4 Ways to Thank Your Volunteers This Sunday
One of your most valuable resources in your ministry is your volunteers. Especially in kidmin. You can’t be in two places at once, so you need other people to get the job done. And once you find those people you want to keep them in place.
There are a lot of things you can do to keep them. You need to train them, cast vision, and talk about your wins. But there’s one more thing you can do to really hold onto your volunteers. And that’s to show your appreciation.
In an earlier post I talked about gifts you can give your volunteers, and I’ll hit that again in this post, but that was focused more on a large event or something for everyone. Volunteer Appreciation events are great. I’m planning mine for December. But you need to say thank you more than just once a year. You don’t want to be the marriage equivalent of, “I told you I loved you at the altar and that should be enough!”
So, for this post, I’m going to share 4 ways you can show your appreciation on just a plain ol’ Sunday. Like the one coming up.
1. Catch them doing something good
I get it. We’re busy on Sunday mornings. There are a hundred little things we have to do on top of welcoming guests, following up with your regulars, and prepping our volunteers. But we can’t have our head so deep in the work that we miss what everyone else is doing around us. Every now and then you need to stick your head up, look around, and notice what everyone else is doing. That’s what a leader does and that’s what you are.
So, look for someone living out your core values. Someone who is helping the team accomplish one of your wins. Someone who is going above and beyond. Someone who is stopping to show care while you’re fixing the TV… again.
And then once you see them do it, thank them. Don’t wait for a thank-you card or the volunteer pre-service meeting next week. Do it now and in the moment. They may be surprised, but they will always be thankful. And that which gets celebrated gets repeated. So, if you see something that you want to see again, let them know you like it and thank them. Before long more people will join in because they want the appreciation also.
2. Give gifts
As I said before, I wrote a whole post on volunteer gifts a few years back and it’s one of my best sellers. But many of those gifts are group gifts where everyone gets the same thing. For the everyday, run-of-the-mill Sunday, you can give other gifts to individual people. It can be for doing something good, a birthday or anniversary, or just because.
Gifts isn’t my love language, but it is for a lot of people. So, give them a gift card, a “Pentecostal handshake” (the one where they slip you 20 bucks), or just write a thank-you card. It doesn’t have to be fancy or creative. It’s just a little way to say “thank you.” Kids love going to the treasure box. And we all still have that little kid in us. Just make the gift better than a pencil eraser. Unless that’s your volunteer’s thing. Then have at it.
3. Celebrate in front of others
I heard something this week on the Entreleadership podcast, and it was the catalyst for this post. For most people, the last time someone clapped for them was when they graduated. That’s sad. I love applause, and I think most people do too.
So, when you catch someone doing something good, thank them in person in the moment. But also bring it up in front of others. Do it in front of their spouse or parents. Do it at the pre-service meeting. Do it at your volunteer appreciation event. Do it at your annual training. It doesn’t really matter. What matters is that person is recognized for their good deed in front of everyone and they get some applause. Most people will love it. But there might be exceptions, which I cover next.
4. Follow their Love Language
I said before, Gifts is not my love language, but Words of Affirmation is. I love to be affirmed publicly and love to do it for my team. Whatever way you like to show love and appreciation, find an appropriate way to show it to your volunteers. Or even better, find out how they like to receive appreciation and do that.
One person on my team hates public recognition. They came and told me after I bragged on them in front of the whole church. So instead of doubling down, I show my appreciation the way they like it. Part of leadership is knowing yourself and also knowing your people. Then adjusting your style to match theirs. It would be easier if they adjusted to you, and many do. But if you want to lead like Jesus did, as a servant, then you put down your preferences and meet them where they are. This post has my 3 favorite personality tests.
As you show your appreciation for your volunteers, you’ll find morale going up and turnover going down. When people feel like they’re supported and someone believes in them, they’re far more likely to go above and beyond. This in turn builds a stronger, more resilient, and successful team.
And we all want that. After all, we’re doing all we can to reach people for Jesus. Your team can help you.
How do you show appreciation to your volunteers? Let me know in the comments!
One of your most valuable resources in your ministry is your volunteers. Especially in kidmin. You can’t be in two places at once, so you need other people to get the job done. And once you find those people you want to keep them in place.