Create a Culture of Fun with Your Volunteer Team

When people have fun serving in your ministry, they’ll want to serve more often (Can I get a hallelujah?). So how do you create a culture of fun where volunteers WANT to stay plugged in and serving with your ministry?

Give Gifts. Everyone loves getting presents, so whether you do one big gift each year or smaller gifts each semester, find a way to give unique and thoughtful gifts to your volunteers, even if it’s just a handwritten note! Need some ideas? Here’s a list of 24 appreciation gifts our followers have given (Tip: handwritten notes were the most popular and most appreciated, so you don’t have to spend money!).

Have team t-shirts. Nothing says “we’re a team” like matching t-shirts. Whether you give out the t-shirts as gifts or you ask your volunteers to purchase a ministry t-shirt, offering this simple and fun option helps give your volunteer team a unique sense of identity and community. Plus, it gives them an easy, comfortable outfit option for Sunday mornings when they’ll be scooting around on the floor with the preschoolers.

VIP Treatment. Host a special event just for your volunteer team, like breakfast, a movie outing, or even just some special snacks on Sunday morning. Whenever your volunteers are serving (and even when they’re not), making them feel special will keep them coming back for more.

Say thanks. As often as possible, thank the volunteers on your team verbally or in writing. Send out weekly “thank-you” emails to all who served that Sunday, and try to write at least one handwritten note a week to a volunteer on your team. We even created superhero-themed postcards you can use to remind your volunteers how awesome they are! Download them here. Think of specific reasons you are thankful for the volunteer, and thank them for who they are, not just the job they fill (i.e. “thank you for using your creativity to help our preschoolers understand more about the story of Jonah today” instead of just “thank you for teaching the preschool class today”). Give your volunteers shout outs on social media and highlight the rock stars you have.

Make sure they see YOU having fun! As their leader, your volunteers are looking to you for how they should behave when serving in your ministry, so make sure you’re exuding the same excitement and energy you want them to have with the kids.

Creating a culture of fun with your volunteer team may seem like the last thing you have time to think about. But when volunteers ENJOY serving in your ministry, they’re more likely to stick around. Here’s a fun Superhero Name Game Printable that is sure to bring some smiles to your team’s faces!