30, 2007 at 6:15 pm
This is wonderful and very refreshing to read from someone raised in the American church. Coming to the USA as a missionary, I was quite shocked to hear the term “volunteers.” We were raised to respond to God’s call on our lives. It was all part of our foundational teaching after new birth. In the USA, We found that people wanted to be invited, and cuddled and appreciated every time they did something in God’s house. For us, this was totally foreign. Yes, a volunteer may not be paid by man but surely there is a Master who has invested gifts and talents in His servants on which He expects “profits.” No, there is no volunteer in the body of Christ, but ministers. A minister is someone who is using his/her own resources to serve God as He serves others. Should we appreciate all those who spend so much time helping in the local churches? Absolutely. For our Master always says well done {He is not a task master); so should we. But should we beg and pander to the whims of the ever-so-busy christian who has either not been taught to serve his loving but firm Master (or was taught but is to busy to serve)? No. We as the body of Christ, especially teachers and Pastors should raise new converts with the awareness of God not only being a loving Father, but a firm master.
We really do have assignments from heaven:
Ephesians 2:10 KJV
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
The teachings of Jesus makes this very clear. Jesus will one day rquire an account of the gifts and talents he invested in us.
Matthew 25:19 MKJV
19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and took account with them.
Account of what? Of the gifts and talents He invested.
I believe the Word of God shows us clearly how to get ministers for the work He called us to do: You either (1) pray them in as we see in
Luke 10:2 MKJV
2 Then He said to them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest that He may send forth laborers into His harvest.
or (2)you raise them. The Apostle Paul teaches that as people are fed, there comes a time when they too will be able to feed others. This is how the body of Christ grows from generation to generation.
This method, although may not be as fast we would want it to be, works all the time. Dear minister, you never know; may be God is preparing you and your church in the process of “waiting” for a bumper harvest. Peace!
March 30, 2007 at 7:41 pm
AMEN!!!
March 30, 2007 at 8:39 pm
Wow, Tinu. Thanks for sharing this with us.
April 3, 2007 at 3:24 pm
Tinu, this is exactly what I needed to hear with the challenges facing our church right now. Thank you so much–I’ll refer back to your post often.
April 8, 2007 at 3:47 am
amen!we as christians we often get ahead of ourselves by taking time and matters in our own hands,but what we fail to realize is that all time belongs to God.If God gives you a task as a leader that requires help,you can believe that he’ll send you the right people for what ever it is that he’s set upon your heart to do and they will be equipt and qualified to do the task that God has set before them.So i am agreeing, stop looking for volunters and start praying for true labourers for christ!!