Facing Reality: Volunteer Decline

In this series of newsletters, we have named six challenges churches today cannot ignore. We have already discussed the first two challenges, aging congregations and leadership pipelines running dry. Today, we’ll turn to this third challenge, the decline of volunteerism.

• In many churches, the passion around serving in volunteer roles has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. The smaller number of volunteers who are still serving often end up facing fatigue and burnout rather than joy in ministry. They end up quietly resenting their commitments and viewing ministry as something we “have to” do rather than something we “get to” do.

Understandably, many churches respond by asking, “How do we get more volunteers?” While this is a good question, maybe this is not the first one we should ask. A better starting point is to ask, “What kind of serving culture are we inviting people into?”

• Below are several ways we can start to move from frantic recruitment mode into a more sustainable and more joyful culture of service.

Six ways to foster a healthy culture of service

1. Right-sized ministry to match reality

• Many churches are still trying to run the same number of programs they did when they had more people and bigger budgets. The math no longer works! And in today’s busy world, many people would actually prefer a more streamlined, simple approach to ministry anyway.
• Maybe it is time to start asking questions like these: Which ministries are most effective at accomplishing their mission in today’s context? Which ministries have the greatest energy and participation? If we could only do three or four things well in this season, what would they be? If it is time to pause or end some programs, this is not a failure. It is good stewardship!

2. Replace guilt-based recruiting with calling-based invitations

• A lot of church recruiting runs on guilt. “If no one signs up, this ministry will die. You don’t want to let the kids down, do you?” Over time, this wears people out and weighs people down. They serve out of guilt rather than the joy of fulfilling their calling.
• Why not try a different tone? As church leaders, we exist to help people discover and use their spiritual gifts and passions (Ephesians 4:12). We want to equip them to thrive in roles that match their gifting. Phrases like, “We see this in you, and we believe God might want to use you in a big way,” can help people feel called rather than cornered.

3. Make serving clear, simple and time-bound

• Some people avoid volunteering because they are afraid of the commitment. We often do not make it clear what they are signing up for, so they assume the role will take over their whole life and they’ll be stuck in it until they die!
• You can lower the barrier to entry by making the role clear and time-bound. Each volunteer position should have a short, simple role description that describes what is required, how often it happens, and who will support them. You can offer “trial periods” so people can test the waters and not feel bad stepping back if it is not a good fit. You can also build in natural on- and off-ramps so you can celebrate people as they rotate off.

4. Create rhythms of rest, not just rallies for more work

• Most churches hold rallies to recruit volunteers. Fewer churches build in rhythms of rest for the volunteers they already have. What would it look like to promote the importance of balance on your teams?
• Encourage long-term volunteers to take planned breaks. Offer cross-training to help ensure that no ministry is dependent on just one or two individuals. Check in with volunteers to see if the ministry is still life-giving for them, and give them permission to step back without guilt if it is not. Rhythms of rest like these make the ministry sustainable over the long term.

5. Celebrate serving as discipleship

• If volunteering is merely helping the church run, it will always feel like extra work added to already busy lives. But Scripture says serving is a key part of discipleship, as we grow into the image of Christ, who “did not come to be served, but to serve” (Matthew 20:28).
• Tell stories in worship about how serving has shaped people’s faith journeys — both the people serving and the people being served. Clearly connect volunteer roles to key moments in people’s spiritual formation (running outreach events, welcoming guests, enfolding new people, discipling children, etc.). When people see the connection between volunteering and growth as a disciple, it will become less of a burden and more a blessing.

6. invest in your volunteers’ well-being

• Volunteers are not just workers. They are image-bearers and brothers and sisters in Christ. They are disciples and friends. If they feel unseen and uncared for, they will become disillusioned and drift away.
• Check in on how they are doing spiritually and emotionally. Ask how they are doing before you ask how the ministry is doing. Pray with and for them regularly. Offer words of gratitude through handwritten notes, text messages, in worship, and at special events. When people see volunteers experience care and encouragement, they will be drawn into these opportunities for growth.

If you are finding it harder and harder to fill volunteer roles, you are not alone. The temptation is to find a quick fix — a way to fill all the open spots. But there are better options than just pushing harder. Maybe God wants to use this moment as an opportunity to help you reshape your serving culture and rediscover the heart of Christianity: one body with one mission, but many members with many gifts building each other up in love.