5 Church Ministry Mistakes that Can Drive Away New Volunteers

I’ve made all of the following mistakes when working with new ministry volunteers. By avoiding these 5 errors, you can keep more ministry workers and integrate their unique gifts and talents into your ministry.

1. Never use Church Words without defining them: If you’re like me, church is such a part of your life that words like Sunday School, Youth Group, Vacation Bible School (VBS) basic to your vocabulary. When you are incorporating a new person into ministry work, be sure define your terms. Many misunderstandings can be stopped before they start!
2. Never throw a volunteer into a ministry opportunity without knowing their gifts and preferences for ministry: While we don’t always have ministry work available for everyone to perfectly match their desires, it’s important to know what the individual’s perceived gifts and talents are. It’s OK, and often recommended, to ask a volunteer to step outside of their comfort zone, but it’s important to KNOW their preferences and gifts so you can provide the proper training, support and encouragement. You may find a talent that will make your ministry more effective!
3. Never allow a volunteer to over-commit: When a new person gets involved in your church and is excited to serve, it’s easy to say ‘Yes’ when they want to get involved … everywhere! Before you know it, the new person is teaching Sunday School, volunteering in the nursery, going out visiting with church members one night a week, and helping with the children’s ministry another night during the week.While it’s important to cultivate their enthusiasm, it’s also important to teach a healthy understanding of ministry and life balance. My general rule is that EVERYONE should have one regular church service or class that they attend as a participant, not a worker. If an enthusiastic volunteer overcommits, they will quickly burn out. I have seen people leave a church because they overcommitted and then felt guilty that they couldn’t keep up with all of their ‘responsibilities’.
4. Never assume new ministry workers understand the purpose of the ministry: Be sure that you communicate clearly to a new ministry worker the purpose of the ministry they are being asked to participate in. Is the ministry focused on discipleship, recreation, providing for physical needs, all of the above? If you can’t clearly articulate the purpose of the ministry, the worker will have a very difficult time finding their unique role. For example, don’t say, “Our church has always had a young adults Sunday School class teacher and assistant.” Instead say, “The purpose of our young adult Sunday School class is to help recent high school graduates navigate the life challenges they face as adults and to teach them to live out the gospel in practical ways.”
5. Never pretend like you have all the answers: Starting to help in ministry can be overwhelming, especially when the ministry leader looks like they have it all together. When leading a ministry effort, you want to have a plan, perform with excellence and see people grow in their relationship with and knowledge of God. But by appearing to have it all together, newcomers often struggle with where they fit in the ministry. Be honest with newcomers about challenges you face, with new things you’d like to do, and with areas where improvement is needed. When you are honest about areas that need improvement, the newcomer may be able to see an immediate area where they can help. At the very least, they’ll see your vulnerability and desire for continued improvement and growth!

Leading a church ministry is challenging. Avoiding these common mistakes can help you have a more effective ministry and can help you disciple your volunteers.

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