7 Values to Supercharge Your Volunteers
Great volunteers are not born. Rather, they are made great by the right values.
Introduction
Creating the correct values is crucial to generating a team of enthusiastic volunteers who work together toward a common mission. In contrast, if values are not set or completely absent, the volunteers can become unfocused and disjointed, often driven by their opinions, motives, needs, and fears.
In this post, we will introduce RiverLife’s seven volunteer values and explain how they have established a culture of effective ministry for next-gen Hmong. This culture has proven to be particularly effective for those who have been hurt by the church or feel far away from God.
How We Developed Our Volunteer Values
RiverLife has a remarkable volunteer culture that developed right from the start. As a mobile church, we relied on a team of volunteers every week to unload, set up, and take down everything. Our volunteers were crucial to making our services possible, and every week, we worked together as one. We didn’t have to work hard to create a volunteer culture; being a mobile church necessitated it.
However, after a few years, we moved into a permanent church home, and I read about the challenges churches face in maintaining their strong volunteer culture after such a move. This prompted us to write down our volunteer values for the first time. We documented some of the things we consistently said to our volunteers and some underlying values that needed to be articulated.
What Values-Driven Unity Looks Like
If you are Hmong or belong to a collectivist culture, you are already familiar with people sharing common values and working together to accomplish something remarkable.
Think of the last time you attended a Hmong funeral and observed 20-30 family members chopping, cooking, serving food, restocking water, and cleaning tables. This group of highly motivated volunteers works together towards a common goal.
Have you ever watched a group of txiv tsev (men) cut down a large tree together? It’s incredible… and terrifying. However much OSHA might disapprove, they are still a group of highly motivated volunteers working together to achieve a common objective.
Now, imagine if you could have a group of volunteers like that. Here are seven volunteer values that can help. Feel free to use any or all of these in your ministry.
Value #1 – We Serve Because of Jesus
We love others because Jesus first loved us. We serve others like we’re serving Jesus himself.
There are a lot of reasons why somebody serves in church. Some people may want to give back, support the church, socialize with like-minded individuals, utilize their talents, or simply avoid sitting through the service. While these aren’t all bad reasons, ensuring that everyone serves primarily because of Jesus is essential.
Value #2 – We Are Relentlessly Others-Focused
We leave the best for our guests.
I am constantly challenging people to prioritize other people's needs ahead of their own. This is one of the critical values that has helped us create such a welcoming and friendly atmosphere.
We ask our volunteers to park far away so that we leave the closest spots for others. (I often say, “If you didn’t grumble because of how far you parked, you didn’t park far enough.”)
We tell our volunteers to sit in the front of the sanctuary or the middle of the aisle so that we can leave the preferred aisle seats for others.
We even tell them to take the crumbled donuts with squished frosting because we want to leave the best donuts for others.
Value #3 – We See New People As Guests Not Visitors
Visitors are strangers in a new place. Guests are treated special.
Minor language changes can significantly affect how we communicate with others. When people visit museums, parks, or other cities, they simply visit. However, when they come to RiverLife, they are our guests in our home.
This slight shift in language sets the expectation of a warm, welcoming, and inclusive environment for everyone who walks through our doors. It communicates that we are excited to have them as part of our community, even if it's just for one Sunday morning. It conveys our desire to build meaningful relationships, extend Christ-like love, and foster a sense of belonging from their very first encounter with our church.
Value #4 – We are Dependable
We show up when we said we would, where we said we would, ready to do what we said we’d do.
I like this statement as it effectively summarizes what qualities make a great volunteer. In my experience, problematic volunteers often exhibit one or more of the following behaviors: showing up late, not showing up at all, or being unprepared. However, this value addresses these issues and encourages volunteers to be punctual, reliable, and prepared.
I will take a dependable person over a skilled person any day because skills can be taught, while dependability is much harder to instill.
Value #5 – We Do Whatever It Takes
No job is too small or insignificant.
As a new-ish church, all our leaders and volunteers must be willing to help with whatever comes up. We cannot segment ministries or think, “Someone else can take care of that.”
While we don’t do each other’s jobs, we step up to help whenever something needs to be done or somebody needs a hand.
That means that, as the Lead Pastor, I sometimes preach or pray and sometimes take out trash or unclog a toilet.
Value #6 – We Value Quality
We strive for quality, not perfection. Good enough is rarely good enough.
There is much debate within churches about this topic. We aim to find a balance between offering excellent Sunday services, spiritual experiences, and impactful ministries while maintaining a high-risk / low-anxiety approach to ministry. (More
It's common for churches to accept "good enough" from volunteers because they offer their time for free. However, we aim to encourage our volunteers to strive for something more than the bare minimum.
Value #7 – We Have Fun
We love what we do. If we’re not having fun, they’re not having fun.
I was introduced to this idea when I was a high school math teacher, and I found it to be a great alternative to the sour, angry, or bland tone that some have while preaching.
We decided to apply this idea to all our volunteers as well. When you enjoy what you’re doing, it spreads to others through your smile, tone of voice, and spark in your eyes.
No one wants to serve in a task or ministry while not enjoying it. This dissatisfaction can also spread and eventually affect everyone around them.
When we notice someone is not enjoying their volunteer role, we encourage them to speak with us about it, try a new ministry, or even take a break from serving. This approach ensures that our volunteers are happy and fulfilled, leading to a more positive and productive environment for everyone involved.
How To Create Your Own Volunteer Values
Have you ever thought about what your volunteer values are? Even if you haven't, you still have values that drive you and your volunteers. If you need to figure out what they are, take some time to brainstorm.
Think about what you tell volunteers repeatedly and the reasons behind specific actions. If you still need to figure out your values, ask someone. Start by asking them what they enjoy about serving in your organization or what one word they would use to describe your volunteer culture.
You can also think about churches or ministries you've loved and what made them special. Try to make your values both achievable and aspirational. They should represent your organization's best possible version of itself.
Once you have some words and phrases written down, refine them to ensure they express precisely what you want them to convey. Then, share them every week with your volunteers. Talk about them so often you get sick of them. And then talk about it even more.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of a church. Having great values creates an excellent volunteer culture, which makes great volunteers. And great volunteers create a healthier and more impactful ministry.
Volunteers are the backbone of a church. A robust value system creates a positive volunteer culture, leading to engaged volunteers who significantly impact the kingdom of God.