July 9, 2025 • 20 mins
Hey, Friend!
If you are a minister, then you know that volunteers are worth their weight in gold. As a minister, you are a leader and it is the responsibility of every leader to develop those under their leadership. This includes developing both the capacity of your volunteers, as well as a healthy dependency on you for the vision, the mission of the church as it translates to your ministry, and all the support you can give.
In today’s episode, I focus on creating a healthy dependency. In next week’s episode, I share some ways that you can create capacity in your volunteers.
There must be a balance between dependency and capacity in order for your volunteers to feel both valued and necessary, while also building their ability to take ownership and grow in their roles.
I pray this blesses you!
Becky
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Volunteers in a church are worth their weight in gold.
(00:05):
And what's really cool is when you are a minister in a church and you've got this one
volunteer and maybe you're lucky enough to have more than one that I call high capacity
volunteers.
They're the ones that are available at a moment's notice.
They can jump into any situation and know what to do.
Yes, is their default answer.
(00:27):
Extremely capable, extremely reliable, high capacity volunteers.
And if you're a minister in a church, well, you're already in a leadership position,
but if you're a minister that depends on volunteers to help your ministry run, you're
now not only a leader of a ministry, you are a leader of people.
(00:51):
Which means that you have the unique challenge of how do you balance building capacity in your
volunteers with creating a sense of dependency on the vision of the church, the guidance
of the minister and creating an environment where volunteers feel both valued and necessary.
(01:21):
While also building their ability to take ownership and grow in their roles.
And so the challenge for the minister is to create a balance of dependency and capacity.
Ready to know more?
Let's dive in to today's episode.
Hey, friend, are you a people-pleasing conflict avoiding leader?
(01:44):
Is your secret relationship with fear affecting your leadership decisions?
Do you want to learn how to build credibility and confidence or to navigate difficult conversations?
Do you long to manage your time without sacrificing your family or self-care?
Welcome to leadership becomes her.
(02:04):
I'm Becky Burroughs, your host and a minister and life and leadership coach with over 50 years
experience in leadership.
I firmly believe God has given you everything you need to lead well.
You have the toolbox.
You just need to learn how to use the tools.
So get comfy or start a mindless task.
You know how to pause or rewind if you need to.
(02:27):
Let's get started.
In my 18 years in ministry, I spent six years as a children's minister.
And I would say the hardest thing about being a children's minister has nothing to do with
the children themselves or even the parents.
(02:50):
It is recruitment.
There is never a moment when I could dust my hands off and say, "I have now recruited all
the volunteers I will ever need."
There was always had to keep my eye out for the next volunteer.
And when you're constantly trying to recruit volunteers, it is very, very tempting to get
(03:12):
into what I call warm body mode where you think, "I just need somebody."
Anybody will do somebody to step in in this role that I need filled.
And so you make the public announcement from the pulpit to the whole church.
We need somebody to work in the nursery.
And then everyone sitting there thinks, "Well, she needs somebody," which means anybody
(03:36):
will do.
And then nobody volunteers.
The most effective way to recruit volunteers is based on number one, having relationship
with people so that you know what their skills and gifts and abilities are, even what their
passions are, and you recruit based on giftedness where you come up to someone and you say, "Sally,
(04:01):
you say Sally, I know you are an excellent teacher."
And you are creative and you're so good with kids.
And we need someone just like you to teach second grade.
And you begin to sell the idea of Sally teaching second grade.
That is much more effective than saying, "Hey, guys, we need somebody to teach second grade.
(04:23):
Who's willing?
Who will do it?
Who will teach second grade?"
It's just not, because what will happen is, who will volunteer is that person who feels
guilty with that kind of announcement.
They're like, "Oh, so they need a second grade teacher."
I don't like teaching.
I don't know how to teach.
I've never done it before, but I feel guilty because I have a child in children's ministry
(04:43):
and I think every class needs a teacher, so I guess I'll do it.
I guess I'll sign up to teach second grade.
And let me tell you, it doesn't go well.
It doesn't last long and you begin to regret that you were so reckless in filling that position.
