The Heart of a Volunteer
by Dan Reiland

Volunteerism is strong in the United States. "People won't volunteer anymore" is not a true statement. What is true is that we must win a person's heart with a cause they believe in before they will volunteer. I surfed the net for a few well-known volunteer organizations, and here's what I found:

That's a lot of volunteers! I searched for volunteer organizations and found over 10,000 on just one website (www.idealist.org). My favorite was an organization for Caffeine Awareness. Hey, if they can recruit volunteers so can you!

There are conversations among church leaders discussing whether or not "volunteer" is the right word for a follower of Christ. I suggest that it is, and let's get on with recruiting more people rather than taking more time to decide what to call them. The most common definition of volunteer is "non-paid." The actual definition is "a person who performs or offers to perform a service of his or her own free will." Practically speaking, this works fine. No one is forced. I understand that theologically speaking, we could long debate this in terms of the press of God's spirit and obedience to His call to serve. As for me, no matter how you look at it, people still have a choice - thus a volunteer.

I want to take a different angle in this article to help increase our understanding of the heart of a volunteer, but first, a quick refresher course via "bullet points galore" to engage your thinking into the well-known biblical foundation for volunteering. (This can also serve as great lesson material for you to teach in your church.)

The Early Church In Action: Acts 6:1-7

·  The leaders could not keep up with the needs (v. 1).

·  The leaders gathered the disciples to bring clarity to the issue (v. 2).

·  The pressures of a growing church and ministry priorities required careful selection of others to help with the work of   ministry (v. 3).

·  The leaders were spiritually qualified (vv. 3, 5).

·  The leaders re-focused their attention (v. 4).

·  The plan met with favor (v. 5).

·  The "volunteers" were empowered by the leaders (v. 6).

·  The church continued to grow (v. 7).

An Encouraging Reminder About Volunteers Serving in Ministry:

·  Ministry is God's idea, not ours.

·  Ministry is a privilege, not a problem.

·  Ministry enhances personal growth.

·  Ministry (service) is pleasing to God.

·  Ministry unleashes the power of the Holy Spirit.

·  Ministry multiplies the church's potential.

·  Key thought: The people are not helping the pastors do their ministries; we are helping the people do their ministries.

Now back to the "different angle." Volunteerism is not as simple as asking someone, "Do you want to be an usher?" when you want to transform a life more than you want to fill a slot.

Don't misunderstand me; I don't think we should overcomplicate the process by making the potential volunteer jump through unnecessary hoops. I'm referring to deeper layers of the heart and truly understanding the people we hope will have their lives transformed through the act of meaningful service. Serving is not natural to human nature. A serving heart is part of our redeemed nature, but there is still a battle that we as leaders of Christian volunteers must be aware of. Connecting people with God's plan cannot be disconnected from understanding the role and impact of human nature and redeemed nature.

Awareness of human (sin) nature:

14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. (Romans 7:14-18, NIV)

·         People are susceptible and gravitate to the behavior that resonates with their weaknesses. It is human nature to lean into our weakness. The sinful nature leans into our place of weakness. The tempter works our weakness, not our strength. We are most susceptible at our weakest point.

My parents divorced when I was eight years old. Though I have been well cared for and blessed beyond measure, there is no doubt that some measure of abandonment found its way into my soul. I can therefore be overly protective, for example, of my kids. My teenage daughter Mackenzie is developing a heart of compassion and loves to go on mission trips, trips that are not necessarily safe and easy. My natural response is to keep her home safe with me. My redeemed response is that God will care for her and this experience will help her grow and mature.

Everyone has something within that causes them to hold back, even if it is as simple as selfishness. The underlying reason behind selfishness is likely far more substantial than it appears. Understanding this will help you connect with someone who does not volunteer as you guide them to a place of serving others.

·         People will do things in order to compensate for or cover their fears.

On occasion people will volunteer in order not to be discovered. They believe that if they do what is asked of them, that is to faithfully serve, that they will be protected from probing questions that might reveal who they really are, or to cover for loneliness or insecurity.

As leaders, we must grasp this idea to help prevent those we lead from serving out of fear or as a form of duty or works-based righteousness. Further, it is not uncommon that people can justify a lack of service believing they are not spiritually worthy. Much of this is fear-based.

·         People compensate for issues of pride and selfishness by convincing their minds and hardening their hearts.

How many marriages have we all seen end up in divorce by this very thing? How many people have left churches because of this issue? How many people shut out God himself through this process? People who find themselves in a personal place like this do not volunteer in a local church. So back to my original statement, volunteerism is far more involved than asking someone to be an usher.

I find that understanding these kinds of things helps me be more patient, insightful in recruiting, and ultimately to develop stronger Christians.

Leveraging redeemed (Spirit-Filled) nature
The good news is that the story doesn't stop with Romans chapter seven. God has provided a way for all of us to overcome our human nature. Leaning into this truth adds the positive element and redeeming power we need so we can invest in and deploy volunteers.

1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1-4, NIV)

• People will rise above their weaknesses and tap into a potential greater than their own when believed in and treated with dignity and respect.
  
  First, God has treated all of us with dignity and respect. There is now no condemnation! This is the deep and profound model upon which we can understand, approach, nurture, and develop the heart of a volunteer.
  
  Frederick Buechner said, "The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." (Daily Meditations, Harper and Row, 1992, p. 185) I don't believe this happens by itself. It takes a leader who sees the match, believes in the person, and does something about it. You honor someone when you invite them to be part of something important. God honors them by allowing them the privilege of living inside their own "deep gladness" while fulfilling God's plan.
  
  We are developing our compassion ministries with great energy at Crossroads. Recently, tremendous efforts have been undertaken to bring aid to the Katrina victims. Dozens of people have traveled to the disaster areas doing everything from delivering food and clothing to repairing buildings. Without exception, upon their return home, they glow with a sense of deep gladness because they know a deep need has been met.

• People will step out in faith in order to live above their fears when challenged with something meaningful.
  
  We have all seen how people will step out in faith to trust God for their tithes. They begin to live out Romans 8:4, "not according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit." They will do the same when given an opportunity to serve in such a way that genuinely makes a difference.
  
  Taking my pastor hat off for a moment... As a dad, I am deeply grateful for the volunteers in our high school ministry. I have two wonderful teens who benefit in a huge way from the guidance they receive as part of that ministry. Most adults would be very afraid to merely walk into a room of 250-300 high school students, let alone serve and lead in their midst! But we have over 30 adults who have set their fears aside and set their sights on the incredible potential impact of changing a teenager's life forever! They know that Romans 8 is true in their lives and they are able to transfer that truth to these young adults as well.

• People will humble themselves and give themselves away when they see the power of Christ resident in you as you model a humble servant's spirit.
  
  What does it look like for you to model a humble servant's spirit? What does it take? How well are you doing?

These are leadership questions that take us to part two on volunteers, so stay tuned for the next Pastor's Coach which is titled, "Leading Volunteers."

 "This article is used by permission from Dr. Dan Reiland's free monthly e-newsletter 'The Pastor's Coach' available at www.INJOY.com."

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