How you can revitalize your volunteer program

Since the COVID-19 pandemic reached the United States, volunteering levels in houses of worship have taken a nose-dive. And according to a Gallup survey performed at the end of 2021, volunteering was not yet back to pre-pandemic levels. Only 35% of Americans reported volunteering for a religious organization in the past year, down from 38% in 2020 and 44% in 2017.

Of course, you don’t need polls to tell you that. All you have to do is look at your own congregation, and you can likely see how difficult it has become to find volunteers. Houses of worship can’t survive without volunteers—so what can you do? Here are six ways you can rejuvenate your house of worship’s volunteer program:

1. Connect with people individually. You may fondly remember the days when you could send out a SignUpGenius for an event or project and the slots would easily fill up. Now, some of the people you could always rely on are less likely to raise their hand on their own. That doesn’t mean you should count them out. A staff member from your facility may want to reach out to them individually. People wish to be connected, and some of them may be waiting to be asked before they offer to commit themselves again.
2. Focus on your mission. This may seem intuitive, but sometimes houses of worship get caught up in their immediate need for volunteers and lose sight of the why. Make sure potential volunteers understand how they will be helping your mission in a specific role.
3. Consider dividing volunteer tasks into smaller parts. People are commitment-shy now more than ever, which means if you ask them to commit to a two-year, one-year or even six-month role, they are likely to be wary. Instead, ask them for shorter-term commitments, such as teaching Sunday school one Sunday a month, or serving in a lay ministry role for one month at a time and then taking a break.
4. Create volunteer gatherings. While some people are less likely to be as involved as they were pre-COVID, others are craving connection. Emphasize the social aspect of volunteering, and host gatherings to help your volunteers get to know each other better. In a church, it can sometimes be easy for members to feel isolated because they don’t have anything to say to the people they see at worship services. Volunteering together can be a way to get to know someone else, and you can foster these new relationships by giving them an opportunity to deepen their connection at a gathering.
5. Move quickly to involve new people. While some are staying away from houses of worship post-COVID, others are trying new things, so you may see some new faces in your congregation. You may be hesitant to approach them about volunteer opportunities too soon, but actually the sooner you involve them, the more likely they are to become an active member.
6. Think about what is essential in your ministry. You can’t be everything to everyone—and you may need to learn how to work with fewer volunteers. So, decide what is really important to your house or worship and the people you serve. Is it your outreach program? How about your religious education, or your music ministry? Solicit feedback from the people in your congregation. Maybe you’re having difficulties finding volunteers for a certain area because your congregation simply isn’t passionate about it. Rather than trying to revive it, you could consider shifting resources to another area.

Never fear—the volunteers will return to your house of worship. It just may take a little extra effort to coax them into becoming involved again. Just as it took time for us to get used to the changes we needed to make at the beginning of the pandemic, we also need to be patient as we get our ministries up and going again.

As you consider ways to activate your volunteer base, be sure you’re also following best practices when it comes to screening and training individuals. Our Risk Radar Report – State of Volunteerism in America indicates people expect more screening and training than you may be providing.

Finally, be sure your organization is prioritizing volunteer safety and management to ensure your volunteers, and those they interact with, remain safe.