Leading a Volunteer Organazation

One of the toughest things to do, in my opinion, is leading a volunteer organization. I'm not saying leading in the business world is easy, I know I've done it, but leading volunteers is tough and anyone who has ever done it will agree. Of course there's plenty we can learn from the business world, and we have learned a lot from them here at BAF, but I think there is a lot the business world might learn from us too.

What makes leading a volunteer organization so hard is, unlike the business world, we can't hold a paycheck over the heads of our volunteers. When your a leader in the business world you can pretty much tell someone that if they don't do what they're being paid to do, at the level you want it done, you will find someone that can. The question for church leaders is how do we get the same kind of commitment and excellence from volunteers who don't have to do anything they don't want to do.

In my humble opinion, the answer to leading a volunteer organization is love. The key is loving your volunteers so much that they feel honored and blessed to be a part of your team. This isn't manufactured love that comes from a slap on the back or a nice word now and then, this has to be real love, the kind that can't be faked or manufactured. This has to be real love, the kind Jesus has for us.

As the leader of the BAF Hometeams Ministry, I believe one of my most important job is to love my Associate HT's Pastor and his wife, and our Coordinators Team, with all my heart and soul. That group is not only my leadership team, but they're my small group too. We're like family and I believe that is the key to the success of this ministry. We love each other, care for each other, support each other, hold each other accountable, each of them can speak into my life any time they feel it necessary, and stand at each others side no matter what. This group of leaders is loyal beyond my wildest dreams and every one of them works their tails off to keep the BAF HT's Ministry healthy and growing. I have complete trust in every person on my leadership team and they each have the ability, and authority, to lead their groups as if they are their pastors, because they are. They don't just lead, they pastor and shepherd their group leaders. In other words, they love their leaders. Any one of the people on my leadership team could be a small groups pastor at any church in the country. That's why I'm not giving out their names, you guys will come after them. We know who you are, stay away! Just kidding, I think!

But here's the best thing about this system, because these same leaders are being loved, cared for, trusted, held accountable, and empowered, they care for the Hometeam Leaders they oversee in the same exact way. And because the HT Leaders are being loved and cared for by their Coordinators, they are prepared to love and care for the people who come to their homes each week. Starting with me, all the way to the people who attend our Hometeams, we have created a system that makes sure everyone is loved, cared for, held accountable, and shepherded. That won't ever happen in a system where rules trump relationships.

Accountability and love build a great team that starts with me. I have tons of accountability and love from my Senior Pastor and the BAF Leadership team I serve on which I think keeps me healthy. So here's my system; because I believe I have in place the tools to keep me healthy, I lead a healthy associate Hometeams Pastor and his Coordinators team, who then can lead healthy Hometeams Leaders, who because of the support and love they feel, can lead Hometeams that aren't always full of healthy people. You see as long as the system is working, the leaders of the groups are prepared to help unhealthy people get healthy.

I wonder what the business world could learn from the church world instead of the other way around. Can you imagine Microsoft if they loved everyone in their company in the way Jesus teaches us to love each other. I think it would change the world, not because I'm that smart, but because it's Jesus' model not mine.

In I Corinthians 13:1-13 the power of love is explained in great detail. This chapter discusses faith, hope, and love, but ends with, in opinion, are some of the most profound words in the Bible.

"And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

I believe this is one of the greatest leadership lessons in the Bible.

Pastor John

Comments

[Jason Curlee]

Great post John...I was having that exact same talk with our young adult leaders a month ago. We were talking about leading through influence.

Your system is awesome and just like you said will stay intact as the love continues to flow down from your leadership.

[Bill]

I would agree that Love is important, otherwise we are going to see the volunteers as merely tools, a means to the ends we want to accomplish. Love has to be foundational. I would also add something. With volunteers, we can't hold a paycheck over them, that is why for volunteers, Vision has got to be their paycheck. That is what is going to motivate them and keep them going.

I blogged about that thought a couple of weeks ago:
http://provocativechurch.blogspot.com/2007/05/vision-is-paycheck.html

[Scott Cheatham]

Excellent advice Pastor John. I appreciate your heart. I'm looking forward to reading your book on small groups.

[Cathy]

Well written Juanito....as I was sharing with you the other day the verse God laid on my heart, Proverbs 3:3 "Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart." Loyalty and kindness requires action and attitudes. They are both character qualities. A loyal person acts responsibly and a kind person works for justice for others. What I'm saying is thoughts and words are not enough...Do our actions measure up to our attitudes? When we genuinely love our people, and I mean really love our people, I believe it is a natural response to love one back, and that's what I call loyalty. I too have learned in managing 350 to 400 "every" weekend volunteers that it's more than hugs, pats on the back and high fives. All the above are great and I strive to do that every weekend but to me what speaks more are our actions...show them that we love them! Encourage them...Equip them...pray with them...listen to them...Ignite, Inspire, and Empower them, and also create an environment that our volunteers look forward to coming to every weekend. Truly make the hour or so that they serve the very best hour of THEIR week. As we know, it all starts with vision but I'll also add that when our values are clear, our decisions are easy! God has truly blessed our CHILDREN'S MINISTRY...with the most amazing "every" weekend volunteers and you betcha....we love them...in fact, we love their socks off!!! Hey man, it's such an honor to serve alongside, in my opinion, and yes I'm biased but none the less, the greatest team ever, our BAF KIDS Staff, BAF KIDS Volunteer Leadership Team, BAF KIDS Volunteers...Pastor B., Paul, You, Jason, Bryan and Scott. Oh, by the way, Have I told you lately that I love the fact that I broke up the "boys" club, you old geezer:-)