10 Commandments of Leading Church Volunteers

By Deborah Wipf 

Check these out for happy and faithful volunteers:

1. Thou shalt plan ahead and ask volunteers to sign up early for special events
2. Thou shalt have all supplies and equipment ready for church events/projects
3. Thou shalt not change instructions at the last minute (at least not often!)
4. Thou shalt train all volunteers and provide clear expectations
5. Thou shalt run background checks on anyone applying to serve with children under 18
6. Thou shalt not announce a significant change and expect volunteers to implement it that very moment
7. Thou shalt be well-known for appreciating your volunteers and having fun
8. Thou shalt cultivate leaders on your volunteer teams so you can delegate responsibility to them and not try to do everything yourself
9. Thou shalt provide documentation including detailed descriptions of what success looks like for each volunteer role
10. Thou shalt communicate a compelling vision for why people should volunteer and how they too will benefit from the experience

Bonus Commandment for extra-happy volunteers: Thou shalt ensure that coffee is abundantly supplied (especially for the early service crew!).