by Gina | May 4, 2015 | Leadership, Ministry, Volunteers
As a ministry leader, higher elevation is critical. We miss a lot when our heads are constantly in the “weeds” of ministry. Whether you lead in a small church or large church… multiple worship services or single… one location or many… if you lead volunteers, you need tools that help you see things from a broader perspective.
Tools that allow you to recruit and build a team out of preparation rather than desperation. An Organizational Chart is critical.
I’ve led volunteer teams without an org chart. And I’ve led volunteer teams with an org chart.
Life is simply easier with one.
An Org Chart is the visual representation of the volunteers on your team and how you lead them. The benefit of putting that information in the form of an Org Chart is invaluable. It’s amazing to me how the perspective is clearer when you get something out of your head and put it on paper.
Needed & Known
[bctt tweet=”We can all agree that your average volunteer wants two primary things… to feel needed and known.”]
Feeling needed speaks to our desire to be a part of something significant and to contribute in a meaningful way.
Feeling known speaks to our desire to be connected. For others to know what’s happening in our lives outside of the time we serve.
I believe an Org Chart helps a ministry leader meet these desires.
First, the chart identifies the roles on the team and who fills them (needed).
Second, the chart identifies who cares for each person on the team (known).
Here’s how they work together:
Needed
If you’re anything like me, you can trend toward crazy. I have so much going on in the midst of the 7-day cycle, that simply keeping up with where my ‘need’ is feels like a moving target.
Let me give you an example. Within the past 5 days I’ve had 4 different conversations with various volunteers that go a little something like this:
Volunteer #1: “I think I need to step out for a while. This new job has changed our family schedule and I’m not sure I can continue to fit this into our Sunday morning.”
Volunteer #2: “My wife and I would like to shift from the 3rd service to serving at the 1st service so we can be more consistent. Let me know when we can make that happen.”
Volunteer #3: “I’m so excited to start serving. Where do you need me most?”
Volunteer #4: “I’ll be out the next 8 weeks recovering from surgery. I can’t wait to get back to be with my group!”
Can you relate?
Do you have similar conversations?
They aren’t wrong. They aren’t travesties. They simply are what they are. Real life.
[bctt tweet=”When it comes to your volunteer team, how do you keep up with Who should be Where and When?”]
If you manage more than a single worship service where you schedule volunteers, then you understand the difficulty. The more services offered, the greater the complexity.
There needs to be a way to clearly see What your needs are, Who is filling them, and Where you still have gaps. An Org Chart allows you to define these in specifics.
Known
Let’s take the conversations referenced above and look at them from a different angle.
There are a many things to keep up with when it comes to volunteers. Not just their serving schedules, but with what’s happening in their life.
- Who will check in on the one who stepped out due to a hectic schedule?
- Who will welcome the couple transitioning from one volunteer team to the next?
- Who will apprentice the new volunteer ready to serve?
- Who will reach out to the volunteer recovering from surgery?
Well.. you could take on the task yourself. You could even assume that someone on your volunteer team will take care of it. But we all know that our personal span of care can only stretch so far and my dad taught me the definition of assume a long time ago.
Neither are sustainable options.
An Org Chart allows you to visualize how volunteers are loved and cared for in your ministry.
It’s important to clarify… An Organizational Chart is different from your weekly scheduling tool. Whether you use an online scheduling tool (i.e Planning Center Online) or old fashioned pen and paper, your weekly scheduling tool helps you keep track of who is here each week and who is not. It’s a snapshot of your team from week to week.
An Org Chart is the bigger picture of your team from a higher elevation.
Your weekly schedule tells you what to expect this Sunday. Your Organizational Chart tells you how your team is led and equipped.
For helpful tips on how to equip your volunteer leaders to lead your team, check out “5 Things to Help Volunteers Lead Better”
by Gina | Feb 6, 2015 | Ministry
What would happen if Blake didn’t finish that swing?
His form is flawless. His timing is perfect. Connecting with the ball is inevitable.
I’m no baseball expert, but I know enough to know that if he doesn’t finish his swing, every other step he took won’t make a difference in the world. The ball is not going as far as he wants it to go.
Many times in ministry we don’t finish our swing.
We approach the plate, set our feet, and keep our eye on the ball. We make great contact but if we don’t finish our swing… all other efforts are diminished. The ministry ‘hit’ doesn’t go as far as we want it to go.
What is finishing our swing?
It’s follow up.
Good relational ministry demands that we follow up.
- Call the parent within 24 hours after a challenging conversation. Ensure them that you are available to them. Then make it easy to get in touch with you. Don’t avoid their call
- Contact that volunteer within a week after a great training event. Recap to ensure they know what direction you want them to go. Equip them with tools to go deeper, should they desire (i.e. books, articles, podcasts, etc)
- Provide ‘next step’ opportunities for a new believer immediately after their decision. Don’t let them leave without knowing where to go, what to read and/or who to turn to with this life-changing decision they’ve made
- Set a calendar reminder to follow up with someone walking through difficult life-circumstances. Don’t let the worst part of it be the only time they have your attention. That’s when everyone flocks. Let them feel your presence & concern when they’re not on anyone’s radar
[bctt tweet=”Relational ministry is more about consistency through the varying moments of life… mundane and life-altering.”]
