1. Match People's Gifts to Where They Serve. Too many churches are looking for a warm body to fill an opening on a committee rather than helping people discern where God is calling them to serve. Healthy churches offer discernment classes where people can discover where God wants them to serve. These classes identify spiritual gifts, passions, skills, experience, and personality and then match them in areas where they are wired to serve. If you want your servants to feel frustrated and to fail at ministry just assign them anywhere and watch what happens. The introvert as a greeter will shy away from people feeling uncomfortable in that setting. A person who doesn't like kids and is placed in the classroom is going to be a wreck, and so will the classroom! It's important to match the way people have been wired by God to where they serve.
Here are some inventories you might tweak and use to match people in your setting to areas of ministry:
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2. Give Clear Expectations. For people to succeed and feel like they are making a difference they need clear expectations. Give job descriptions to every one who serves. Help them to understand what's expected of them in terms of time and responsibilities. If someone serves on a tech team make sure they know they are to be there 30 minutes early, turn on the projectors, power up the computer, spell check the words, flip the screens, shut off the projectors, power down the computers, and give their very best. Let them know you need their undivided attention so no using cell phones while leading worship. If you don't tell them what's expected and they don't do what you had expected you'll get angry and take it out on them and they'll just quit. And if you change the amount of time or the responsibilities of a ministry you need to communicate that change to them and ask if they are still able to serve given the changes. Don't assume.
3. Train Them. This goes hand in hand with clear expectations. Healthy and vibrant churches train people to serve. Yes, this takes time but it equips them to be successful. Every person who serves should have a mentor who walks them through how to do what they have volunteered to do. Rather than just dump a person into a position and let them flounder trying to figure it out causing all sorts of unnecessary mistakes and feeling like a failure invest in training them up front. Put a teacher with a teacher for a few weeks. Put an usher with an usher for a few weeks. Gather up all your new greeters and teach them how to greet. Leaders fail when we we fail to train others for success.
4. Don't Micro-Manage. After you have laid out clear expectations and trained them unleash them for ministry! Trust them to do the ministry well because, if you did your job right, they have been matched for the ministry, know what's expected, and have been trained. Let them go. Let them dream new and better ways to do it. Give them permission to fail if they try something big and bold to grow their area of ministry. No one likes to have someone looking over their shoulder and constantly telling them to do this and do that. Get out of the way and let them serve!
5. Appreciate and Recognize Your Servants. Don't take them for granted. Pat them on the back when they do well. Affirm their service. Here's a great practice to get into...send out at least 5 thank you letters to people who serve each week. Hand write a note card to someone who is serving to thank them for their service. Be specific about what you appreciate in them and help them to see how they are making a difference. If someone is super-excelling lift them up in front of others. This is called "Hero-Making". When you recognize people publicly others are reminded of the expectation on them and they will often raise the bar. When they do...recognize them. This is so simple to do yet we neglect to do it. Great leaders will affirm people who are doing well so that they feel appreciated.
It all comes down to one word, "respect". We need to respect the people God has raised up and placed among us for ministry. We respect them when we match how God wired them to the place they serve, when we are clear about what is expected, when we take time to train them, when we unleash them for ministry rather than micro-manage them, and when we affirm them so that they feel appreciated and know they are making a difference. When we respect the people who serve or volunteer they're far more likely to keep serving and invite others to join them in serving.
Together in Ministry,
Kevin
