the BLACKBOARD: Honoring & Appreciating our Volunteers

We all know that volunteers are a precious asset.  We can’t live without them and it’s not just a matter of us “wanting” more volunteers.  We really NEED them.  They enable us to reach out to lost people and believers in the way that is beyond what just you or me can do alone.  So, if this is the case, then the question I have for all of us is, how are we appreciating them and honoring their commitment to the ministry?  If we value them so much, how are we showing them just how much we really need them?

Let me explain my question.  Just last week my girls school was honoring their volunteers by providing them a Volunteer Brunch from 8:30 – 11:30 am at the school.  In addition, they gave them all travel mugs with the school name on it.  Now, as nice as the spread was for breakfast, I had to abstain because I was getting ready to have an All-You-Can-Eat Sushi lunch with another youth minister friend.  But I was happy to take the travel mug.

This was a very nice, simple appreciation – brunch and a travel mug.  But how do you think this made made the volunteers feel?  It made me feel appreciated and valued.  It made me want to do this again next year.  And that’s the point.  The volunteers were recognized, honored and appreciated and it went a long way to retention for next year.

TAKE A MINUTE right now and brainstorm some thoughts on the BLACKBOARD about what you are doing to honor and appreciate your volunteers.  Is there something new that you have done recently that went over well?  Is there something NOT to do?  Throw out some ideas and thoughts so that we can all benefit.