Monday, January 07, 2008

Volunteers need access and support.

I learned a tough ministry lesson last night, though I hope it all has a good outcome. We ran into a problem over the weekend where a key volunteer wasn't able to access all of the places and resources needed for one of our teams. It added to a sense that priorities had shifted in our church, and formerly important things weren't quite as important as before. This leader and I spoke yesterday, had a really tough heart-to-heart, and it was clear that I needed to take a bigger role in making sure things happen correctly around here.

I moved into a new role back in the fall, and I'm no longer the "cheerleader" for any specific ministry, even though I work closely and directly oversee several groups. But really, my job is to be a cheerleader for all of the church ministries -- without appearing to favor one over another. That's a tough balancing act. It also meant I had to apologize to this leader yesterday, because the buck stops with me in my new role.

I guess I'm simply praying that yesterday's conversation will help me get back on track and remember that volunteers need access, support, prayers, friendship -- whatever it takes to help them succeed!

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