Meet with volunteers after x weeks, not after x is done.

If you plan to meet with someone “as soon as you’ve finished the next step”, there’s little chance you’ll meet.

Whereas, if you plan to meet with someone “in 3 weeks”, you’ll meet, and there’s more chance they’ll have finished the next step.

Arranging to meet with a volunteer regardless of deliverables is an important part of communicating to them that they are more important than the project.

2 thoughts on “Meet with volunteers after x weeks, not after x is done.”

  1. Kara Gilbert says:

    Hey Dave, this is a bit of a ‘thing’ for me so I hope it doesn’t turn into a rant, but I really struggle with the notion of volunteers and church. I think the use of the term ‘volunteer’ to describe church people who are serving makes a distinction that the Scriptures don’t make. It creates the notion that this is an organisation that people come and join, as they would a gym or a club, and they are volunteers in that organisation. It also communicates a distinction that the staff run and own this organisation and the other people can join or unjoin as they want. Instead I reckon the thrust in the Bible is that the church are the people and therefore they aren’t volunteering into something, they are the thing, they are the church. They serve the body, they offer themselves to God in service of his people by being on a roster, meeting up with someone, etc etc.

    Just thoughts. I think this terminology creates an false distinction in our thinking.

    • Hi Kara. I suppose the term “volunteer” could create that type of wrong thinking… maybe?
      How else would you describe church members who have chosen to take on special roles or responsibilities? What term would you use instead?

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