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Do you qualify for a volunteer job in your church?
By Tom Rehling

If you have ever served on a nominating committee for a church, you know the challenge of trying to “fill the slots.” The bylaws define the committees and indicate how many people are required to served on each. The task of the nominating committee is to fill all of the vacancies on the committees.
Often nominating committees are sent out to do their work with an unspoken attitude of “anyone will do.” After all, we don’t exactly have people beating down the doors begging for the jobs. Volunteers are generally welcomed with no questions asked.

Have you ever been a part of a church that
… Asked people to fill out application forms for the nominating committee to consider?
… Asked potential nominees for references?
… Interviewed multiple candidates for a single position?
… Expected the nominating committee to function like a search committee?

What qualifies a member for a leadership position in the church?
___ A fairly regular heart beat.
___ Someone who didn’t say “No.”
___ Not currently serving on another committee.
___ Only member left who is not on another committee.
___ A friend volunteered them.

In a recent workshop with Paul Borden, he said that he selects members of the Church Council on the basis of their answers to three questions.
1. Do you support the mission and ministries of this church?
2. Do you tithe?
3. What is your personal ministry?

Borden said that in order for churches to produce faithful results, the church needs leaders who know the purpose of the church and are deeply committed to fulfilling the mission of the church.

I believe that a church can only be as strong as its leaders. Leaders cannot ask members for a greater commitment than they have made themselves. Leaders cannot make plans for what others must do. Leaders must lead, from their passion, by example. We would be wise to pay as much attention to the selection of our lay leaders, as we do our ministerial leaders.

Considering the mission of your church, what qualifying questions would you like to ask the leaders of your congregation?

Published - December 2005/January 2006 - News of the Rocky Mountain Conference, United Church News

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