Ministries need volunteers. A ministry like our soccer camp last week could not have worked without good, dedicated volunteers. However, over the many years of being a part of various ministries, I have noticed eight particular ‘types’ of volunteers:
The Obligator – Is someone who is helping in the ministry out of obligation rather than a servant heart. Even though they are doing the task, a lot of the time they are not doing it joyfully and their attitude dictates the flow and effectiveness of the ministry. Usually people who do ministry out of obligation don’t go above and beyond the task at hand. Rectifying this means judging the heart motives of the volunteer and whether that ministry is suitable for them or whether they should minister in an area where their gifts and passion would be better used.
The Busy Bee – Is someone who is overcommitted in all things life, family and ministry. This is your “yes” person; they have no boundaries when it comes to their level of commitment. They run the risk of spiritual, emotional and physical burnout, which in the long run not only hurts them, but also the ministry that they are serving in. The person responsible for the ministry should not rely on these people too much, just because they are guaranteed to say “yes” and do the job.
The Houdini – This is the person who says “yes” and then mysteriously disappears when it comes time for the task at hand. This may be because the task becomes overwhelming or they get distracted by other things. Perhaps they just want to save face by saying yes, even if they do not want to serve in a particular ministry. The person responsible for the ministry has to evaluate this type of volunteer to gauge whether they are in need of encouragement or whether they are just not interested and will continue to ‘disappear’.
The Shopper – We live in a culture of people who continually ‘shop’ for churches and this even occurs when it comes to specific ministries within the church itself. ‘Shoppers’ have no problem saying yes to being a part of a particular ministry however, there is no longevity in their commitment and they will soon move on to the next ministry. This could be due to the fact that they haven’t found their ministry niche yet or perhaps they just want to be a part of the next ‘big’ thing and are more interested in the success of the ministry than anything else. Again, a lot of the onus is on the person responsibility for the ministry to help find the ‘shoppers’ niche or to confront them regarding their commitment to the ministry.
The Sideliner – This is the person who repeatedly says no and doesn’t get involved in ministry all that much. Often this person is critical of the way ministries are run, but does little in the way of providing productive help. All ministry leaders can do regarding the Sideliner is to pray that God’s Spirit would change their heart.
The Timid and the Needed – It is hard to separate these two types. They are the people that often get overlooked when it comes to serving in the ministry because they do not ‘put their hand up’ to volunteer. Often, they wait for an invitation and may even need additional encouragement to be involved. This maybe a pride issue or timidity, brought on by a lack of confidence in their giftings. Ministry leaders need extra awareness to notice these people and give plenty of opportunities for them to volunteer. We must avoid pre-conceived notions of who should be involved.
The Real McCoy – A true servant. They do the task joyfully, using their gifts and passions to their full extent within that ministry. They balance all areas of life well, making them effective in ministry. They are a blessing to those they serve and work with.
This isn’t an exhaustive list. It doesn’t go deep into things like spiritual maturity, gifting etc. However if you have something to add or changes to suggest, please leave a comment below. I’d like to hear your thoughts on this subject!
