Tips for Re-Engaging Your Volunteers

Our communities are experiencing rapid changes in how they meet, communicate, and support one another. But while many services across the nation have been put on hold, the passion of your volunteers has never wavered, and they may be looking for your guidance on how they can best continue to serve. After conversations with Ministry Scheduler Pro users, we've put together resources on how you can use MSP to help! Here are a few ideas on how you can "repurpose" your volunteers to serve in other ways:

Calling Elderly Members

Older church members may be experiencing feelings of isolation, or may be confused about why they are no longer receiving regular visitors in person. A calling schedule would help ensure regular interaction with all of your members, but especially those who are alone, the elderly, or those with medical concerns.

Tip: Have items that need to be taken care of on a particular day, but not at a particular time? Set up a service with no start time!

Prayer Tree

Prayer helps members to stay connected and provide direct support for each other’s needs. Help accommodate your prayer requests by introducing a prayer tree, which can engage volunteers to provide support through prayer.

Tip: Ask volunteers who are already serving to pray over others in their existing ministry. Use the Rosters in the Web Terminal so they can pray over every person by name.

Church Maintenance

Are there projects around your church that could use the attention of one family at a time? Create rotating shifts to take care of general maintenance or upkeep! Think landscaping, dusting, sweeping, mail collection, checking voicemail, tending to plants, or small improvement projects.

Tip: Use Enrollment Forms to allow those who are not already serving to join in on the new opportunities. You can even invite those who sign up to serve in existing ministries once services resume. Check out the example Enrollment Form we created, where you can see the descriptions of each new opportunity by clicking on it:

Grocery / Prescription Pick Up

The most vulnerable in your community may experience difficulty getting to the store for food or prescription refills. Your volunteers could be used to make shopping and delivery trips, or to prepare meals for those who are homebound, have mobility issues, or are essential workers.

Tip: Use Notes to give volunteers in specific roles the information they need - whether it is who to contact for a grocery list and where to deliver the groceries, or what songs you want for online worship.

Online Volunteer Opportunities

There are a wide variety of online-based volunteer opportunities to keep your members in touch, such as reading children’s books, leading worship songs, or leading prayers. Try soliciting additional ideas from your own members to find out what would be most beneficial for them!

Tip: Create a Live Schedule Post of opportunities and post it to your website so the whole church is aware of not only how they can serve, but what is available to them throughout the week! Check out our example of a Full Schedule that can be posted to the church website.

Interested in learning more? Check out the following helpful resources:

• COVID-19 Related Tips
• Sample Enrollment form to repurpose volunteers
• Sample Live Schedule post with volunteer opportunities