It is much, much, much, much better to fill based on giftedness and passion.
(05:08):
Well, let's say you've done that.
Let's say you have recruited based on giftedness and passion.
Now your role needs to be one of creating dependency in a healthy way, not in a codependent
way where they can't make a move without getting your approval, but creating a dependency
of, first of all, it's your responsibility to make sure they understand the vision, the
(05:30):
mission of the church.
So for example, at my church, our mission is to love, grow, and send disciples.
And most churches have a mission statement.
You need, as the minister, you need to have that mission statement committed to memory because
everything in your ministry needs to be driven by whatever your church leaders have decided
(05:52):
is the mission of your church.
So in the example I just gave where ours is to love, grow, and send disciples.
Every time the children's minister, for example, plans and activity, she says to herself, does
this fall in loving, growing, or sending, or a combination of those?
If it doesn't fall in any of those three, she doesn't do it.
(06:16):
Sometimes we think that more is better.
We just need to be doing a lot of things.
When in reality, we ought to be strategically planning activities that fit the vision that
the leadership has for the church.
Now once you understand the vision of your church, it is your responsibility as the minister
over in this example, children's ministry, to communicate that vision to your volunteers
(06:42):
and how that's translated in the way you do activities, in the way you teach class, in
the way you worship together, in everything you do, you ought to be able to tie it back to
the vision of the church.
So that's a healthy dependency.
You are the representative for your ministry of the vision.
(07:05):
So you're the person who's standing in for the elders, the church leadership, and imparting
the vision to the people who are volunteering in your ministry.
That is a healthy dependency.
If they're not clear, "Hey, I'm thinking about doing this thing with this group of kids,
does this fit the vision?"
(07:26):
Then you step in as the minister and you help them with that.
That is a healthy dependency on you to be the carrier of the vision.
Another way you can create a healthy dependency on your volunteers is as the leader of that
ministry, you accept the responsibility for providing leadership training for your volunteers.
(07:49):
So it's not just about filling spots.
A leader, a true leader develops those under their leadership.
You should be able to tick off the names of each one of your volunteers and say, "What am
I doing to develop her?
How am I developing his leadership skills?"
You can't do that if you don't know your volunteers.
(08:12):
So spending time with your volunteers to get to know them, what they're good at, what they
enjoy doing, what they're passionate about, and then looking for ways to help develop that
skill.
So let's say that you've got a teacher that you know is a good singer, but has never in any
way led any kind of songs in classes or in kids' worship or camp or anywhere else, you giving
(08:37):
them that opportunity helps develop that passion.
It helps develop that leadership skill.
So as part of the leadership training, you're giving your volunteers.
It's not just helping them in areas where they're already passionate, but it's also looking
for opportunities to provide a spiritual growth for your volunteers, helping them with their
(09:01):
leadership skills, with their communication skills, with their conflict resolution, and
just practical ministry skills.
We hire people and hire recruit volunteers to work in ministry and we, assuming we know
our volunteers, we know what they're good at, we know what their secular job is, or not,
(09:23):
or maybe we know it's a stay at home mom or somebody who works out of their home, whatever,
but you as the minister need to provide some kind of opportunity for spiritual growth,
maybe you take a volunteer or two or your whole team with you to a conference you're going
to.
Maybe you provide a lunch and learn on a Saturday for your team as a way I'm providing
(09:49):
lunch is a way of thanking you for volunteering, but there's going to be a little segment
in there where you've planned some kind of spiritual growth opportunity.
When you do this, it helps develop your volunteers, develop those under your leadership.
It makes them more self-sufficient and more capable in their roles, giving them access
(10:11):
to learning opportunities such as Bible studies or workshops, theological training to deepen
their understanding of faith and make them more effective in their ministry tasks.
You providing opportunities for them to take advantage of if they want to, if they can,
if they have time is you providing opportunities for them to grow and develop in their leadership
(10:35):
skills.
That is a healthy example of dependence on you knowing that, you know, she's always providing
us with these opportunities.
