Skip to main content

Tag: volunteers

Mother’s Day

Kathie Phillips

This past Mother’s Day was special for so many reasons. Here are a few highlights:

The morning began with a handmade photo collage given to me by my daughter, Kennedy.  The collage was a mix of pictures of her as a baby and as a teen; many of the pictures were of the two of us.  It is one of the most precious gifts I’ve ever received.  My son, Daniel, gave me a Starbucks gift card.  He really knows how to speak my language (hint, hint).

Once we arrived at church, we did last-minute prep for the busy morning ahead.  Because there were six (6) children being baptized, we presented each child with a handmade prayer shawl (I’ll share the back story on this in another post – it’s a really cool story!)  In addition, we had our elementary children join us in the Worship Center during the baptisms.  Not only did they witness the baptisms, they were able to accept the charge given by our Senior Pastor to be a good example to the children being baptized and doing their best to help them know and follow Jesus.  It was such a special thing to have the children join us for this special milestone event.

I should also mention that our Senior Pastor’s sermon talked about the importance of Children’s Ministry in our church and following through on the commitment during baptisms and dedications to help parents raise their children to know and love God. It was a very compelling sermon, encouraging people to get involved and serve in Children’s Ministry.  While Pastor John was speaking, photos scrolled through on the screens of our volunteers and ministry in action.  It all tied in together so beautifully. We were even blessed to meet people moved by the Pastor’s words who signed up to serve in our ministry!

Also, we had a mini recruiting campaign that asked for a few good men to sign up to serve in our ministry as a Mother’s Day gift to the moms.  Well, we wanted to give a small token of appreciation to the men who signed up.  Here’s a pic of what we offered them:

We filled a plastic tumbler with individually-wrapped Lifesavers candies and then tied on a gift tag with curling ribbon.  A simple gift that all of the men appreciated – some even cracked it open before leaving the building!

After such a wonderful day at church, our family gathered together and enjoyed good food, fun (including games with a cash prize!) and fellowship – and a few gifts.

Overall, it was a great Mother’s Day from beginning to end.  I’m so thankful.

How did you spend your Mother’s Day?

 

KidMin Conference 2013 – Days Three & Four Notes

Kathie Phillips 2 Comments

Days 3 & 4 of the Group KidMin Conference were awesome!

Sunday Morning – Workshop (Secrets to Sustainable Children’s Ministry – Building Teams That Win by Jeff Dunn-Rankin)

To be honest, this session didn’t start off as I had thought.  I kept thinking, “This material is not what is in the description.  I’m in the wrong workshop!”  I kept flipping to the description and looking at the handout, convinced that I was in the wrong room.  After an hour or so, gears switched and the content began to line up with what I was looking for.

Here are the highlights:

Six Steps to a Simple but Difficult Recruiting Process:

1. Make a list of your needs – weekly, special events – every big event have someone co-lead with you so that they can eventually be the point person.

2. Create the pool list – who do we want to see in CM one day – past or present – ask the children who they’d like to be in class with them. (this list should be 4 times bigger than list #1 – get your team to help brainstorm)

3. Rank those on the list – (1) tag as relational, behind the scenes or both and (2) rank dream team [a], next level [b], etc.

4. Match the lists.

5. Make the calls – call ‘heavy-hitters’ first.

6. Follow up – call intentionally when people are at work so that you can leave an exciting message for them to think about.

Saturday Afternoon – Workshop (5 Reasons Why People Won’t Volunteer for You by Craig Jutila)

This workshop intrigued me because I really wanted to know why people won’t volunteer.  The workshop’s disclaimer: “We are not going to find ways to get more volunteers or even how to keep the ones we have.  We are going to look at the 5 reasons why people won’t volunteer and more specifically, why they won’t volunteer for you or for me.  You will learn specific ways to change your thinking about your volunteer leadership.”

