01Jul 2015 by Nigel Ring

Mobilising Volunteers pt 6 – Mutual expectations

Administration in the Church, Equipping, Volunteer
So far in this series we have seen how fulfilment, satisfaction and motivation are key aspects of serving, particularly in a ‘volunteer’ (unpaid) capacity. But, just as in a paid job, management and accountability are essential for achieving satisfactory outcomes these are also true for the ‘volunteer’. So what are some of the key management or leadership features that will produce good results and a happy team? Job descriptions Although a job description sounds a bit formal for a volunteer position its purpose is the same as for a paid role – a clarity of expectation. As leaders it can be very frustrating if we delegate a job and then find that it has not been completed to a satisfactory standard or in the way we had intended. Whose fault…
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25Jun 2015 by Nigel Ring

Mobilising Volunteers pt 5 – Motivation 2

Administration in the Church, Equipping, Volunteers
Some key aspects to motivating people are Cause and Community Encouragement Affirmation Satisfaction Support Resources Last time we looked at the first two. Now let’s consider the others. 3. Affirmation Affirmation is first cousin to encouragement; as we affirm people we are saying ‘I believe in you’. A little affirmation and encouragement goes a long way. By bringing affirmation you are demonstrating that the person’s effort has been noticed and appreciated, and appreciation is a key part of the motivation recipe. People rarely look for any other reward if appreciation has been expressed for who they are and what they have done. 4. Satisfaction How often do you reach the end of the day feeling ‘what was that all about?’ Or conversely, how often feeling ‘that was a really good…
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10Jun 2015 by Nigel Ring

Mobilising Volunteers pt 4 – Motivation 1

Administration in the Church, Equipping, Volunteers
In the world people are paid for their work. The higher the pay the greater the motivation. Wrong! Although people should be paid a fair wage for a fair day's work a wage increase is, for most people, only a short term reward and recognition of effort and responsibility. It does not motivate in a healthy way, though it might motivate towards greater materialism as witnessed in recent years with the banking scandals. Motivation comes from an internal drive, the feeling that what we are doing is worthwhile and has value, often in benefitting others. For this to happen the fruit of our labours should be seen and affirmed. Few things are less motivating than when our hard work goes un-noticed. Volunteers are not paid so this fact is particularly…
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27May 2015 by Nigel Ring

Mobilising Volunteers pt 3 – Where to serve?

Administration in the Church, Equipping, Volunteer
Last year I wrote at length in this blog about serving in the church and gave guidance about the course Discover and Serve. There is also a book of the same name. Please read that for more detail about how to help someone develop a Serving Profile. In this series I am addressing the issue of volunteering from the perspective of a leader – how to mobilise volunteers. So far we have looked at what ‘volunteer’ means. Now we shall consider some of the practical day-to-day matters about identifying and managing a volunteer team within the church. Vision In Prov 29:18 we read ‘Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law’ (ESV). Written in the context of the fruit…
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20May 2015 by Nigel Ring

Mobilising Volunteers pt 2 – What does the Bible say?

Administration in the Church, Equipping, Volunteer, Volunteers
Last time we saw how the word ‘volunteer’ often has the associations of ‘charity’, such as helping those who are in need, or of ‘essential service’, such as the volunteer reserves in the armed forces. Both these aspects can be found in the Bible. Old Testament In the Old Testament translations there are several occasions where ‘volunteer’ is used (more in the NASB than in the ESV, which I normally quote from). Ps 110: 3 ‘Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power…’ (ESV), '…volunteer freely…’ (NASB) Judges 5:2 (Song of Deborah and Barak) 'That the leaders took the lead in Israel, that the people offered themselves willingly…’ (ESV), ‘…the people volunteered…’ (NASB). Judges 5:9 'My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel who offered…
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07May 2015 by Nigel Ring

Mobilising Volunteers. Pt 1 – Who are they?

Equipping, Volunteer
Passionate people The practical energy of the local church comes through the membership. Where else can one find a body of such committed, passionate and unified people who are willing to give of their time and energies so sacrificially for the sake of a cause they believe in? We are a privileged people when we are part of such a living vibrant community of focussed and purposeful individuals. This passion is perhaps first felt in the early church where we see the way they lived together in Acts 2. Immediately after being filled with the Spirit at Pentecost, the church’s birth day, we find that the people ‘devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers’ (Acts 2:42). This sentence embodies the very essence of the…
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