I thought I was having a side-bar conversation with a volunteer at a youth gathering. Suddenly, all eyes turned to me, people got quiet and were focused on what I had to say. I was suddenly fielding questions – the friendly conversation had turned into a press conference.
“Do you understand how your presence changes the conversation? Even when you may not be able to see it, your words of encouragement, analysis, or criticism hold more weight than you realize. They have more power than you know. We might not have chosen this role and whether or not we are speaking words of courage or criticism, ‘our whisper is a shout.’” – Coletta Smith (Director, Alongside)
You have a choice on how to use your influential voice. People WILL be listening…whether it is positive or negative. If you have been in ministry more than a week or two, you know there are blobs of criticism and negativity coming at you, your husband, staff and volunteers regularly. What is more rare is a voice of encouragement and someone helping to create an environment where encouragement can flourish and become the “norm”. You are in a prime position with the listening audience you have (which you may or may not have wanted!) to help in this ongoing area of need.
It can be a challenge to come up with new ways to encourage church staff or volunteers. An ongoing benefit of being part of an Alongside cohort and interacting with pastor’s wives who are older and younger than I am has been gathering new ideas I can adapt into my situation. I asked our Alongside writers’ team for ideas they have used to encourage staff or volunteers and here is what they shared:
WAYS TO ENCOURAGE VOLUNTEERS
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Send a short text of gratitude to volunteers on Sunday morning. Intentionally getting names/cell numbers of nursery and children’s volunteers ahead of time and putting them in your phone will help.
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Host a servant appreciation party with food, games, and awards that are funny/unique to each person. This might take the form of an Easter egg hunt, spaghetti dinner or appreciation breakfast for your staff or volunteers.
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Create an “oasis” to feed hangry volunteers, especially during big ministry events or weekends. This provides a spot for them to debrief with each other and be refreshed after they have poured out. One on our team invited part of the choir over after the Good Friday service for this reason.
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Celebrate staff hire dates (publicly and with something fun).
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Celebrate your Administrative Assistants. Acknowledging this position every year in April on Administrative Professionals Day with flowers, handwritten notes of appreciation, or a gift card.
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Walk the hallways on Sunday morning, looking volunteers in their eyeballs and thanking them. Greeters, safety team volunteers, nursery workers are some places to start.
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Prayer walk your campus before things get into full swing. Invite others to join you and let others know what you are doing so that your volunteers know you are intentionally praying for them and their ministry (and not just being a creeper).
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Send handwritten notes to staff or volunteers, thanking them in specific ways for what they give. These notes can include “eye spy”…telling how much you appreciate something you’ve seen them do or affirming an attribute you appreciate about them.
Part of the “why” behind this is that staff and volunteers, just like you, are often leaning into challenging situations. Angela on our writing team said it best:
“Helping our staff to have FUN was one of the ways that seemed to encourage them the most…lifting their spirits and helping them to see HOPE. We found that it helped their hearts to be lifted and refreshed them when the burdens were heavy. Anything competitive, anything fun to relieve the tension helped bring out the “kid” in them.”
Can you do all of these? No. There isn’t time or bandwidth. But you can do some. So the challenge is to begin praying about what new ways God may be calling you to encourage staff or volunteers in the chapter of life you are in. Even if it is just one person.
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I Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
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Hebrews 3:13, “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”
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Hebrews 10:24-25: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
In your life as a pastor’s wife, it can be VERY tempting to give into isolation and self-pity. Challenging yourself with a new plan to intentionally encourage someone in your sphere or influence helps to get the focus off of you and on to more missional thinking. Fist bump. GO ENCOURAGE YOUR PEOPLE. We love you and are cheering you on here at Alongside.
RESOURCES
Here are some additional resources to help you dig further into hospitality.
How To Be a Chief Encouraging Officer at Your Church
Tithely | Simple Serve
Julie Lynn Ashley | Alongside