Here are the highlights:

Reason #1: You appear unsuccessful.  There is hopeless desperation (begging); nearsighted vision (not thinking long-term); no plan (no vision, mission, values); and over-publicizing (i.e. bulletin announcements week after week – after a while, people stop listening).

Reason #2: You are asking for renters instead of buyers.  Some volunteers rent and other volunteers buy into your ministry vision.

Reason #3: You are taking too much of their time.  What you are offering is not valuable enough.

Reason #4: You appear disorganized.

Reason #5: You inherited an estate (meaning they have had a negative experience someone else and are less likely to volunteer again.)

Common Complaints about Negative Volunteer Experiences

  • Lack of recognition so encourage them.
  • Lack of proper training so equip them.
  • Absence of team motivation so energize them.
  • Volunteer assignments are too limiting so empower them.
  • Mismatched skill and interest with task assignments so evaluate them.

Sunday Night General Session – Dave Stone

Dave Stone is the Senior Pastor of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY.  He spoke about Celebrating Family.  Here are some highlights:

3 Gifts Every Child Needs

1. Celebrate family by giving value to one another.

When there is no concern for the church of tomorrow, there is often very little power in the church of today.

2. Celebrate family by extending grace to one another.

We show grace because we need grace.

God is more concerned with your direction than your perfection.

3. Celebrate family by showing love for one another.

We can get wrapped up doing things instead of loving people.

We can get busy doing the work of the Lord and forget the Lord of the work.

Activity for Christ doesn’t replace intimacy with Christ.

Satan knows you by name but calls you by your sin.  Jesus knows your sin but calls you by name.

Monday Morning General Session – Danielle Bell

The conference concluded with my friend, Danielle Bell, speaking on Celebrate Jesus.  Here are a few highlights:

  • Do I get that ministry is not about me?
  • Instead of studying God’s Word to teach it, study it to live it.
  • How am I getting in the way of what God wants to do.  “He must increase, I must decrease.”

Danielle blogged on this over at her blog, dWell.  You can read her notes here.

Were you at the conference?  What struck you on Days 3 & 4?  What were you biggest takeaways from the conference?

Year-Round Volunteer Appreciation Ideas

Kathie Phillips 2 Comments

Yesterday, I mentioned that Volunteer Appreciation Week is next week. I shared ideas to get you started in thinking about how to show your volunteers how much you care. You can find that post here.

Today I’d like to share seasonal ideas that will make your volunteers feel appreciated any time of the year.

Fall

  • Anything pumpkin or cinnamon scented (candles, air freshener)
  • Anything pumpkin or cinnamon flavored (muffins, bagels, bread, coffee)
  • Classroom survival kit
  • Football game tickets
  • Smores around a fire pit
  • Hayride
  • Spaghetti dinner
  • Comedy Night
  • Enrichment workshop (maybe have a speaker come in)

Winter

  • Coffee gift card
  • In-house coffeehouse
  • Personalized Christmas ornament
  • Game Night
  • Sledding/snowboarding/skiing
  • Ice skating
  • Christmas Cookie exchange
  • Christmas Party
  • Karaoke Night
  • Bowling Night
  • Roller skating
  • Spa Party
  • Laser Tag (rent out the entire facility for your volunteers and their families)
  • Basketball game outing

Spring

  • Bouquet of fresh flowers (maybe from your garden)
  • Tea Party
  • Golf outing
  • Pancake Breakfast

Summer

  • Camping trip
  • Ice Cream/Italian Ice Party
  • BBQ/Picnic
  • Outdoor Movie Night
  • Bouquet of fresh flowers (maybe from your garden)
  • Pool Party
  • Baseball game outing
  • Fireworks
  • Music/worship under the stars
  • Free car wash

This list is by no means exhaustive. Brainstorm with your team for even more creative ideas.

What else would you add?