She's always inviting us to these things, you know, twice a year we do this, once a year
we do that, you are continually involved in their growth and their development as a leader,
because if they're working in your ministry, they are also leading under your leadership.
(11:02):
It is important for you as the minister over the ministry to regularly communicate, to
communicate well and often and it doesn't just mean talking a lot.
Communication involves listening and understanding, so communicating in a way that you're getting
feedback, you're finding out if they're tracking with you, if they have any questions, and
(11:25):
then modeling good leadership.
You must be actively involved in the ministry's activities and attend the key events of your
ministry, your presence, your leadership style, this fosters a dependency, a healthy dependency
on your guidance and your role as the central figure in the ministry vision.
(11:48):
And you want to guide your volunteers through challenges.
So if they come to you and they're having difficulty with a particular child in their class,
maybe they're having some conflict with parents or they've got some very sensitive, pastoral
care situations, they're going to rely on your wisdom, your experience and your authority
(12:11):
as to how to navigate those issues.
And then you've got to be able to provide solutions when they hit roadblocks, if they are
facing a difficulty, you've got to be able to step in and help find the solution or provide
whatever resources they need.
Volunteers will become more reliant on you as the person who has the answers or the ability
(12:38):
to resolve issues.
You want to build strong relationships with your volunteers.
This fosters a deep sense of connection and belonging when you take the time to build
personal relationships with each of your volunteers.
When they feel personally supported and valued by you as the leader of the ministry, they're
(13:01):
more likely to depend on you for direction and encouragement.
So think about hosting some kind of regular fellowship events.
Bring the volunteers together regularly.
Create opportunities for them to bond with each other and with you.
And what you're doing here is building a strong community around you and that will create
(13:23):
a sense of loyalty and dependency.
Now again, I'm talking about dependency in a healthy way.
One of the problems with volunteers is they don't always understand.
They don't always grasp what happens when they give you a last minute.
Hey, I can't be there.
(13:43):
Sorry.
I woke up this morning with a headache.
I can't be there.
And you understand that and you certainly want them to take care of themselves.
But what they don't know is you got four calls like that and you're one person and you
haven't been able to get ahold of any of your subs.
And the next thing you know, you're dragging in your spouse, your kids, anybody you can.
(14:05):
You're in warm body mode, man, because you're volunteer bailed on you at the last minute.
So it does fall on you.
It's your responsibility to build a bench.
To basically have a deep bench of subs and volunteers that you can call the last minute.
That's extremely hard to do.
And the more you are in relationship with your volunteers, the harder it is for them to
(14:29):
bail on you at the last minute because they don't want to disappoint you.
So that's a benefit on the side of having a relationship with your volunteers is they
want to foster that relationship that you've developed as much as you do.
You also as the minister want to control the flow of information.
You want to be the primary communicator.
(14:52):
You are the central hub for all of the communication within your ministry.
So you want them to feel like they need you in order to stay informed and connected to the
bigger picture.
So they'll rely on you for direction and guidance.
And I'm not talking about them calling you or texting you to go, you know, now what time
am I supposed to be there?
But you want to communicate things orally and in writing so that they know where to go
(15:17):
to get the information because you consistently, let's say you have an event on a Saturday,
they know that you're going to be sending out written information, whether email, newsletter,
text, whatever, early in the week and they'll go back to that because you have been so consistent
in how you communicate, they know to get the most accurate information to come from you.
(15:40):
And you want to be a part of key decisions.
So you've got to be as a leader actively involved in the key decision making process and
then keep volunteers informed of any changes that affect their roles.
If they feel like they can count on you in order to stay in the loop, then they're going
to be looking to you for updates and decisions.
(16:02):
And I know this has been especially frustrating for ministers when they are not a part of
key decisions when they find out at the last minute, which forces them to tell their
volunteers at the last minute, which makes everybody look bad.
And that happens sometimes in churches.
(16:23):
Church leaders don't always take into consideration, how is this going to affect children's ministry,
how is this going to affect student ministry and they don't get their input and key decisions,
which forces the children and the student ministers to look bad, look like they're not the
ones communicating when they in fact found out about it at the last minute.
