Keep The Volunteers You Have By Encouraging and Thanking Them!

I've been writing about recruiting volunteers and while I focused most of this past month on recruiting new volunteers, the past few days I've been writing about the easiest - and best way to recruit . . . by keeping the volunteers you already have! Today I want to talk a bit about encouraging your volunteers . . . I'll be writing much more about Volunteer encouragement, but today I just want to take a quick look at the topic.

So, what am I talking about when I talk about encouraging volunteers? I am talking about being intentional in thanking your volunteers and being intentional about noticing what they are doing and then letting them know you noticed! We are encouraged in the Bible to be people who are thankful, so thanking volunteers is certainly appropriate. After all, these are people who are giving of themselves and their time to serve the children and families in your church and community. They do not have to do this, but they are, so be intentional about telling them, 'thank you'! How do you say "thank you"? Consider the following - 

• Say it! Look for opportunities to be sincere about saying "thank you" and then say it! Be sure you are sincere in your thanks.
• Show it by the things you do - show your thanks by providing child care when you have meetings and trainings, show your thanks by giving your volunteers little items - such as a chocolate egg with a note which says, "You're egg-straordinary! Thank you for being part of our children's ministry team!", show your thanks by having a "staff" room where your volunteers can get a cup of coffee and a muffin before they go to their class, show you thanks by sending them a card for their birthday . . . there are so many ways to show your thanks - pick something and then do it!
• Be intentional about noticing and then telling others about the special things a volunteer does - this is especially wonderful to do when you can do it within the hearing of the volunteer!

Volunteers are gifts from the hand of God. Be sure you are intentional about thanking them and be certain they know how much you appreciate them and the gift of their time which they have given to your church and community!