The Great Volunteer Base Shuffle

by Mark Tidsworth, Team Leader

“Expect resignations from AND volunteering for church leadership”

-Six Expectations for the Post-Pandemic Church, Blog Post, June 8, 2021 (read this story HERE)

Can you hear the wailing and see the gnashing of teeth from church nominating committees across the land? They are handed a monumental task… “Here, find people from our church to fill every one of these open slots.” In this current context, churches are experiencing exceptional transitions in the leadership, ordained and lay. During the fall ministry season, when many churches staff their teams and committees for another year of service, churches are keenly aware of changes among the faithful.

Understanding The Why

Why now? What’s happening that’s creating this volunteer base shuffle?

First of all, the volunteer base shuffle is a by-product of a larger trend in our culture. In conversation recently, I’ve heard two descriptions of life here in the latter days of the pandemic – “The Great Re-Evaluation” and “The Great Resignation.” Since the pandemic was such a life disrupter, it forced people into liminal space where life re-evaluation often happens. “Why am I doing what I’m doing?” is the essential question. When most everything comes to a stop, space is created for people to examine their lives, evaluating their commitments and activities and especially the motivation driving them.

This is where The Great Resignation moniker kicks in. Attorneys in corporate law firms, teachers in public and private schools, and clergy and church staff... these are some of the vocations in which large numbers of people are resigning (so says anecdotal evidence). Because of large-scale life disruption, many are re-evaluating their vocational situations, viewing the pandemic as a change opportunity.

So what’s this mean for churches? In a recent Pinnacle team meeting, Ircel Harrison observed that those who were motivated by traditionalism or duty, serving out of obligation or guilt, are making different choices now. The pandemic broke them out of the habitual patterns, exposing their motivations. These motivations are proving to be unsustainable when life reaches higher thresholds of challenge and adversity. Duty and traditionalism won’t keep church volunteers on the field. Simultaneously, other disciples are discovering opportunity like never before. The pandemic has pushed them out of their comfort zones, driven by church needs, to serve in new and invigorating ways. They are enlivened disciples, looking for more and newer ways to serve. Nominating committees have front row seats for The Great Re-Evaluation and The Great Resignation.

Shaping The What

We, though, are not victims without agency. We as God’s Church, based on our understanding of the why behind what’s happening, can move forward. This Great Volunteer Base Shuffle presents two exceptional opportunities to churches.

Clarifying Our Purpose

What is your church’s actual purpose? Making disciples who partner with God toward transformation? Gathering around the Way of Jesus, following the Spirit’s lead into collective embodiment? Keeping up the finances and participation levels? Propping up programs to help us believe we are a successful church? Every church is pursuing a mission, however theologically informed or spiritually faithful it may be.

Just like those in our society who are re-evaluating their lives, churches are presented an excellent opportunity to clarify their purposes. There are many things we used to do and are currently trying to do which are tangentially related to our purpose. Many of us have discovered we don’t have the energy or people power for peripherally related activities anymore. Now, we are interested in Essential Church. What’s it look like to be a community gathered around the Way of Jesus, pursuing and practicing this way of life together?

Aligning Form With Function… No, Really

We like to repeat that ancient wisdom, “Form follows function,” when considering our structure. This time, we really mean it far more than ever before. Here are a few insights to guide our alignment:

  • When no one is willing to give leadership to a ministry or function, then perhaps this is God’s way of telling us we are not equipped for this activity.

  • When no one is willing to give leadership to a ministry or function, perhaps this activity is leftover from a time when it was useful or even necessary…just not anymore.

  • When energy is rising for ministries or functions, perhaps this is God’s way of guiding us toward more helpful emerging church structures.

“Shaping The What” toward the latter stages of a pandemic positions us to more robustly embody the Way of Jesus. We are not slaves to inherited forms of church. We are part of the Christian movement, following the God who makes all things new in due time…even Nominating Committee time.

NOTE: Soon we are opening registration for another ReShape Community of Practice – churches who want to reshape into greater expressions of the body of Christ. Watch this E-News for that opportunity along with Preview Events.

Mark Tidsworth