And you want to take care of the needs of your volunteers.
(16:48):
Be aware if they're going through a hard time, offer pastoral care and guidance, provide
comfort when they're having times of struggle.
Now again, as I talk about creating a dependence and creating capacity in volunteers, what
we're looking for is a balance.
(17:09):
We don't want you to be completely hands off.
Okay, volunteers, you know, this is yours.
Do it as you want to do it.
I once was talking to a children's minister and I said that we had years ago and I was
asking him about one of his teachers and I said, now who teaches third grade and he goes,
(17:30):
yeah, I don't know any of their names.
I'm not about adults.
I'm about children.
I literally did not know how to respond to that.
And then I said, well, what curriculum?
I'm just chatting.
I'm just trying to learn about his ministry and I said, what curriculum do you use?
And he said, you know, I don't know.
I let each teacher do what they want.
(17:50):
Okay, you need to know that when I'm talking about building capacity and your teachers, this
is not what I'm talking about.
This hands off approach, go do what you want to do.
It's your class.
Yeah, I don't know adults names, even though these adults are volunteering every single
Sunday.
They are making your ministry run.
You had better know their names.
(18:11):
You had better be in relationship with them or they're going to get frustrated and they're
not going to last very long.
So I'm talking about creating a balance, a balance between empowering your volunteers
and giving them capacity and a balance between creating a healthy dependence on you as the
visioncaster, you as the communication transfer person, you know, you're taking communication
(18:37):
from the top and you are sharing it with your volunteers in a timely manner.
You are the person who is in relationship with all of them.
You're making sure their needs are met.
You're making sure they have what they need.
That's a healthy dependence.
And that's actually you living into your leadership role.
In next week's episode, I'm going to focus on creating capacity, developing those under
(19:03):
your leadership.
I hope you give it a listen.
Let's do this again next week.
It is my prayer that this podcast inspired you, blessed you or made you think.
If so, please share it with a friend, subscribe and please leave a review.
Hey I want to connect with you.
(19:24):
Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Send me a DM or email me at hello@beckyburroughs.com.
If you are a Christian woman who leads and you are interested in one of my Leadership Boot
camps for women in ministry, this is a four week workshop or becoming part of a Kairos
Cohort, year long group coaching.
(19:45):
Send me a DM or an email for more information.
We'll talk soon.
(upbeat music)
(upbeat music)
(upbeat music)
(upbeat music)
Volunteers in a church are worth their weight in gold.
(00:05):
And what's really cool is when you are a minister in a church and you've got this one
volunteer and maybe you're lucky enough to have more than one that I call high capacity
volunteers.
They're the ones that are available at a moment's notice.
They can jump into any situation and know what to do.
Yes, is their default answer.
(00:27):
Extremely capable, extremely reliable, high capacity volunteers.
And if you're a minister in a church, well, you're already in a leadership position,
but if you're a minister that depends on volunteers to help your ministry run, you're
now not only a leader of a ministry, you are a leader of people.
(00:51):
Which means that you have the unique challenge of how do you balance building capacity in your
volunteers with creating a sense of dependency on the vision of the church, the guidance
of the minister and creating an environment where volunteers feel both valued and necessary.
(01:21):
While also building their ability to take ownership and grow in their roles.
And so the challenge for the minister is to create a balance of dependency and capacity.
Ready to know more?
Let's dive in to today's episode.
Hey, friend, are you a people-pleasing conflict avoiding leader?
(01:44):
Is your secret relationship with fear affecting your leadership decisions?
Do you want to learn how to build credibility and confidence or to navigate difficult conversations?
Do you long to manage your time without sacrificing your family or self-care?
Welcome to leadership becomes her.
(02:04):
I'm Becky Burroughs, your host and a minister and life and leadership coach with over 50 years
experience in leadership.
I firmly believe God has given you everything you need to lead well.
You have the toolbox.
You just need to learn how to use the tools.
So get comfy or start a mindless task.
You know how to pause or rewind if you need to.
(02:27):
Let's get started.
In my 18 years in ministry, I spent six years as a children's minister.
