volunteer Module #7 how to monitor the effectiveness of the entire operation

volunteer Module #7 how to monitor the effectiveness of the entire operation

Can you recall the name of the seventh dwarf from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves? What do you typically forget on your grocery list, what s first or what s last? We often forget or overlook what comes last. It s tempting to tune out at the end, but I don t want you to miss the coaching in this module. In this module we are going to talk about the final step E-Evaluate. This module won t be as much fun as some of the other ones and it might be tough to stay engaged, but you need this step. If you don t have a good evaluation system you won t know if your volunteer ministry is healthy. It might feel healthy, but feelings aren t facts. We are going to teach you how to evaluate the effectiveness of your volunteer ministry based on facts not feelings. The bottom line is this: what gets measured, gets done. In his book, Good to Great, Jim Collins talks about confronting the brutal facts. We are going to teach you how to move from the I thinks to the I knows. Operating off facts means that, if someone says, We need more volunteers, the response should be How many do we currently have and how many do we need? Getting to this level of information is key to knowing how things are really going. As pastors and church leaders, we tend to stay away from counting numbers because of criticism. But knowing the numbers is important. If we don t know It might feel healthy, but feelings aren t facts. the numbers we don t really know what s going on. Numbers represent people; people who are experiencing life change; people who need a shepherd; people who are hurting. Knowing the numbers lets you know your people. When you walk into a doctor s office they don t simply glance at you and say, Well, we think you look okay. They put something on you and give you a check-up. What they get are numbers. They check your blood count and they get numbers. Numbers oftentimes show us a bigger picture and reveal factors that help us see what needs to be fixed. know the numbers There are two numbers that will help you measure the health of your volunteer system. 1. Percentage of attenders serving regularly. A volunteer who is connected through serving has relationships and responsibility. They are connected to the people with whom they serve. We grow through the people we know. Tracking this number will show how many people you have invested in the mission of your church and how many people are still just spectators. The percentage of attenders you have been serving regularly will be dependent upon your church. 2

When you can see what you need, it takes the stress out of how to get it done. the foundations of a healthy volunteer ministry Determine what number would be a win for you and make it your goal. One way to determine what number is best for you is by creating a volunteer org chart. (We talked about this in module two.) Creating a volunteer org chart lets you know exactly how many positions you need filled. 2. The Sign-Up to Show-Up Rate. Tracking this number will let you know how many people are going from A, being attracted to B, serving on a regular basis. We often think that the number of people who filled out a card is the number of new volunteers we have. The reality is that is a significant percentage of those people will never make it onto a team. Tracking this number lets you know if your system is working well. To figure out this number find out how many people are signed up or have expressed interest to how many people actually served this past Sunday. Then choose the number that is a win for your team. This number might be different for different areas. Don t just pick a number out of a hat. WHO IS SIGNED UP? In session two, you built your volunteer org chart. You decided how many teams you have and how many people were needed on those teams. There are real numbers there. You ve got to have real numbers of how many volunteer positions you actually have. You shouldn t feel like you need twenty volunteers, you need to know you need twenty volunteers. This is a number that should be constantly up-todate. You need to know how many open positions you have at any time. A great way to track this is with a visual volunteer board. You could use a whiteboard or a corkboard where you put index cards up and show the open volunteer positions. Clarity reduces stress. When you can see what you need, it takes the stress out of how to get it done. Knowing the facts calms your feelings. Leaders and coaches need up-to-date rosters. This is one of the most effective things you can do to increase show-up. When a leader or coach knows who is supposed to be on their team or serving at a certain time, they are better equipped to connect with them. This list shouldn t be anyone that ever served one time in a ministry area. It needs to be upto-date with current contact information. Leaders need to know who they are supposed to pastor, who is in their span of care. WHO IS SHOWING UP? The goal is not just to get someone signed up and their name on a roster. The goal is to get them connected to a team and serving regularly. How do you know when your volunteers are there or how do you know when they miss? You need a simple system that will help you track when somebody shows up or when somebody doesn t. Knowing this number is important because it indicates the health of your volunteers and your overall volunteer ministry. You need a simple system to track who is showing up. Let s look at three ways you can track who is showing up. 3