Speak Your Volunteer’s Love Language

Kathie Phillips 8 Comments

Years ago, I read “The 5 Love Languages” by Gary Chapman.  The title was fascinating and I wanted to learn more.  Not only did I want to learn how to best show love to my husband, I wanted to learn more about the way I best receive love.  The findings weren’t astonishing – I already knew – but I could give it an “official” title.

If you are not familiar with The 5 Love Languages, allow me to give you a brief description of each:

Words of Affirmation:  Use words to affirm other people.

Acts of Service:  For these people, actions speak louder than words.

Receiving Gifts:  It’s not the price or extravagance of the gift; it’s the thought behind it.

Quality Time:  Give people your focused, undivided attention.

Physical Touch:  Use appropriate touch to lift someone’s spirits

Since the first book, there have been subsequent books, including “The 5 Love Languages of Children”, “The Five Love Languages of Teenagers”, just to name a few.  The author also penned a book called “The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace”.  According to their website, this book gives “practical steps to make any workplace environment more encouraging and productive”.

I’d like to offer that as kidmin leaders, one of our goals should be to make our ministry environments more encouraging and productive.  How?  By creatively loving on our volunteers as often as we can.  What if we loved our volunteers in ways that they would best receive it?  What if we moved away from “one size fits all” volunteer appreciation?  After all, if we don’t properly care for our volunteers, who will?

Show your volunteers how much you care by speaking their love language.  Below are a few ideas to help get you started:

Words of Affirmation:  

  • Praise your volunteers publicly, in front of other people.
  • Write notes to them, affirming them in how they are an invaluable member of your team.
  • Write notes to their family, thanking them for sharing their family member with your ministry and the impact they are having.
  • Catch them in the act and mention to them how they made the right call, gently spoke to a child, made the Bible story come alive, etc.

Resource:  DaySpring provides free e-cards you can send to your volunteers to let them know how much you care.

Acts of Service:  

  • Take them a meal when they are sick, have a baby, etc.
  • Offer to babysit volunteer’s children so that your volunteer can enjoy a date night with their spouse, a day of pampering, or a day of solitude with the Lord.
  • Run an errand for them.
  • Prepare their supplies for an upcoming lesson.
  • Love them enough to give them the Sunday off when needed.

Resource:  Make a coupon book for volunteers for them to use in redeeming “services” (with advance notice, of course!).

Receiving Gifts:  

  • Give volunteers their favorite piece of candy, a gift card to their favorite restaurant or a gift card to their favorite coffee shop.
  • Frame their favorite scripture verse in a beautiful picture frame.
  • Put together an electronic photo album, showcasing your volunteer in action.  (I love Smilebox.)
  • Frame a picture of your volunteer in action.
  • Frame a picture of your volunteer’s class or team.
  • Have the volunteer’s make a handmade gift.

Resource:  Find out your volunteer’s “Favorite Things” by asking them.  Here’s a free form to get you started.

Quality Time:  

*Disclaimer:  Keep appropriate boundaries when interacting with someone of the opposite sex.

  • Take your volunteers out for coffee or meal just to chat and get to know each other outside of church.
  • Call your volunteer and ask how you can pray for them.  Pray for them right over the phone.
  • If you share a hobby with a volunteer, do that hobby together – bake cookies, go fishing, take a class, paint a room, plant a garden, etc.
  • Serve together in a cause that you’re passionate about.
  • Read a book together and discuss it.

Resource:  Subscribe to websites like Groupon or Living Social – they have great discounted goods and services.

Physical Touch:

*Disclaimer:  Use appropriate touch, especially toward the opposite sex.  I am a hugger by nature, but a rule of thumb that I follow is that I do not hug my male volunteers.  I have a completely hands-off policy for male volunteers.

  • Give a hug to a hurting volunteer of the same gender.
  • You could also give fist bumps, a high-five or a special handshake.

Brainstorm additional ideas to help each volunteer feel loved and appreciated in ways that would mean the most to them.

What ideas would you add to the list?  Share them with me below!

error: Content is protected !!