And I would say the hardest thing about being a children's minister has nothing to do with
the children themselves or even the parents.
(02:50):
It is recruitment.
There is never a moment when I could dust my hands off and say, "I have now recruited all
the volunteers I will ever need."
There was always had to keep my eye out for the next volunteer.
And when you're constantly trying to recruit volunteers, it is very, very tempting to get
(03:12):
into what I call warm body mode where you think, "I just need somebody."
Anybody will do somebody to step in in this role that I need filled.
And so you make the public announcement from the pulpit to the whole church.
We need somebody to work in the nursery.
And then everyone sitting there thinks, "Well, she needs somebody," which means anybody
(03:36):
will do.
And then nobody volunteers.
The most effective way to recruit volunteers is based on number one, having relationship
with people so that you know what their skills and gifts and abilities are, even what their
passions are, and you recruit based on giftedness where you come up to someone and you say, "Sally,
(04:01):
you say Sally, I know you are an excellent teacher."
And you are creative and you're so good with kids.
And we need someone just like you to teach second grade.
And you begin to sell the idea of Sally teaching second grade.
That is much more effective than saying, "Hey, guys, we need somebody to teach second grade.
(04:23):
Who's willing?
Who will do it?
Who will teach second grade?"
It's just not, because what will happen is, who will volunteer is that person who feels
guilty with that kind of announcement.
They're like, "Oh, so they need a second grade teacher."
I don't like teaching.
I don't know how to teach.
I've never done it before, but I feel guilty because I have a child in children's ministry
(04:43):
and I think every class needs a teacher, so I guess I'll do it.
I guess I'll sign up to teach second grade.
And let me tell you, it doesn't go well.
It doesn't last long and you begin to regret that you were so reckless in filling that position.
It is much, much, much, much better to fill based on giftedness and passion.
(05:08):
Well, let's say you've done that.
Let's say you have recruited based on giftedness and passion.
Now your role needs to be one of creating dependency in a healthy way, not in a codependent
way where they can't make a move without getting your approval, but creating a dependency
of, first of all, it's your responsibility to make sure they understand the vision, the
(05:30):
mission of the church.
So for example, at my church, our mission is to love, grow, and send disciples.
And most churches have a mission statement.
You need, as the minister, you need to have that mission statement committed to memory because
everything in your ministry needs to be driven by whatever your church leaders have decided
(05:52):
is the mission of your church.
So in the example I just gave where ours is to love, grow, and send disciples.
Every time the children's minister, for example, plans and activity, she says to herself, does
this fall in loving, growing, or sending, or a combination of those?
If it doesn't fall in any of those three, she doesn't do it.
(06:16):
Sometimes we think that more is better.
We just need to be doing a lot of things.
When in reality, we ought to be strategically planning activities that fit the vision that
the leadership has for the church.
Now once you understand the vision of your church, it is your responsibility as the minister
over in this example, children's ministry, to communicate that vision to your volunteers
(06:42):
and how that's translated in the way you do activities, in the way you teach class, in
the way you worship together, in everything you do, you ought to be able to tie it back to
the vision of the church.
So that's a healthy dependency.
You are the representative for your ministry of the vision.
(07:05):
So you're the person who's standing in for the elders, the church leadership, and imparting
the vision to the people who are volunteering in your ministry.
That is a healthy dependency.
If they're not clear, "Hey, I'm thinking about doing this thing with this group of kids,
does this fit the vision?"
(07:26):
Then you step in as the minister and you help them with that.
That is a healthy dependency on you to be the carrier of the vision.
Another way you can create a healthy dependency on your volunteers is as the leader of that
ministry, you accept the responsibility for providing leadership training for your volunteers.
(07:49):
So it's not just about filling spots.
A leader, a true leader develops those under their leadership.
You should be able to tick off the names of each one of your volunteers and say, "What am
I doing to develop her?
How am I developing his leadership skills?"
You can't do that if you don't know your volunteers.
(08:12):
So spending time with your volunteers to get to know them, what they're good at, what they
enjoy doing, what they're passionate about, and then looking for ways to help develop that
skill.
