Looking for enthusiastic, passionate, and dedicated volunteers to step up in your church?

Whether you need more children’s church workers, youth leaders, musicians, or greeters, here are 7 ways you can encourage more people to get involved and serve as volunteers in your church.

7 Ways To Get More Church Volunteers

1. Show Them The Big Picture

Presenting a clear and compelling church vision that helps your people see the bigger picture is the single best way to get more volunteers.

If you’re genuinely excited about the vision, your members are more likely to raise their faith level to match yours.

In the words of Habakkuk 2:2:

So let the clarity and conviction of your vision move hearts and spur your congregation into action.

People don’t volunteer their time and energy because there’s a spot that needs filling; they give because they trust you as a leader, can see where the church is heading and want to help you make it happen.

2. Tell Them They Can Make A Difference

Now they get the bigger picture, show them they can have a part in it.

Because the truth is nobody wants to be a nobody and everybody wants to be a somebody and everybody wants to make a difference.

No matter how menial the task may be: washing cups after the service, doing the books, replacing light bulbs or showing people where to park  – show future volunteers exactly how the part they play is vital to the overall success of the church.

If you have someone considering becoming a part of the kid’s church team, tell the personal story of Timmy who was struggling at school but since he and his family joined the church 3 months ago, Timmy’s grades have gone up and how he’s really coming out of his shell…

Whatever your example is, show people their contribution counts.

3. Treat Your Volunteers As VIPs

If your church is big enough to have paid staff then you make sure you treat volunteers no differently to them.

If you offer early Sunday morning coffee and doughnut to your staff, do the same for all of your workers. Really work hard at removing the gap between paid staff and volunteers.

Honour and value your existing volunteers. In fact, celebrate your volunteers in front of the whole church!

People see this and want to be a part of it.

Looking for some good ideas?

Here are 30 creative ways to say “Thank you!” to your church volunteers.

And I don’t know about you but I don’t want to join a team of miserable people.

But if I can see people who love what they’re doing and feeling fulfilled and having a great time they’ll be like, “Sure why not? Looks like fun!”

4. Invest Your Best Into Your Volunteers

Begin monthly leadership classes for all volunteers to teach them everything you know about growing a church, how to deal with confrontation, how to recruit other volunteers and how they can do what they’re already doing even better.

Download and use these free volunteer huddle talks.

Give them your best and rather than teaching people where they’re at, always teach at a level higher because they’ll rise to that.

Not only is this another way to value your existing teams and keep your church volunteers motivated, but this will raise curiosity among the other church members.

You want them asking “I wonder what they are being taught? Why are they getting special time with the pastor?” and they’ll want in on it.

5. Don’t Make Volunteering A Life-Sentence

Most people are scared to even offer to help because too many times we are so hungry for volunteers that as soon as anyone shows interest we latch onto them and never let them go.

This is where a trial run, or ‘first serve’ comes in:

The first rule of the serve is that there are no strings attached, and because a first serve has no strings attached, people can feel free to try out different ministries and find one that fits them.

A first serve is just a taste…

If the person likes it, they come back.

If not, they try something else.

No big deal.

This low-pressure environment encourages people to explore any ministry that interests them.

The more ministries they try out, the more likely they’ll find the perfect place to serve. This makes them happier in their work and more willing to continue volunteering.

After that, maybe ask them to commit to 12 weeks or 6 months, whatever the case may be. At that point, you or the ministry department leader can review it from there.

6. Make It Easy To Volunteer

If you’re forcing people to jump through flaming hoops whilst doing a backflip before they can serve, don’t be surprised if nobody comes forward!

My rule is that as long as it’s not the worship leader or preaching role, anybody can do anything.

Yes, really.

I don’t ask them to complete a 3-month discipleship course or to be a tither of the church for 3 years before inviting them to volunteer.

Newcomers can get involved in their first week if they want to.

I want to make it as easy and accessible as possible to step up and serve.

Not only does a job role give a person responsibility and a feeling of importance, but they are now part of a working group, a team.

They’re plugged in and they feel like they belong.

7. Ask People Directly

Have you ever stood up at the front of the church and asked people to sign up for the hospitality team and no one has?

I know I have.

When it comes to asking people to volunteer, the direct approach is always best. Meet up with them for coffee, tell them how their skills are perfectly suited to a particular ministry and just ask them.

I’ve even been to churches that tell prospective members upfront that if they join, they’ll be expected to volunteer.

Surprisingly, people aren’t as put off as you might think. They see that if everyone is helping out then they are less likely to be locked in for life.

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You’ll learn how to gain, train and retain more volunteers, increase giving, create effective systems and grow your church.

Share Your Experience

What’s your experience with getting people to volunteer in your church? 

What’s been your biggest frustration in trying to get more people to step up?

Share your comments below! 👇