3 Things You Should Never Say To a Volunteer

One of the most difficult areas of family ministry is volunteer management.

Sermon preparation is awesome. Events are exciting and energizing. But there is just something draining about volunteer management.

That “something” can simply be identified as human nature. We are all imperfect people serving a perfect God which means that we will come up short more times than not.

This is an important truth to remember as you lead your teams. You cannot expect your volunteers to be perfect – only Jesus is. How frustrating is that! That means that people will miss important appointments, fail to fully invest in a student’s life, and cling to half-baked ideas that go against the mission and vision of the church.

There will always be tension when you work with people. But out of our frustrations we can begin to sabotage our own ministries if we are harsh with our words.

With your words you have the power to encourage your volunteers or crush their passion for serving Jesus.

With your words you have the power to encourage or crush your volunteer’s passion.

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Here are three statements that you should avoid saying to those who are giving their free-time to help you do ministry.

3 Things You Should Never Say To A Volunteer

“I’m Busier But Some How I Can Do This”

Humble much? Demotivating comments never motivate people. Obviously this is a redundant statement, but we can occasionally forget that hurtful words hurt people. Your volunteer may not have the best time management skills, but putting yourself (or another volunteer) on a platform will kill their passion for serving others.

“You Are Too Old To Serve”

There should be a spot in your ministry for every volunteer, regardless of their age. You need a diverse team of doers and managers. Some leaders can’t attend a lock-in, but they can mentor other leaders. There is nothing more devastating than hearing that you are irrelevant. Trust me, your older leaders are struggling with this statement. Don’t encourage the lie and cause them to think that there isn’t room for them in the body of Christ.

“We Don’t Need Any Volunteers Right Now”

Believe it or not, I have been told this when I was attending a church. Most of us would love to live this existence! I’m sure you are thinking “Too many leaders?!? Who are those lucky people!” Well, apparently they exist out there. Never turn away a willing worker even if you have all of your small groups covered and a good amount of people in your ministry. If not your ministry, perhaps another team needs some help in the greater context of your church.

Now What?

Church ministry is never US (pastors/staff) versus THEM (volunteers/congregation). Ministry is always WE serving JESUS. Your words will either build unity or bring division.

Your words will either build unity or bring division.

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We must lead with a tender heart and soft words. That doesn’t mean that we overlook sin or avoid correction. It simply means that we speak the truth in love.