As a ministry leader, your to-do list is a mile long. Training volunteers, equipping parents, and creating environments. But, if you are a bi-vocational or volunteer ministry leader, chances are, your ministry to-do lists is one of many lists you are juggling. So, how do you lead sustainably and efficiently, so you can keep leading?
This will look different for every context and person, but here are 5 best practices for volunteer leaders:
- Decide with your family how much time you can serve.
Sit down with your family members and discuss how volunteering will impact your family schedule and priorities. You may need to explain why it is important to your children and allow them to answer questions. This will set a foundation for healthy dialogue in the future, if you need to readjust your schedule.
If you are single, your personal life is still a priority. Having a family is not what gives you permission to have boundaries. However, if you struggle with setting boundaries, consider talking to family or friends about what you should commit to your new role. - Create a rhythmic weekly schedule.
This is a helpful visual tool to make sure that you are prioritizing your responsibilities while practicing a weekly Sabbath. Taking a day to rest is so important, and if you are a volunteer leader it may be more difficult to determine what day will be allotted for that. By planning your Sabbath days first, you can make sure you are taking care of your spiritual, mental, and emotional health. - Share the schedule with church leadership.
This shows that you are being intentional with how you manage your time and priorities. It also helps you build trust and have a way to communicate if you can’t respond to an extra task or ministry emergency in the future. It sets a standard for healthy boundaries and good time-management. - Ask for accountability.
When you share your weekly schedule with leadership, you can them help them to hold you accountable. This way they can help you say no to tasks that do not work with your schedule and help you reprioritize as necessary. - Ask for a job description
This is a step that is often skipped for volunteer leaders. However, it may even be more important when you are a volunteer. If you want to exceed expectations, you need to know what they are. It also helps you know what to prioritize. Without a job description, you may think you are expected to do five things when you are really only expected to do three. This provides you with clarity and allows you a tool to have better conversations about expectations.
All of these practices can help you volunteer more sustainably and effectively. It can also provide you with the tools you need to be able to renegotiate if too much is being expected. What you are doing for the next generation matters, but your personal health and well-being matters too.
