Summary: Lead and care for your volunteers well, so they don’t want to quit because of their leader.
The most demoralizing phrase I heard as a ministry leader was “I think God is calling me to do something different”. Now, if you are in ministry I guarantee you’ve heard this phrase. It is typically given on a Sunday morning at just about the worst time possible. Been there, done that.
Now while we may not appreciate the volunteers timing when they give us this demoralizing news, I don’t want to beat up volunteers too much. For all I know, God IS CALLING them to do something different. However, in my decade of experience as a ministry leader, I have found that people don’t quit ministries, they quit leaders.
You see, it’s my inability to care for them as a volunteer that makes them want to quit. It is my inability to look out for their needs that makes them want to stop serving. It is my inability to meet their needs before they know they have any that compels people to want to make a change. It is my inability to care about them as a person that has caused them to decide that God is calling them to do something different. It’s my inability to care for them as a shepherd that’s causing them to think “ya know, maybe this isn’t worth it and maybe God is calling me to do something else”.
People don’t quit ministries, they quit leaders. I challenge you to take personal pains to increase your own leadership game so people will no longer quit because of you.
Someone recently sent me a text. He is currently a member of the LEADVOLUNTEERS program and he said, “You could have just as easily called this material How To Be A Better Pastor as opposed to LEADVOLUNTEERS”.
Listen, do you want to be a better pastor? Do you want some Done-For-You tools to make your life and leadership better? I know you do. Join LEADVOLUNTEERS.com today and let’s get started.