Knowing this number is important because it indicates the health of your volunteers and your overall volunteer ministry. Three common ways to check in volunteers 1. Software. There are multiple software programs for churches now that you can use for checkin. NewSpring Church in Anderson, South Carolina uses Fellowship One. They have kiosks for volunteers to check-in. Barcode scanners are also becoming a popular way for volunteers to check in. Your volunteers have a key tag and scan their barcode. A software system would be a great option if you are a data guru because it will generate the reports for you and track the data. 2. Nametag pick up. Nametags are a simple way to have people check in. Have nametags printed out or hanging on a hook. Whoever s nametag is left didn t show up. The leader or coach could then track attendance on their rosters. 3. Sign-in sheet. Simply print out the rosters and have them on a table for people to sign or check next to there name. Volunteer check-in can be a crucial point of contact. The leader can be at the check-in to greet each team member. You can set up the check-in area in a special place with drinks and snacks for the volunteers. You can also distribute important information. Don t just put a list on a table and leave it, use it as a way to connect and pastor people. When Volunteers Stop Showing Up When you start tracking who is showing up, you will also start to see who isn t or stops showing up. It s important to have a plan for how to respond to people who stop showing up. They may have great reasons why they are not there, but connecting with them shows that they are cared for. It may be an opportunity to support or pastor them. Chris Mavity at North Coast Church in Vista, California is one of my friends and mentors. He told me this, Where there s turnover there s trouble. When you think about that, it s very true. When you see a turnover in a company, when you see a turnover in an area, when you see a turnover in the division, when you see turnover in your volunteers, if you see turnover there, some type of trouble is happening. A volunteer quitting or not showing up is a spiritual indicator of what s happening in their lives or your church. There are two primary reasons people stop showing up. 1. Problem with the Person. When someone stops showing up it could indicate a problem in his or her personal life. They may have had a life change, a new job, a family crisis, a health situation. Maybe they feel disconnected from God and they doubt their whole faith. Maybe they aren t enjoying the area in which they are serving. This is someone who needs to be pastored and asked the question, How are you doing? What s going on? How can we help? Is anything going on? Giving 4

Systems issues are often disguised as people issues. them a quick call. Sending an email or a handwritten note communicates care and value. People feel loved when they feel missed. Knowing who isn t showing up allows you to pastor people. 2. Problem with the Team. Tracking who is showing up can help you identify if there is a problem with a team or leader. Is there a team with a high turnover rate? This might indicate a leadership issue. Systems issues are often disguised as people issues. Evaluate the system and see if there is an area that s weak. Maybe people aren t connecting well or they don t know what s expected. Reaching out creates a conversation not a criticism. Making This Work If you have made it to this section you know this is important, but you don t like spreadsheets and data. Most visionary leaders don t think this way. A team approach will probably work best in this area. One person will not do all five areas really well. You probably know which areas are your strengths. Find other staff members or high-level volunteers to support you. Freedom Church in Atlanta, Georgia does a great job in this area. We interviewed Austin Porter who is the Connections Pastor. He has built a team of people who are highly skilled at administration and data. They track the numbers and provide him with a weekly spreadsheet. This frees him up to do what he is gifted to do. reporting and measuring. That s all she did. That was her ministry area. She loved spreadsheets. Involve some organizers and systems people in this part of the process. Believe it or not, there are people who love spreadsheets. Getting accurate information could be a volunteer position. FINAL THOUGHTS Equipping people to do the work of the ministry is a high calling. There is nothing more important than engaging your people and helping them grow their gifts to build the Kingdom. Although evaluation isn t fun, it is vital. Don t overlook this step. Find some people who can create systems for you to evaluate the health of your ministry. Action Steps: Here is your final homework. Gather your team. Find some organizers and implement these action steps. 1. Decide who is over E 2. Create a system to evaluate your system and to track: a. The percentage of attenders serving regu larly. b. Sign-up to show-up rate. When I led the volunteers at Mountain Lake Church, I had a volunteer who was in charge of 5