Leadership Wednesday 21 - The Forgotten Joy of Volunteering

I have been involved in ministry for the past 11 years. Of those 11 years I have been paid for five of them. At this point I still have more years logged as a volunteer than as a paid staff person; I like to think that I still remember what it’s like to be a volunteer.

I told myself that I wouldn’t forget what it’s like to have to work and go to school and then do ministry on top of that.

I told myself that I wouldn’t forget what it’s like to take a week off of work to counsel freshmen boys at summer camp.

I told myself that I wouldn’t forget what it’s like to feel guilty for missing a ministry activity that was scheduled during the middle of the day.

These are aspects of volunteering that I never wanted to forget and, for my part, I don’t think I have. However, while I haven’t forgotten the difficulties that come with volunteering on top of a busy schedule, I have forgotten the joys that come with it.

I thought that vocational ministry would make me forget the hardships of volunteering but it has done something much worse: it has made me forget the sense of accomplishment and fulfillment that come from volunteering. When I was a volunteer I gladly spent 25 hours a week doing ministry, because I loved it and it was my passion. I am still passionate about what I do, but I’ve forgotten that others can be passionate without getting a paycheck.

I’ve forgotten what it’s like to do ministry for the pure joy and opportunity to impact God’s kingdom. Since I can’t remember that joy, I’m hesitant to pass responsibilities off to volunteers; I think to myself, “Why would they want to stack chairs or run PowerPoint? I’m getting paid and I don’t want to do that.” I’ve forgotten, though, that volunteers aren’t interested in a paycheck; they’re passionate about serving God’s kingdom. And that passion will push them to serve God’s kingdom, even if that means stacking chairs or running PowerPoint.

If you volunteer in ministry, why do you volunteer? If you’re a paid staff person, how do you remember the passion that came before the paycheck?