by Krista Kutz
More time for what matters
It used to be that the person in this position worked full time scheduling hundreds of volunteers – all on paper, all the time. With MSP, I’ve been able to transform how I spend my time. Using something user friendly that gets everybody involved in the process of building the schedule liberates me to do what I’m actually trained to do.
“Using something that gets everybody involved in the process of building the schedule liberates me to do what I’m actually trained to do.”
Getting new people involved
When I started, I had about 78 people who were on the schedule and there were always gaps. Now, I have 432 people in my database! In less than one year, the number of people who have access to the schedule and are volunteering regularly has more than doubled. The sheer diversity of people being involved is so important. People in the pews look up now and see 40 different people every Sunday doing those roles, and it’s easier to see yourself doing that as well, because it doesn’t look like an exclusive group.
Communicating more clearly
Communication is a huge piece of my position and MSP also helps with it. The Emailer function allows me to target groups, and that helps me do my job a lot better. Before, I had a 13-page Word document of email addresses! Going from that document to this has changed everything. I’ve been able to use what MSP provides as a platform for communicating things that are important.
Empowering volunteers
For many churches, there doesn’t seem to be a clear process for individuals to say they will not be there, which sets yourself up for a lot of last-minute changes. With MSP, people take more ownership for when they’re going to be there. The ease with which somebody can find a sub makes it better on Sunday for everybody.