We have talked to many congregations recently reporting that they don’t have enough volunteers to fill open board and committee roles. We don’t expect this to change anytime soon
— and that might not be bad.
UU congregations in the last century — largely white, middle- and upper-class — benefited from volunteer time available in households where only one adult worked outside the home. Today, working Americans of all classes and races have less discretionary time. But the volunteer structures in our congregations have not shifted much, if at all. We’ve been getting along on the volunteerism of retirees and working people scrounging time for it rooted in their dedication and love. But our structures are increasingly unbalanced, and unsustainable.
The collapse of this way of structuring our congregations really began at least 25 years ago. If you have served on leadership development or nominating committees, maybe you’ve felt the pinch. Maybe you’ve sat with the church directory calling the same people over and over; downplaying the commitment required to get someone to say yes; decreasing the size of committees and boards. Many churches have been patching it together until…
…Covid.
One effect of the pandemic has been a reckoning with how we spend our time. You’ve probably heard of the “Great Resignation” or “Big Quit.” Large numbers of people have been leaving the workforce due to caretaking responsibilities that their jobs cannot — or will not — accommodate. Or because they realize they don’t want to do work that feels meaningless, pays inadequately, or treats employees as things, not people. Or as a rejection of the narrative that our value comes from our productivity.
The “quit” is happening in volunteerism, too — perhaps more so since leaving a volunteer position tends to have gentler consequences.
Many feel pushed past their breaking point: parents trying to manage at-home schooling while still working; folks caring for elderly friends and family while still trying to make a living; workers moving through degrees of crisis but never beyond it. And of course, so many of us who have felt wave after wave of personal and collective grief. No amount of cajoling may entice these folks to take on volunteer jobs — especially ones that don’t feel compellingly meaningful to them.
Meanwhile, the retirees who have been getting us through continue to age. They are also exhausted from these Covid years. We hear the plea from lay leaders in their 70s’, 80s’, and 90’s — “We’ve been doing this for a very long time. Where are the people to hand it off to?”
So now what?!
- More Doing, Less Discussing
We know both from research and experience that people are more likely to commit to projects or tasks than to committees, and that people are more likely to give their time if the work feels personally meaningful. People with a call to serve crave more of a direct ministry experience, and less of a prolonged process of decision making and permission granting. Can we accommodate more flexibility in our structures? What might emerge for us with fewer monthly meetings on the calendar?
- Yours, Mine, And Ours
Making a shift away from standing committees and toward more direct opportunities to serve may mean only a few key staff or volunteers help track the ministry works taken on by members and ensure there is good communication between governance and programs. What would it look like to have a smaller group of us focus on and equipping our people for direct ministry? How do we ensure clear communication and faithful decision making?
- Centering In Gifts
We know that people come alive when their volunteering taps their unique gifts. Centering in Gifts is a practice of Spiritual Leadership. “Gifts” are those things we do naturally; that bring us joy; the things we can’t not do. What if we stop asking “Where are the volunteers for the X Committee?” and asked instead, “What gifts do our people long to bring to the world and how can we equip each other to deliver them?”
Our pre-covid volunteer structures are ending but that makes way for our creation of new, emergent, faithful, embodied ways of being Beloved Community, if we are willing to risk faithfully and learn with each other.
This piece first appeared on the New England Region blog, “Practice Makes Perfect.”
Rev. Erica Baron is a guest blogger for Stewardship for Us. She is congregational consultant for the UUA New England Region. She lives in Massachusetts with her wife and son.
This article spoke to me. I am the chair of our Stewardship Team and I often feel I am the only one vested in this responsibility. We have about 150 members who pledge. Only by selecting a specific task can I get anyone to help me. Most upsetting- do I have this position for life?
Hi, You have hit many nails on the old head in this article. As a 50 year active member I did sit with the directory, I created small 10 minute jobs that could be done on a Sunday morning as members came in and left. We have an ageing congregation who are tired and you are right on with the downside of Covid. As our church begins to open up I find myself giving a lot of thought about rewarding volunteers.
Yvonne Giles the wife of Rev. Phil Giles wrote a paper titled the Care and Feeding of Volunteers. Her message? You cannot over thank people for what they bring to enhance our church community. We had an all church Volunteer Recognition Service in May of each year. Adults old and young were recognized, thanked with flowers or certificates or small gifts. Ministers sometimes chose a Volunteer of the Year with the name going on a plaque, /a special parking place for volunteer of the month was created, that volunteer could park there for a Whole Month! Photos of volunteers were posted in the Lobby. It’s time to bring some of these things back and update the recognition with what is appropriate, a small gift certificate to apply to buying an item at the annual auction? They ideas are endless.
It brings attention to the importance volunteering plays in the life of the church.
Yes! Volunteer recognition is so important. One thing that can help as well is to ask your particular folks what they would find meaningful as a way of saying thank you. Some people really want to be recognized publicly. Others hate public attention but cherish a thank you note with specifics about how they have been helpful. Others would find a special conversation with the minister or another leader to be the most meaningful. So, it’s different for different people, and helpful to know what would make your folks feel special, seen, and appreciated.
Rev. Baron,
This is precisely the issue at our church (Northern Virginia) and as part of the Program Council I am gathering information to assist us in looking for answers. Apart from less meetings/more doing, seeking folks special gifts, and promoting membership through an all church approach I am at a loss. Do you have suggestions of other articles or avenues from which I can obtain more help in my task?
You can look at the Centering in Gifts portion of the New England Region website for more about how to deepen that practice: https://www.uua.org/new-england/spiritual-leadership/centering-gifts
The volunteer recognition ideas that Kitty mentions in her comment might also be useful – I think especially if you ask your individual volunteers what sort of recognition they would individually find most meaningful.
The book Stop Recruiting, Start Retaining has some similar ideas, especially for children’s programming.
But, having said all of that, one of the challenges of this time is that we know the old structures are not working, but the new ones are still being invented. I know that’s frustrating to hear! But among other things, it means trying things to see what works for your congregation, and looking seriously at your current committees to see which are essential? Which are no longer helpful? Which might be combined? Which functions could do just as well with fewer people?
Still no answers, though. I found the book suggested at the Southern Region Leadership Training called Serving With Grace. It reminded me to shift my thinking and be even more collaborative with my partners at church to be understanding of the whys and try to tap into the feeling of being of service that works for everyone.
I’m suggesting that we give this book out to our new members and the new Board will be receiving it when it convenes. It’s not just another assignment; it’s meaningful ideas as to how to shift thinking and refresh ourselves.