So let's say that you've got a teacher that you know is a good singer, but has never in any
way led any kind of songs in classes or in kids' worship or camp or anywhere else, you giving
(08:37):
them that opportunity helps develop that passion.
It helps develop that leadership skill.
So as part of the leadership training, you're giving your volunteers.
It's not just helping them in areas where they're already passionate, but it's also looking
for opportunities to provide a spiritual growth for your volunteers, helping them with their
(09:01):
leadership skills, with their communication skills, with their conflict resolution, and
just practical ministry skills.
We hire people and hire recruit volunteers to work in ministry and we, assuming we know
our volunteers, we know what they're good at, we know what their secular job is, or not,
(09:23):
or maybe we know it's a stay at home mom or somebody who works out of their home, whatever,
but you as the minister need to provide some kind of opportunity for spiritual growth,
maybe you take a volunteer or two or your whole team with you to a conference you're going
to.
Maybe you provide a lunch and learn on a Saturday for your team as a way I'm providing
(09:49):
lunch is a way of thanking you for volunteering, but there's going to be a little segment
in there where you've planned some kind of spiritual growth opportunity.
When you do this, it helps develop your volunteers, develop those under your leadership.
It makes them more self-sufficient and more capable in their roles, giving them access
(10:11):
to learning opportunities such as Bible studies or workshops, theological training to deepen
their understanding of faith and make them more effective in their ministry tasks.
You providing opportunities for them to take advantage of if they want to, if they can,
if they have time is you providing opportunities for them to grow and develop in their leadership
(10:35):
skills.
That is a healthy example of dependence on you knowing that, you know, she's always providing
us with these opportunities.
She's always inviting us to these things, you know, twice a year we do this, once a year
we do that, you are continually involved in their growth and their development as a leader,
because if they're working in your ministry, they are also leading under your leadership.
(11:02):
It is important for you as the minister over the ministry to regularly communicate, to
communicate well and often and it doesn't just mean talking a lot.
Communication involves listening and understanding, so communicating in a way that you're getting
feedback, you're finding out if they're tracking with you, if they have any questions, and
(11:25):
then modeling good leadership.
You must be actively involved in the ministry's activities and attend the key events of your
ministry, your presence, your leadership style, this fosters a dependency, a healthy dependency
on your guidance and your role as the central figure in the ministry vision.
(11:48):
And you want to guide your volunteers through challenges.
So if they come to you and they're having difficulty with a particular child in their class,
maybe they're having some conflict with parents or they've got some very sensitive, pastoral
care situations, they're going to rely on your wisdom, your experience and your authority
(12:11):
as to how to navigate those issues.
And then you've got to be able to provide solutions when they hit roadblocks, if they are
facing a difficulty, you've got to be able to step in and help find the solution or provide
whatever resources they need.
Volunteers will become more reliant on you as the person who has the answers or the ability
(12:38):
to resolve issues.
You want to build strong relationships with your volunteers.
This fosters a deep sense of connection and belonging when you take the time to build
personal relationships with each of your volunteers.
When they feel personally supported and valued by you as the leader of the ministry, they're
(13:01):
more likely to depend on you for direction and encouragement.
So think about hosting some kind of regular fellowship events.
Bring the volunteers together regularly.
Create opportunities for them to bond with each other and with you.
And what you're doing here is building a strong community around you and that will create
(13:23):
a sense of loyalty and dependency.
Now again, I'm talking about dependency in a healthy way.
One of the problems with volunteers is they don't always understand.
They don't always grasp what happens when they give you a last minute.
Hey, I can't be there.
(13:43):
Sorry.
I woke up this morning with a headache.
I can't be there.
And you understand that and you certainly want them to take care of themselves.
But what they don't know is you got four calls like that and you're one person and you
haven't been able to get ahold of any of your subs.
And the next thing you know, you're dragging in your spouse, your kids, anybody you can.
(14:05):
You're in warm body mode, man, because you're volunteer bailed on you at the last minute.
So it does fall on you.
It's your responsibility to build a bench.
