127. Don’t Pull the Trigger Too Fast

There are times that a volunteer should be released or move on. I think the first step in releasing or moving a volunteer is to correctly identify what is REALLY happening. Before you seek to make a change, understand what is truly at play. What category are you actually dealing with?

Volunteers need four key ingredients: character, chemistry, competence or circumstances. If one is missing, a change is needed. Now, as we say all the time at Lead Volunteers - EVERYTHING in ministry comes down to relationships and people skills. You as a ministry leader - or more accurately stated - you as a shepherd of people, need to know what is really happening in someone’s life. It takes time and discernment to accurately see what is really happening and which of the 4 C’s is the true issue.

We shouldn’t jump to quick conclusions. We have to use discernment to determine why this situation is not a good fit for the volunteer or for the staff, right? Let’s imagine someone “Not Gifted” in an area. This happens to us all in ministry. We’ve recruited someone only to find out they are not gifted in this area. How do we know if someone has a competence issue? Bottom line: “Right Person + Wrong Role = Wrong Person”.

Ok, let’s stop right here. Notice that I said “Right Person.” If someone is the “Right Person”, that means that this person is godly enough to serve. They have character. That should be the first gate or check point they need to pass through. Basically, they are qualified Biblically. Yet, being biblically qualified, maybe their life circumstances or maybe their giftings aren’t in the right position. At the end of the day, they have to hit all four of those areas.

Before you release someone, make sure that you know what is actually going on. Take your time, and don’t pull the trigger too fast.