5 Ways to Recruit For Your Church’s Volunteer Program

How to recruit church volunteers

 

#1: Shout it from the rooftops and simplify sign up

It may seem obvious, but the (often overlooked) first step to recruiting more church volunteers is letting your members know you need volunteers. 

Think about the touch points your members have with your church. Then, leverage those channels to message specific volunteer opportunities.

For example:

• Does your church send out an email newsletter? Include your volunteer program details and a link to the sign up form.
• Are you active on social media? Create a few posts with specific messaging for what you’re looking for. 
• Ask church leaders to mention volunteer opportunities at the end of services. Incorporate storytelling and real examples wherever possible.
• Assess your print materials. Consider adding a section about volunteer opportunities with a direct ‘call to action’—a place where interested members can sign up.
• Ask current ministry volunteers to spread the word about why they volunteer. Invest in volunteer-specific t-shirts and let them spark the conversation. Organic, word-of-mouth recruitment methods go a long way. In reality, recruitment is everyone’s job!

Don’t forget to include clear instructions on how to sign up wherever you promote your church's volunteer program. If it’s online, include a direct link! 

That brings us to the next step in recruiting church volunteers: make signing up simple. 

Create a sign up form for both digital and physical use. Print it out and collect names and email addresses at check-in. Create QR codes for digital signage before and after services. Create an easily accessible volunteer page on your website. Include a link to the volunteer page at the bottom of your email blasts, and consider adding that link to church leader email signatures.

Try not to ask for too many details right away in the sign up process. Making sign up as easy and quick as possible will help mobilize potential church volunteers.

Pro tip: introduce new members to your church volunteer program! When folks first join your church, motivation is high to get involved. Volunteering is a great way to create a sense of community at larger churches. 

#2: Explain why church members should volunteer and what you need help with

As cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Caroline Leaf writes, “We need to be connected to not only survive, but also to thrive: deep, meaningful connections are our deepest need.” 

So frequently, we believe that mobilizing volunteers for our ministry is us asking for more, more and more from already busy members. What we tend to forget is that, through serving, the volunteer is also helping themselves by cultivating community. In fact, helping others through volunteering has been proven to help volunteers heal. 

When sharing your ‘why’, get specific about the needs of your church volunteer program. Do you need help at Check-In, with the Children's Ministry, or Communion? Being specific can help church members visualize themselves in a volunteer role and be more intentional about signing up for opportunities that align with their skill set and interests. 

#3: Define ministry volunteer roles and responsibilities

Like any other job, it’s important to provide job descriptions that set expectations for your ministry volunteers. Let volunteers know upfront about the time commitment, necessary experience, length of commitment, and specific responsibilities. 

People perform best and are motivated to continue volunteering when they see how their service impacts the goals of your church. After all, it’s in our nature to want to contribute to something larger than ourselves. By clearly defining expectations, you’ll minimize confusion and turnover on your journey to strengthening your church’s volunteer program.

The Network has great templates for ministry volunteer job descriptions available to help you get started.

#4: Celebrate success and show appreciation for your ministry volunteers

One of the most simple and effective ways to recruit church volunteers is to show appreciation for the ministry volunteers who currently serve.

In Kim Scott’s book Radical Candor, she recommends acknowledging wins (or praising) in public. 

Did a volunteer put in extra hours to serve your Children’s Ministry during a holiday? (Time we know could’ve been spent with their immediate family!) Take the time to give them a shout out. You should again consider what channels are available to you to praise in public—for instance, your newsletter, social media and after services are good places to start. 

To help volunteer leaders establish a rhythm, consider creating a ‘Volunteer of the Month’ program—you can leverage social media channels for this, too. Systems like these not only make volunteers feel needed, but also help build awareness around your church volunteer program.

Depending on the volunteer you’re looking to show gratitude for, you may want to consider private acknowledgement in a one-on-one setting. Deciding how to provide praise is about knowing your volunteers as individuals. You can also leverage tools like DiSC profiles and the Enneagram to more effectively lead and get to know your volunteers better. 

In addition to acknowledgement, it’s key to show appreciation for your volunteers. Quarterly events, giveaways and luncheons are great, but as a leader, simply saying ‘thank you’ and expressing sincere gratitude often goes further than any extravagant displays of appreciation.

 

#5: Provide support for your church volunteer program

Sometimes, particularly during busy seasons like Christmas and Easter, what your ministry volunteers really need is support. 

If you’ve tried the above recruitment methods and still find it challenging to recruit for your church volunteer program, it may be time to call in experienced, caring support.  

If it’s Children's Ministry support you need, consider trying a child care app like SitterTree. 

SitterTree is an industry-leading child care app transforming the way ministry leaders connect with quality child care providers. With SitterTree, you can easily find, select and pay background-checked child care providers to support your Children’s Ministry team. 

Providers on SitterTree aren’t volunteers and will require an hourly rate—but they are reliable, caring professionals who feel like an extension of your team. You can start your free trial on the app today.

Congrats! You’re ready to get started growing your church volunteer program!

To summarize, you can start recruiting new ministry volunteers now by:

• Making the need known 
• Making it easy to sign up
• Being specific about what you need volunteer support for
• Creating clear volunteer job descriptions
• Showing gratitude and celebrating success
• Knowing when it’s time to get support

It’s not always easy asking for help, but we hope that by using these tips, you’ll limit turnover, attract new members to serve—and overall—see your church’s volunteer program thrive!