The volunteer who heads our Welcome Center ministry (the area in our lobby where guests and others can get their questions answered) gave me the book Fusion by Nelson Searcy (Regal, 2007) to read. I’m glad I did. It outlines a simple, effective way to intentionally welcome guests and encourage them to become active church members.
Two quotes stuck out for me because they apply to all volunteer ministry in the church.
Quote #1:
Greeters, along with all volunteers, have an innate fear of not pleasing you, and, at the same time you have a fear of asking too much of them. This creates a vicious cycle where everyone is tiptoeing around everyone else, and the guests aren’t being greeted as effectively as they could be. (pg 56)
How many misunderstandings and frustrations — and less than effective ministry — come about due to people on all sides being “nice” rather than “speaking the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15)
Quote #2:
Serving [as a volunteer usher, for example] is more important to the spiritual growth of your people than to the success of your [worship] service. (pg 137)
Reminds me of Psalm 50 in which God tells his people that he does not need their sacrifices: “For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills . . . If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine” (v. 10, 12). Does God really need our volunteer efforts? He is perfectly capable of accomplishing entirely on his own everything we do for him. What a wonder that he has chosen to work through our efforts to accomplish his purposes. Perhaps one reason he does so is that when we work for him, it changes us. So when we help others serve in the church, we’re setting things up for their spiritual growth as they serve. When we unintentionally hinder their service, we’re unintentionally hindering their spiritual growth, too.
