I think there are few churches in America that are not faced with the ongoing challenge of people coming and going no matter how involved, the individual may have been. Some of the movement is only nature; after all, we live in a very transient nation, so people are not as afraid to move for new opportunities.
However, many times there are factors within the church community or structure that are contributing to what feels like the never-ending revolving door of members and volunteers. Look at these three factors to help your ministry continue to make a lasting impact on even more people.
- Delivered Promises – When a new member or new salvation commits to our ministry, we have high hopes and aspirations for what will happen to them during their journey with our congregation. We want them to learn, grow, begin to volunteer or disciple. We have a class or a group that is supposed to help facilitate their journey and we express to them that they will not walk alone, but will be supported by our community. However, behind the something is breaking down and people are falling through the cracks creating broken promises.
- Regular Touches – Whether through the Lead Pastor, minister, or hospitality group, ministries rarely bring in a new member or salvation and then leave them completely alone. Usually someone is responsible for following up with them and hopefully discipling them through their new relationship with your church or their new relationship with God. Those people touches during this time of newness is very important to their growth and comfort in their new environment and critical to ensuring that the new salvation doesn’t decide it would just be easier to go back to their old way of life. Regular touches from volunteers, ministers, and the lead pastor really helps your new commitments feel at home. It is the ministries responsibility to ensure that spiritually mature people are reaching out and letting them know how often and what their touches should consist of.
- A Clear System – how do new members contact information make it from the new member to the church database? How does new volunteer’s information make it from the church database to the leader of that area of the ministry? How do volunteers get trained in the does and don’ts of their new area of the ministry? Clear systems are vital in ensuring that information gets to the right department and that information is turned into usable information to serve your communication. However, the system is not enough. There are people within the system and training for each staff and volunteer member to understand the process and the importance of their role is essential.
At Fields Law, we understand church because we are the church. We understand the highs and lows of volunteerism because we have been the volunteers. Fields Law is ready to help you find your revolving doors, secure them, and train others to manage them effectively and efficiently.
