Church and Delegation (1)

One dogcollar I've come across had the idea that team meant people did what they were told to to do and yet, when asked, they were 110% certain (weren't good at maths either!) that they were a shining example of delegation and collaborative excellence.

Delegation can be found in many examples in the NT Church - perhaps the best of these being the creation of deacons in Acts chapter six. There was a bit of division apparent between Jewish and Greek believers over the support the Greek widows weren't getting (or were getting in a perhaps less favourable way to the Jewish widows).

Here we have the perfect opportunity for a split and the remedy, the creation of deacons, suggests that this was merely overwork and overstretched administration, something that is always present when any organisation outgrows its structures. This is why it's good to put the structures in place at the beginning so that as things grow, the mechanisms are ready to accommodate the growth and avoid the problems that organisational lag can bring.

The early church was organised but demand was outstripping the ability to meet it smoothly and when gaps appear so too do stresses and divisions. For instance one church I was in had the Vicar's wife and the Vicar and many of the PCC involved in it and they were always shining and smoothly run. Another had a few of the zealots and this was always wanting, but rarely getting, when it cam to their ministry area. Soon the tensions were obvious as the 'have nots' felt marginalised and ignored. The situation didn't get any better when someone donated kit to the 'have everything' group for their having more was the match that started the fire that saw some leave!

Most of the time we have problems in church there is poor administration and clergy who just 'weren't aware!' and this is why delegation is so very important because it's easy to miss things from the top of the pyramid (and whether it is a pyramid needs to be addressed) but simple for those one the ground where the need is real and obvious - and so we delegate.

Let's take a look at Acts 2. 2-4:
'Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, 
“It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” '

One of the important things in any organisation is that everyone should be doing what they can in the right place that they should be doing it! Everyone has a role to play in church and often I find the clergy are out there doing stuff that others should be doing and this adds to their workload and removes the opportunities to be doing what is right for others. This is not about 'being superior' but about acknowledging roles and accepting responsibilities.

When I came to one church I was told off because I washed up, swept and generally helped. My reason was that I didn't want to look like I was lording it and because it's who I am. I still do it but am sensitive to the fact that for some the tasks I might be doing are their primary, and perhaps only, tasks. So we need to look at the areas that need to be addressed and managed in our churches and work out who should be doing them and how they should be doing it - and then consider the relationships and structures that are needed to assist and support them so they do it!

We'll take a look at this some more tomorrow.

Enjoy

Volunteers - Recruit and RETAIN

As I have been thinking about volunteers I have come to the conclusion that whilst training is a moderately neutral element the real struggles come in the form of the high inertial load in getting people to volunteer and the working against those factors which would cause things to stop that we call retention.

One of the best ways to get volunteers is to get converts because as people come to faith it is relatively easy to harness that zeal and new found passion and make volunteering part of the discipleship package. The problems come when you try to get some of the church members who have been part of the congregation for some time to get themselves moving What one invariably finds is that they are stuck where they are or simply refuse to budge because "they've tried it before'. These people need a good push (a squib up the backside as my dear old Dad used to say).

The real issue therefore, especially if the 'done it all before' camp is to be believed, is that of retention. Keeping volunteers both doing and remaining when they stop doing (which I think is called 'being'. It's retention that I want to think about today:

The issues as I understand them are this:

1. The job gets boring - there needs to be some degree of challenge and development in the things we get volunteers to do,

2a. The organisation needs to be smooth (too many volunteers) - Many of those I meet who 'used to volunteer' ceased to do so because they turned up to find someone else doing the task they thought they were coming to do.

2b. The organisation needs to be smooth (too few volunteers) - Others who did volunteer find themselves 'attacked' because no one was on the rota and they get the flak for not having been present (when they weren't supposed too be!). Let volunteers experience stress and criticism too often and you'll lose them (and the people they fought with!).

3. Approbation - A bit of applause, recognitions, flowers, chocolates, a meal (or whatever) says that what the person does is valued (and so are they). Work without the volunteers receiving a bit of recognition and you'll be working without volunteers (just after the tough and unnoticed event they did)!

4. The 'lone volunteer' syndrome - Leave the job to one person and you can be sure that they will (usually) come to resent it and yet (often) will ensure that they maintain the status quo so that they are both Mary and Martha rolled into one! They make the job their won and ensure that it stays that way.

5. Progression - with some jobs what it is is what it is whilst others lead on to greater (perceived) things. The lack of progression, when it is expected, promised or has been the custom, leaves people feeling that they are not valued or up to the task. Either way, the potential for the volunteer ceasing is great - look at what the role is and where the last few people that were doing it have gone (and why they went too). The other side of this coin is the 'dead end' role. The singe task that leads nowhere and so results in someone being the magazine distributor for twenty years (I've met him) - a job they do with a deep lack of joy and eventual total disinterest.

Over the course of many years I have met volunteers who have served their body well and then folded because they didn't get (often promised) progression, recognition or support. Far too often they found themselves locked into mundane or boring roles and there was just no joy or fun in what they did. Worse still, most people let this continue because they didn't want to get lumbered with the job (and clergy are often very bad in this area).

So if you have volunteers you need to work to keep them. We might not have to do what they do but
we can still come alongside and say 'Thank You' and offer them some form of reward and recognition (and even think about helping the role change or them move to keep them fresh and enjoying it).

The workman is indeed worthy of something and if it's not money then it's respect, recognition and thanks!

HTH