Consistency requires follow up. Follow up is finishing your swing. Finishing your swing takes the ministry efforts and knocks them out of the park.
Finish your swing.
by Gina | Feb 6, 2015 | Uncategorized
…what would I expect if I walked into a church building today?” Francis Chan.
Acts 2: 42 – 47
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Anyone can love their neighbor. Who can love their neighbor as yourself?
by Gina | Feb 6, 2015 | Leadership, Ministry, Orange
At Orange Conference 2015 I have the privilege of teaching a session on creating consistent connections for small groups.
This very topic has been a journey for me for the past several years. Trying to figure out how to create a system that connects kids and leaders within the crazy context of the weekend worship experience has been an exercise in patience, creativity and often sheer stubbornness.
I’m excited to share our experiences, the ideas that worked and the methods by which we implemented. But (as you likely know) a one-hour session simply isn’t enough to unpack this journey.
So I put together an ebook that takes you deeper into the reason we chose to rally this cause, the strategies we used to push it forward and the results we’ve experienced since.
Want to find out more?
Want to know how you can create a dynamic in your small groups that encourages families to connect more consistently?
Or how to make connecting in small groups easier for kids and volunteers?
Download your copy of Guts (and Glory) of Small Groups.
[purchase_link id=”7505″ style=”button” color=”orange” text=”Buy Today!”]
For session notes, click here.
by Gina | Feb 6, 2015 | Volunteers
I’ve led volunteer teams for a long time. If you lead volunteer teams, you understand the juggle.
Keeping track of where each volunteer is, what they need, when they serve and where they serve can be mind-boggling. Like a multi-layered game of Chutes & Ladders, one takes 3 steps forward, another seems stuck in place, and I just lost one down a chute!
How do I keep track of this highly valued team and help them as they strive to serve?
There are some amazingly gifted leaders in the ministry world from whom I’ve gleaned a few tips and tricks to make sense of the crazy and bring some structure to the tilt-a-whirl called volunteer management.
Here are 3 things I have or do that have helped me through the years.
Volunteer Org Chart
I put my team on paper.
I mean… get it out of my head.
Sam Luce calls this “Externalize your Team”. And it’s just, plain smart.
I’m not talking about your volunteer schedule on an excel spreadsheet (although a schedule is important). It isn’t your volunteer contact list (although that’s important, too!)
It’s a chart that reflects who your volunteers lead (i.e. where they serve) and who leads your volunteers. Like the organizational reporting structure for a business. It’s the visual representation of how your volunteer team is led.
[pullquote]You will always struggle to shepherd your volunteer team well unless you lay out a structure that defines how that shepherding will happen.[/pullquote]
An organizational chart helps you define this. Stay tuned for more on how build a Volunteer Organizational Chart.
I use Microsoft Word to create my Org Charts… b/c I’m not a “Mac” chick… yet. Don’t judge.
Make It Prominent
I’m not a big fan of paper. Though you wouldn’t know that if you looked at my desk.
But if I can keep it in Google docs or Evernote… that’s my preference. I try to avoid paper because I never have it when I need it!
Yet I’ve found greater success leading my volunteer teams when I have an actual paper copy displayed on the wall of my office.
[pullquote]I’ve found greater success leading my volunteer teams when I have an actual paper copy displayed on the wall of my office.[/pullquote]
Here’s why…
Quick View
I’ve got easy access to see my volunteers, where they serve and who leads them. I can see the roles I’m still trying to fill with a long-term leader. I can see my layers of leadership at a glance and gauge where I am.
Prayer
I’ve found that I’m quicker to pray specifically for a volunteer or a need within my team when that team is prominently displayed in front of me. I find it uncanny but true. Call me less than spiritual, but the physical presence on my wall is a visual reminder of my calling to shepherd this team well. If I pastor them well, they are equipped to pastor the kids God brings to our church.
I use paper. Like… that stuff made from trees. That everyone complains about. Call me old-school.
Make It Flow
This is a new one for me. I’ve never used flow charts before. But I’ve found them remarkably helpful.
There are multiple steps we take a volunteer through before they are ‘official’. From their initial steps of observation, to their background check & application, to orientation, on-the-job training… the list goes on. And keeping track of every step is a challenge. Especially when you share this process with volunteer coaches.
So recently I’ve introduced flow charts. A visual representation of the process a volunteer completes in order to vet, prepare & equip. A checklist might accomplish the same thing, but I like the visual ‘journey’ the flow chart depicts. May be a personal preference… but I like it.
I use Draw.io for flow charts.
The objective to each of these three things is to help me meet the needs of volunteers. If I can effectively meet their needs by ensuring they are cared for and equipped then I create a volunteer experience people want to be a part of.
It’s the most effective way to foster a multiplication effect in your ministry.
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