Empowering Volunteers

Another Bill Hybels Leadership Video Review

Ephesians 4:11-13
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built upuntil we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

God gives people gifts – for the equipping of the people in the church into the fullness of their work of service to build up the body of Christ

Jesus could have chosen to build the church a different way, but he didn’t.

Jesus established the church on the work of volunteers.

1. It takes "in your face" teaching to recruit, train and empower volunteers.
They have to be taught into confidence, skills, ministry.

What was the most difficult teaching job Jesus had?
That Christians are fundamentally servants – not consumers.
He taught it, he narrated it, he modelled it. He challenged them to be servants.

2. People need to be aligned with the spiritual gifts and freed to serve.
The great temptation in volunteer organisations is to USE people.
We must discover and develop that persons gifts before we put them into action.

Questions to ask people who serve:

1. Did you enjoy doing that? (Joy comes from using spiritual gifts)
2. Did it breathe lift into you? (If it builds them up it is a blessing to others!)
3. How could we tweak your position a bit to make it suit you better?

3. We must convince volunteers that they are desperately needed but we cant afford to break their backs with ministry demands.

4. Be devoted to developing the volunteers full potential over time.

5. We must provide a sense of community that makes up for what we as of the volunteers.

6. Remind our volunteer regularly that what they are doing really matters – for eternity!

Volunteers need to know that the time, energy and gifts that they give to the church are valued, valuable and necessary! They are not crazy! (and they need to know that)

1 Cor 15:58 (Bill Hybels life verse)
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.