Who Needs Volunteers?

If you're a Lutheran church member (that includes most of us, I think), you probably have experience with volunteering. A lot of ministry in the church is done by people freely giving of their time—including the congregation coming to worship! And I am guessing that for many of us working on our LWF projects, volunteers are also a part of the process. My project, for one, involved a group of young adults working together to form a discussion group and create some networks. So I attended the workshop entitled: “Working with Volunteers, Reluctant and Eager” by Noreen Buhmann, who is the director for volunteering at Gustavus Adolphus College, an ELCA college in Minnesota.

In the workshop, we began by identifying “who volunteers.” I imagine this list might look different in our different regions, so here's a North American answer. Keep in mind that the problem of “busy-ness” in American lives is a prominent one for us: Americans work more with less vacation than Europeans, and many American kids participate in numerous out-of-school activities. “I don't have time” is an obstacle our congregations face every day in trying to help people get more involved!

Volunteers are:
1.People called “Baby Boomers,” born in the U.S. in the years following the second world war. They are aging, retiring from work, and want to volunteer because “when they are gone, it is the difference they have made in people's lives that matters.”
2.Seniors, those in their 70s, 80s, even 90s who are active enough and have the time to offer. 45% of American seniors volunteer an average of 4 hours per week.
3.Families, who volunteer to spend time together in a meaningful way
4.Teenagers, as long as they can see results for their efforts, be inspired by the leadership of an organization, understand what is expected of them and have a voice in decision making.
5.Working adults, possibly caring for children and their parents, are the hardest group because they have less time, but they can also become committed volunteers.

Some of the tips that were offered for finding and keeping volunteers included: clearly communicating time, responsibilities, expectations; offering people recognizable results for their efforts; appreciating volunteers through thank-you notes, public acknowledgment, and other means; making sure volunteers have support in their work, and helping people to see the time they give as a meaningful ministry that also changes their own lives.

Have some of you had success working with volunteers? Share your stories! What has worked for you? Where do you need help?