As we head towards Christmas we are constantly reminded of those who have meant so much to our success this previous year. This is why the following guest blog from my friends at MAG Bookkeeping is so important.
If you are a pastor or staff member, you need to know many of your volunteers are exhausted this time of year. Taking a moment to express your gratitude for their service is vital. This post will give you some great ideas on how to appreciate those who serve you, your church and our Lord so well.
Just a reminder, if your church has bookkeeping needs in 2015, there is no organization I recommend more than this organization led by Bryan Miles, his wife Shannon and Randy Ongie. Click HERE or on the image above to get more information.
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As a church leader, you know that your ministry efforts are primarily powered by two groups of people – your volunteers and your givers. Often, they’re one and the same. You know you couldn’t do what you do as a congregation without them.
But do they know that?
Even though Thanksgiving is in our rearview mirror as we speed toward Christmas, now is the time to express your gratitude towards these two key groups of people. They’re likely getting multiple organizations asking them to make year-end monetary gifts or donations of time right now, and your church is likely one of those organizations. That means there’s no better time to set yourself apart with a personalized message of gratitude.
Not only is it important to acknowledge your volunteers and givers for the gifts they’ve already given, doing so in a unique and memorable way increases the likelihood that those gifts will keep coming – and hopefully increase!
Here are some tips to make sure your messages of appreciation and gratitude get noticed:
- Don’t use church stationery. Hand write your message of gratitude on a personal card or thank-you note – even if you think your handwriting is terrible. It makes a difference, and means that the note is much more likely to be opened and read than any other communication that comes in a church envelope.
- Go up the organizational ladder. If your volunteer or giver is used to interacting with a specific staff member – the volunteer coordinator, the children’s pastor, the executive or administrative pastor – have the gratitude message come from the church staff member a step or two above that individual. If the volunteer is interacting primarily with the children’s pastor, have the senior pastor write to that volunteer. Knowing their contribution is seen and appreciated by more than just the staff member who is directly affected by it makes an impact on your volunteers like you wouldn’t believe.
- Use your phone. Following the staff structure advice above, consider a quick phone call from a senior church leader to express gratitude. Even if you have to leave a voicemail, that volunteer is going to know their contributions are acknowledged and appreciated in a very real way.
- Get specific. Make sure your volunteer or giver knows that you know what they’ve done. If they’re a first-impressions or greeter volunteer, mention what you appreciate most about their service – that they run to open doors for older attendees or parents carrying children, or they’re the first person to spot a new visitor and extend a hand. If they’re a consistent giver, tell them what specific initiatives you’ve launched or expanded this year that wouldn’t have been possible without their financial support. Details matter, and they make a difference to your message.
What other ideas do you have for showing your gratitude to your volunteers this holiday season?
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