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Treasured Volunteers

Wednesday, October 09, 2024

The KidzMatter Blog/Treasured Volunteers

In September, I had the privilege of attending the Kidzmatter Conference in Evansville, IN. What an amazing few days enjoying worship and fellowship with other like-minded ministers! Everywhere you looked, everyone you spoke to, and everything that was done was all centered around helping kids love Jesus more. The passion packed into those days should be bottled up and sprinkled on all of us throughout the year!

As I was sitting in one of the breakouts, the speaker said the word treasure. I don’t remember the context, but it got me thinking about that word. What does treasure even mean? The dictionary says it means something of great worth or value—something we hold dear to our hearts.

When I think about what I treasure, I could come up with a long list:

My salvation!

My hope in heaven!

My husband!

My kids and grandkids!

My family!

Memories!

Nature and all its beauty!

A good pizza!

The list could go on and on!

But as I sat in that breakout, at this point totally distracted, one thing kept coming to mind: how much I treasure our amazing volunteers! They are a vital part of our ministry. Do they feel treasured by their ministry leaders (us) and those they serve (kids and families)? As I continued to reflect on our volunteers and how incredible they are, one particular story came to mind.

I thought of a couple in Bethel Kids who have been teaching the 1st & 2nd grade kids for several years. They put a lot of time and care into their class and the children they teach. They take what they are doing seriously because they know they are helping kids understand something that will last for eternity. I want to share some recent events in their lives. So, let me introduce you to Bob & Susie Smith (not their real names).

Bob & Susie have been attending our church for almost 20 years. They have three kids and some adorable grandkids. Bob & Susie have their own business. They are friendly, kind, smart, and a little adventurous. Over the years, they have loved skiing, the outdoors, and many other activities. Bob & Susie own a small two-seater plane, and Bob is the pilot. They often fly their plane to visit their daughter and her family in another state. Recently, while flying, they encountered bad weather. They were repeatedly diverted due to the conditions and eventually realized they were low on fuel and would have to make an emergency landing. Bob & Susie decided to land the plane in a farmer’s field. Upon landing, the plane crashed and pretty much broke in half.

As they were landing, a woman in a nearby barn saw the plane go down. She immediately called 911, and emergency responders were there within minutes. Bob & Susie were rushed to the hospital. Bob suffered cuts and bruises and was released the next day. However, Susie was not as fortunate. She broke both her shoulders, several ribs, fractured her spine, and broke her arm in two places. She has a long road to recovery ahead.

As time passed, Susie underwent surgery and began therapy. Bob said, “God is not finished with us yet.” He believed God spared their lives for a reason. Although the recovery is long, Bob couldn’t wait to return to the kids he loves teaching. We assured him it was fine to take time off, but he was afraid we’d give their teaching spot to someone else. So, he showed up two weeks after the accident to be with his class. Now that’s an amazing volunteer! (And maybe a little bit of a crazy one!)

Here are some easy suggestions for treasuring your volunteers:

-Take time during the chaos of an event or Sunday morning to walk around and tell each one of them that they are doing great and that you appreciate them. These few simple words mean so much. It is personal and relational.

-Notice specific things they do and celebrate those with words of encouragement. Often, we notice but don’t say anything. Be sure to affirm them when they do something amazing!

-Pray with your volunteers before each event.

-Equip your volunteers well.

-Take them to coffee to get to know them personally. Find out what’s going on in their lives. Take notes and remember details so you can follow up later.

-Write personal notes to your volunteers.

-Tell others how great your volunteers are!

-Send a personal and encouraging short video thank you to your volunteers.

-Tell other people how great they are! Make their value known to everyone!

-Have a Volunteer Appreciation Celebration for them!

We all have Bobs & Susies in our ministries. Maybe they haven’t survived a plane crash, but they carry burdens and struggles. They have families, jobs, sports, and many things they juggle. Yet they show up each week to love kids and point them to Jesus. They show up each week, and they are the heart of our ministry and we couldn’t do it without them.

Let’s be sure they know they are treasured!

Melissa Anderson has had the joy of serving as the Director of Kids Ministries at Bethel Church in Crown Point for 20 years. She is passionate about ministry leadership, shepherding parents, and loving kids. Melissa has been blessed to be married to her husband, Jeff, for 42 years. Together, they have raised three wonderful children, who are now married and have given them eight adorable grandchildren. Her family and ministry are the heart of her life, and she is grateful for the opportunity to pour into both every day.

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Membership with KidzMatter PRO strengthens your skills and links you with a thriving community committed to empowering kidmin leaders like you.