Smart Church Management

How Thorough Is Your Volunteer Application Process? These 7 Steps Might Help You!

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The volunteer application process is an important part of the volunteer experience because it speaks to the credibility of the organization.

An efficient process keeps the application information organized and makes volunteers feel confident about getting involved.

There are many pieces to the application process and each step should be part of an overall process that prepares for the next step.

1. Create an Application Packet

The volunteer application packet should be assembled with the many pieces of information that the volunteer candidate will need. Read the Full Article →

10 Points to Cover in Volunteer Orientation

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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.

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5 Steps to Protect Your Ministry Against Sexual Predators

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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 →

4 Reasons to Train Volunteers

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Training and developing people is one of the most important responsibilities managers have, and training volunteers is no different.

It is the organization’s responsibility to make sure volunteers have the tools and training to carry out required tasks confidently.

These training experiences are what separates great organizations from the rest.

4 Reasons to Train Volunteers

1. Consistency in Practice

Training is the foundation for creating a culture of quality – something all organizations should strive for. Read the Full Article →

14 Volunteer Interview Questions

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Interviewing is an important part of the volunteer application process which is why volunteer interview questions are so important!

A personal interview is one of the best ways to get to know an applicant and can help to ensure that the volunteer is matched to the best job for their skill set, interests and personality.

Another advantage of interviewing volunteer candidates is that it helps the organization get to know the volunteer. Read the Full Article →