We are finding ourselves in an unprecedented time as we all navigate the Coronavirus outbreak.  Families are learning to look at life in a whole new way, they are having to learn to work from home, teach their children from home, and go to church from home.  Everything has changed. But what hasn’t changed is people’s desire to be known, heard, and seen.  It is easy to feel isolated and alone during this quarantine.  

So here are a couple of questions to ask yourself:  

How are you as a church caring for your volunteers during quarantine?  

How are you as a church reaching out to the volunteers that give so much?

Soon things will return back to what our ‘new normal’ will be, and with that comes the reopening of churches and organizations that rely on volunteers.  We can get so caught up in making sure the online services are going well, and that we have the perfect Instagram and Facebook posts, but if we haven’t connected with our volunteers during this time it will all be for nothing when the church reopens.   This week I saw that churches are starting to reopen their doors.   Churches are excited making big announcements that that they are back and how excited they are to see everyone.  Then a few days later, churches started making the plea for volunteers to help in ALL areas of the church.  And as we know, volunteers are the people who help make our churches and organizations what they are today.  Volunteers help us in the process of seeing our visions come to pass.  We couldn’t do it without them.  So have we missed a step?  Have we missed an opportunity to take this time in quarantine to care for the volunteers that continually give on a weekly basis to help us make our church/organization what it is from week to week?   Volunteers are at home during this quarantine taking time to enjoy the calm of their new normal.  I have felt like this is a time of RESET for many families.  It is causing them to re-evaluate what they are spending their extra time doing and what is important to them.  People are also taking note of who has reached out to them during this time – whether that is in friendships or in the community where they have volunteered their time.  

If at the end of quarantine the only time they have been contacted is because you need something or it is time for them to serve again, it may cause volunteers to re-evaluate where they are going to give of their time when the quarantine is over. 

I look at the quarantine as the perfect time to give back to the volunteers who give so much to us. 

In my 35+ years as a Children’s Pastor I have learned the importance of volunteers in my ministry.  And the first and most important thing I had to change was I had to look at each volunteer as more than just someone filling a spot, but as a person who desires to be seen, known, and appreciated.  People who feel cared for will volunteer and serve more faithfully.  As I changed my perspective from what they could do for me to what I could do to get to know them, I found that my whole ministry changed. And isn’t that what God calls us to do – serve others?  Jesus took the time to wash the disciple’s feet even though he knew he had a big job ahead of him…going to cross.  He took the time to serve and care for his disciples. 

Let’s look at a few practical ways that you can care for your volunteers during quarantine:

#1. Take your ministry online- With everything going online this is a great time to start building online community for your volunteers.  Start a Facebook group or instagram profile for your ministry.  Giving another way to communicate that will extend beyond this season. 

#2.  Look at your weekly schedule- Each week look at your volunteer schedule you had in place when quarantine started.  Follow that schedule as if church was still happening in the building.  But instead of reminding them that it’s their time to serve, you will be checking in to see how they are doing.  This will also help when churches resume. They will be used to seeing emails that will remind them of their time to serve.

#3.  Send a personal note- Send a personal note to each volunteer thanking them for serving   Be specific and genuine. Recall something that each volunteer has done that helps make your job easier. 

#4.  Create an email or video- Create an email or video to send to all your volunteers updating them on what is happening at the church at this time in your specific ministry.  This helps them stay in the loop of what is going on and helps them feel like a valuable part of the team. 

#5. Ask your volunteers what they would like to see in place when you are able to meet- Ask your volunteers what they would like to see in place when you are able to meet again to make them feel safe and healthy.  Then communicate clearly what measures have been put in place. This give volunteers a voice in the process.  And since they will be they ones on the front lines of greeting people when they come back what will make them feel safe.

It is easy to be in the moment of not needing your volunteers but a time is coming real soon where you will be needing volunteers to be able to open the doors of your church or organization so take this time to invest in your volunteers now.