To approach the topic of whether an organization should invest in strategies to garner donors or approaches to recruiting volunteers may be like asking a rabid football fan who’s going to win the big game. My bias: I am a volunteer ministry development consultant. Yet, over twenty years of experience in consulting and training countless leaders of Christian organizations and churches has definitely informed my opinion.

PAM has become a friend of mine, no not the female name, the famous cooking spray. PAM makes cooking so much easier. I would know since I routinely use it as I cook. Besides crafting beautiful fried eggs…well maybe just overly cooked fried eggs…OK…barely edible eggs (my wife, the chef is hovering over me as I write), I also create a pretty mean scrambled egg dish. (Now my wife reminded me, that I only make scrambled when I break the yokes). My culinary expertise extends to the grill, where I have been known to grill up some pretty tasty salmon (Somehow I can actually do this.)

As the summer turns, American football is not the only endeavor that kicks off its season. Ministry activity explodes in the fall. Whether to serve the homeless, care for families at our church or love children by collecting shoeboxes, leaders are preparing themselves and volunteers to enter the playing field.

American football kicks off. It’s not just an expression; it literally kicks off. A kicker boots the ball into the air toward the opposing team. Have you ever noticed how American football announcers make a big deal when a kicker makes a tackle?

It is the New Year. New plans for volunteer ministry abound. It is so easy to charge forward in the wrong direction. Save yourself some time. Ask yourself this one thing, did I seek God adequately before I laid out my plans?

Volunteer equity is the value that exists in an organization based on volunteer capital and effectiveness. Volunteer equity is not just the number of volunteers that your organization possesses but also it is the commitment and effectiveness of your volunteer teams.

It was Mother’s Day. The speaker said Mother’s Day is not a source of celebration for everyone. Many mothers have lost children or unable to have children. I listened. My heart hurt for those women. That was years ago. A part of me now dreads Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day. Then there’s Christmas.

Being one of the top 100 Fastest Growing Churches in America has long been a status symbol. These churches have found the compelling recipe for success in drawing people. Some of these churches are referred to as attractional churches, that is they try to create an experience during weekend services that “wows” the audience making it irresistible in attracting them to return. Having visited lots of churches, having been an executive pastor in an attractional church, and a consultant that has trained leaders at countless large churches and Christian organizations for the last twenty years, I constantly weigh the notion of ATTRACTivity.