The people of the church make ministry happen—whether opening doors, teaching children, or mixing sound; a church without a vibrant serving culture simply is not healthy.
Seminary taught us Paul’s admonishment to ministers to “equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Eph 4:12). However, how do you define “works of service”? While we need children’s workers, singers, and door greeters in our churches, there are also deeper needs that often get overlooked.
Are you equipping members to lead in vision planning, sermon research, budgeting, ministry planning, and facility management? Your first reaction may be, “That’s the staff’s role,” or “We tried that with our committees, and it did not work.” I’m not against staff-led churches, but let me push back a bit. What if spiritual maturity in your church is tied to how well you equip the saints?
While utilizing paid staff increases our efficiency, we unintentionally sacrifice discipleship opportunities.
Dallas Willard defines discipleship in Renovation of the Heart as “the spirit-driven process of forming the inner world of the human self to be like the inner being of Christ.” This is our goal in ministry. We foster spiritual maturity as we teach the scriptures, encourage discipleship relationships, and ask people to serve—not just in any role but in ways that draw out their Spirit-given gifts.
To do this, we must offer them meaningful opportunities to influence our mission. You may meet high-capacity people eager to use their gifts but can only provide them with a door greeter role. With humility, they serve faithfully, but over time, they become disinterested and disconnected when their talents go unused. Growth requires a challenge that causes us to utilize our gifts and deepen our faith.
A key part of spiritual formation is recognizing and developing one’s spiritual gifts in alignment with the church’s mission to advance God’s Kingdom.
Fulfilling our mission requires deeper engagement from our congregation.
With over a decade and a half on church staff, I appreciate the drive to hire qualified ministers for ministry. Yet, we can not let God’s work sit idle while we wait for the resources to hire more staff. God may be calling you to develop the people of our church to serve at a deeper level in the kingdom work. This is discipleship at its best as we pour into one who will be pouring into others.
To develop volunteers at a high level, we must:
1. Present a clear and compelling vision of what will be.
We’ve all experienced eager but misaligned volunteers. These individuals often make us nervous about delegating leadership in the first place. As a leader, you must communicate the road ahead. Does your church have a current and well-understood mission and vision statement? Teach these statements, repeat them often, and integrate them into everyday language.
Cast the vision so consistently that the future becomes more real to them than the present. This unwavering commitment to vision creates alignment by keeping everyone focused on the same goal. You will know you are making progress when church members help each other stay aligned.
2. Empower others to lead by holding your preferences loosely.
I am detail-oriented and, according to my kids, a bit OCD. As leaders, it’s easy to assume our preferences are the “right way” to do things. However, leadership is about setting the course, not micromanaging the details. Volunteers need the authority to make meaningful decisions in their areas of responsibility as long as they stay aligned with the mission. Let me be honest: this takes more humility than I believe I possess, but engaging volunteers at a high level requires giving them the freedom to lead even when it does not fit my preferences. The results will not be perfect, but once again, our goal is discipleship, not efficiency.
3. Train kingdom workers, not church volunteers.
I’m not just training a volunteer; I’m teaching a child of God to embrace the gifts He’s given them to advance His Kingdom. Effectiveness in the role is important as it’s key to fulfilling our mission, yet in every training, the real focus is on the individual’s spiritual development. View your role as a coach, helping them understand how God has wired them and how their energies can be instruments for His Kingdom. Ask yourself: “Am I meeting with volunteers one-on-one? Do I help them refine their understanding of their gifts? Am I checking in on their spiritual health? Do I show more concern for the person than the role?”
4. Celebrate Kingdom Wins:
Celebration is your greatest tool for maintaining vision alignment. By acknowledging wins in big and small ways, you communicate what moves the mission forward and what needs to be repeated. Celebration defines “winning” and gives everyone a progress check.
Let’s be honest; everyone wants to win—and that’s Biblical! In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul uses the metaphor of an athlete, urging us to stay disciplined and ‘train’ ourselves for the heavenly prize. People need to see they’re making progress and that their efforts have a purpose. They want to feel they’re on track to hear, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’ Celebrating victories in ministry praises God, encourages your people, and demonstrates your lived values.
Meaningful Serving fosters Spiritual Growth.
Engaging volunteers in church business is about meaningful discipleship and leveraging diverse skills within the congregation. By providing clear vision, Flexibility, kingdom-minded training, and celebrating victories, we create a culture of authentic engagement that fosters spiritual growth. Let’s commit to empowering our volunteers at a higher level, allowing them to contribute their God-given talents to advance His Kingdom.
