Every leader has been there: the Saturday night phone call. The Sunday morning text message. The inexplicable half-dozen who obviously collaborated and decided they were picking this weekend to be no-shows. At some point, we’re...
Back in the fall, some of our campuses sent out surveys to volunteers, gauging their readiness to serve again. Up to 40% of team members said they’d be back when weekend services relaunched. But once...
Sometimes a volunteer needs a break. In a previous post, I shared five ways to care for a tired team member. And I still stand by what I said from that previous post: “If they...
As the global pandemic continues and tighter restrictions are being enacted, many of us just completed the second weekend of online services. I found a certain sense of togetherness when I saw people sharing photos...
“Do you have a minute?” It’s a question that strikes fear in the heart of many a leader. Rarely does that question lead to “…I have an extra bag of Dove dark chocolates, and I’d...
A few weeks ago, one of our longest-tenured Guest Services volunteers retired. Hung up his parking vest. Turned in his walkie-talkie. And stepped away from a ministry he’s loved and thrived in for well over...
We just kicked off our eighth iteration of the High-Capacity Volunteer (HCV) Cohort: a collaboration of great leaders from around the Summit who have committed to spend the next eight months in a deep dive...
Not long ago I helped lead a large event that required several dozen volunteers. Many of us met for the first time on the day of the event, so our communication took place via email...
Change is inevitable. Eventually, your systems and strategies and specific areas of focus are going to get adjusted…maybe overhauled…perhaps stripped down to the foundation and rebuilt from the ground up. And when that happens, our...
“I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do next.” “Is there anything else you need from me?” “What are you asking of me, exactly?” “Just tell me what to do.” I’ve had a long-running battle over the issue of job descriptions for volunteers. Early in my time here at the Summit, I was the job description ninja. Every team and sub...
