How to Solicit Church Volunteers for a Community Project

Volunteering can help congregants be active in church projects.

It's not always easy to spot the willing volunteers in a large church congregation. It's important to meet people halfway and let them know that volunteer opportunities are available and that you need their help. Connecting community projects to the vision of the church is important to raise enthusiasm and involvement. Thinking of your fellow church-goers as potential volunteers waiting to be tapped and letting them get to know you as a project leader can go a long way toward getting the job done.

Instructions

1. Get to know all members of your congregation. Mingle with congregants in high-traffic areas of the church and frequent coffee shops and other spots where they gather after services. The more congregants know you, the more you will be able to promote your community project through casual conversation. You may also discover that individual congregants may have an interest in volunteering, but feel more comfortable volunteering for a project led by someone they know.

2. Promote your project from the pulpit and in church newsletters. These mediums give you a chance to describe your community project in more detail: what it involves, who it helps, and how it is connected to the mission of your church. If the community project is ongoing, have a current church volunteer speak about the work she does and how it has been fulfilling for her and beneficial to the community.

3. Provide a clear route to signing up as a volunteer. Instead of sending out a general call for volunteers for the project, provide a contact person potential volunteers can go to with questions or to sign up. Set up sign up sheets in the church and let people know what happens after they offer their services. Let them know when they should be contacted, if they will be trained, and how many hours of commitment they are expected to make and for how long.

4. Appoint a volunteer coordinator for your church and acknowledge volunteers on an ongoing basis. Once volunteering becomes part of the public face of your church, more congregants will be aware of volunteer opportunities and will choose to join. The volunteer coordinator can handle scheduling of volunteers and matching congregants with opportunities that match their skills and interests as they arise. With this framework in place, your community project and the projects that follow should have a dedicated core of volunteers to help out.

References

• Provocative Church; 6 Keys to Leading Volunteers; Bill Reichart; Nov. 9, 2007
• Volunteer Centered; Recruiting Volunteers; James Higginbotham; Dec. 29, 2005

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Read this Article in UK English