The interstate system developed during the 1950s is successful because of the ease of getting on and off the road. The highway never stops. It is a constant flow of 65+ mph traffic. Drivers choose when they want on and when they want to get off. We call these entrance and exit ramps to allow you to get up to speed or slow down to a stop.
Your church should parallel an interstate highway when it comes to ministry. The church should have a constant flow of ministry that is being conducted by the local body that is continuous and ongoing. God expects his body to be doing the work of ministry (Eph. 4:12). This takes numerous shapes and forms including evangelism, Bible school, benevolence, missions, fellowship, youth programs, and discipleship. This should be a busy highway that is going in a God-honoring, God-driven direction to fulfill the local church’s purpose.
All church leaders recognize this busy ministry highway. You spend lots of efforts trying to keep this highway flowing. You seek to prevent bottlenecks and fill potholes when they appear. But have you ever considered how easy it is to get on and off the highway?
I believe many churches do not have the number of workers and volunteers needed to do ministry as they desire because of two key factors:
- They don’t make it easy to get involved in a ministry. Thus, people are shy, ignorant, or fearful of getting on the ministry highway.
- They don’t make it clear how you will be able to stop involvement with a ministry. Thus, people are afraid to get on the highway because they don’t want to be stuck.
Sound familiar to reasons you have heard? I don’t have the space to address all the ways to fix this issue, but here are some suggestions for you to consider at your congregation.
- Regularly point out publicly who is the leader and contact point for a given ministry.
- Develop a packet of information with multiple opportunities and specific instructions for new members to allow them to know easy on-ramps. There could also be a survey sheet for new members to fill out and return assessing their interest in various ministry opportunities.
- Create “test-drive” programs where you allow potential volunteers the opportunity to shadow or participate in a ministry for a short time to see if they may want to serve in that department before committing.
- Openly discuss with potential volunteers your time expectations for the ministry and let them know how they can transition from this ministry to other areas of ministry if it does not fit them.
- Set time boundaries up front in your recruiting so people know when they get on and when they get off.
- Encourage shoulder-tapping practices by existing volunteers wherein they find new members and tap them to serve in their ministry. They walk along side them and help them transition smoothly into the ministry role. NEVER just throw a new person into the fire without supplying them with needed support and encouragement.
Most of leadership attention for our church’s ministry highway goes into keeping the highway open and running. It seems hard enough keeping everyone on the road and the traffic moving in the right direction toward a desired end. Maybe it is time we back away from the highway, for a short time and consider the ramps onto the road. If we don’t have adequent and easy on-ramps and exit-ramps our ministry road will eventually dry up. New cars won’t get on and the old ones will break down and have to be pulled off. Give some attention to your ramps so you can keep your highway flowing for God!
