Child abuse and church seems to be an all too common story on the news. We all cringe when we hear of yet another accusation of a church or church representative that crossed moral and legal lines with a child. In fact, abuse of a minor remains the number one reason churches end up in court. It is our responsibility to protect kids in church. Read the Full Article →
10 Points to Cover in Volunteer Orientation
The beauty of a church community is the abundance of committed people who have an interest in helping the church achieve its vision and mission.
Volunteers are the engine of the church because they donate the man-hours to ensure everything gets done.
And many people use the volunteer experience to get to know other members in the church community.
Creating a well-run volunteer management program can help ensure a great experience for those volunteers.
Read the Full Article →5 Steps to Protect Your Ministry Against Sexual Predators
The recent allegations of lewd conduct by a Saddleback Church youth leader is yet another example of how child abuse in America is an issue of concern.
Stories about child abuse of minors seems to be a regular topic on the evening news with one disturbing allegation after another.
Churches are no exception to these accusations and should take steps to create a safe place for their children and youth. Read the Full Article →
4 Tips For Managing Church Volunteers
Many churches rely heavily on volunteer labor because they don’t have the resources to pay staff for all of the work that needs to be done.
Effective management of this valuable labor force is critical to an organization’s ability to fulfill its mission.
Churches need to have systems and processes in place to oversee and manage volunteers to ensure two things: 1. Read the Full Article →
5 Questions Your Volunteer Job Description Should Answer
Effective volunteer management involves good communication and coordination of job duties.
Like employees, it is important for volunteers to have a clear understanding of what is expected of them and given the training and tools to perform job tasks.
A well-run volunteer program will include a streamlined process to recruit, place and train volunteers in a role that best matches their personality, interests and skill-set. Read the Full Article →
5 Tips For Delivering Bad News to a Volunteer
I recently had a manicure and pedicure by a delightful woman. We will call her Rachel to protect her anonymity. When Rachel learned what I did for a living she shared an interesting story with me. The story made me realize how important it is to be thoughtful with communicating bad news to a volunteer.
Rachel tearfully shared that she had been fired as a children’s ministry volunteer because of a picture that she was tagged in that was posted on Facebook. Read the Full Article →
6 Steps to Firing a Church Volunteer
Church volunteers are the labor engine of a church and without them most churches would not be able to support the services they provide.
Volunteers donate thousands of hours each year to sustain the functions of the church and need to be managed well to ensure continued loyalty.
Volunteer oversight requires flexibility, patience and creativity in planning and scheduling.
Managing church volunteers can be challenging because they are volunteers – free labor! Read the Full Article →
9 Tips to Keep Your Volunteers Engaged
What would the church do without volunteers! They provide free labor that churches depend on. The secret to recruiting and retaining great volunteers, is to keep them engaged.
Volunteer engagement requires a strategy that is based on the organizations’ ability to make them feel like what they do adds value, helps fulfill the mission and that they make a difference.
Organizations that do a good job of engaging their volunteers find that the volunteers are excited about what they do and give more than is asked of them. Read the Full Article →
15 Tips For Planning a Volunteer Appreciation Event
Planning events to thank and show appreciation to volunteers can be fun and rewarding.
The trick is to be organized in the planning and strategic in the delivery.
Whether you are planning a training event, an appreciation dinner, new volunteer orientation or a volunteer recruitment fair – the planning model should be the same and include the same basic elements.
15 Tips For Planning a Volunteer Appreciation Event
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Read the Full Article →Volunteer Satisfaction – 4 Opportunities to Ask Questions
Successful organizations understand the value of listening to the feedback of their customers. In the non-profit world one of the main customer groups are the volunteers.
Volunteers give of their time and provide free labor because they care about the organization and have a passion for its vision and mission.
Keeping volunteers engaged ensures maintaining a long term relationship. One way to engage them is to provide an opportunity for them to offer feedback about their experience. Read the Full Article →