Churches—and every ministry within a church—need to schedule volunteers to run smoothly. The worship team, ushers, youth group, children’s church, childcare, outreaches and more—they can all soar or fall apart based upon the commitment of volunteers.
When it comes to scheduling volunteers, it’s not always easy to work around the time commitments of large groups (or even small groups!) of willing people. But these three tips can give you an edge and make things a little easier.
Scheduling Tip #1: Get Everyone on the Same Page
Communication is one of the most important keys to getting volunteers to buy into a vision. Volunteers are more likely to show up when they understand where they need to be, at what time they need to be there, how they need to dress, and what’s expected of them. Moreover, when people take ownership of a vision—such as giving youth a life-changing opportunity at their next outing—they’ll be more likely to arrive on time with a helpful attitude. Never underestimate the power of sharing vision and expectations with your volunteer team.
Scheduling Tip #2: Use Technology
Today people are busier than ever…and more distracted than ever. Tip technology to your advantage by using it to communicate and follow up with volunteers. When someone has committed to help, following up with messages delivered on various platforms isn’t out of the question. A gentle phone call, an email, a text and even an informative note leading up to the volunteer opportunity are all methods that can be used together to make sure no-shows are minimized. A strong Church Management Software solution like FellowshipOne has various tools like these built in—making the use of technology a snap when it comes to scheduling volunteers. Don’t underestimate the power of tech!
Scheduling Tip #3: Anticipate the No-shows
No matter how much you plan or how much vision you share, some people just aren’t going to show up. Anticipate your no-shows by signing up more volunteers than you need, and by tracking volunteer opportunities over time. Again, this is where a good ChMS can help. Software can give you insights into which ministries have the biggest holes so you can make up the difference with no sweat.
Scheduling volunteers can be difficult, but you can ease the burden on yourself with these three tips—and by implementing a good ChMS like FellowshipOne. Click here to book a free demo to see how FellowshipOne can make scheduling and communication easy for you.