To basically have a deep bench of subs and volunteers that you can call the last minute.
That's extremely hard to do.
And the more you are in relationship with your volunteers, the harder it is for them to
(14:29):
bail on you at the last minute because they don't want to disappoint you.
So that's a benefit on the side of having a relationship with your volunteers is they
want to foster that relationship that you've developed as much as you do.
You also as the minister want to control the flow of information.
You want to be the primary communicator.
(14:52):
You are the central hub for all of the communication within your ministry.
So you want them to feel like they need you in order to stay informed and connected to the
bigger picture.
So they'll rely on you for direction and guidance.
And I'm not talking about them calling you or texting you to go, you know, now what time
am I supposed to be there?
But you want to communicate things orally and in writing so that they know where to go
(15:17):
to get the information because you consistently, let's say you have an event on a Saturday,
they know that you're going to be sending out written information, whether email, newsletter,
text, whatever, early in the week and they'll go back to that because you have been so consistent
in how you communicate, they know to get the most accurate information to come from you.
(15:40):
And you want to be a part of key decisions.
So you've got to be as a leader actively involved in the key decision making process and
then keep volunteers informed of any changes that affect their roles.
If they feel like they can count on you in order to stay in the loop, then they're going
to be looking to you for updates and decisions.
(16:02):
And I know this has been especially frustrating for ministers when they are not a part of
key decisions when they find out at the last minute, which forces them to tell their
volunteers at the last minute, which makes everybody look bad.
And that happens sometimes in churches.
(16:23):
Church leaders don't always take into consideration, how is this going to affect children's ministry,
how is this going to affect student ministry and they don't get their input and key decisions,
which forces the children and the student ministers to look bad, look like they're not the
ones communicating when they in fact found out about it at the last minute.
And you want to take care of the needs of your volunteers.
(16:48):
Be aware if they're going through a hard time, offer pastoral care and guidance, provide
comfort when they're having times of struggle.
Now again, as I talk about creating a dependence and creating capacity in volunteers, what
we're looking for is a balance.
(17:09):
We don't want you to be completely hands off.
Okay, volunteers, you know, this is yours.
Do it as you want to do it.
I once was talking to a children's minister and I said that we had years ago and I was
asking him about one of his teachers and I said, now who teaches third grade and he goes,
(17:30):
yeah, I don't know any of their names.
I'm not about adults.
I'm about children.
I literally did not know how to respond to that.
And then I said, well, what curriculum?
I'm just chatting.
I'm just trying to learn about his ministry and I said, what curriculum do you use?
And he said, you know, I don't know.
I let each teacher do what they want.
(17:50):
Okay, you need to know that when I'm talking about building capacity and your teachers, this
is not what I'm talking about.
This hands off approach, go do what you want to do.
It's your class.
Yeah, I don't know adults names, even though these adults are volunteering every single
Sunday.
They are making your ministry run.
You had better know their names.
(18:11):
You had better be in relationship with them or they're going to get frustrated and they're
not going to last very long.
So I'm talking about creating a balance, a balance between empowering your volunteers
and giving them capacity and a balance between creating a healthy dependence on you as the
visioncaster, you as the communication transfer person, you know, you're taking communication
(18:37):
from the top and you are sharing it with your volunteers in a timely manner.
You are the person who is in relationship with all of them.
You're making sure their needs are met.
You're making sure they have what they need.
That's a healthy dependence.
And that's actually you living into your leadership role.
In next week's episode, I'm going to focus on creating capacity, developing those under
(19:03):
your leadership.
I hope you give it a listen.
Let's do this again next week.
It is my prayer that this podcast inspired you, blessed you or made you think.
If so, please share it with a friend, subscribe and please leave a review.
Hey I want to connect with you.
(19:24):
Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Send me a DM or email me at hello@beckyburroughs.com.
If you are a Christian woman who leads and you are interested in one of my Leadership Boot
camps for women in ministry, this is a four week workshop or becoming part of a Kairos
Cohort, year long group coaching.
(19:45):
Send me a DM or an email for more information.
We'll talk soon.
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