If you are leading a ministry that requires a large team, here is a primer on leading volunteers.
Certainly! Here’s your “5 R’s in Leading Volunteers” training content converted into clear, instructive paragraph form for use in a training manual, script, or guidebook.
The 5 R’s in Leading Volunteers
Effective volunteer leadership is built on five key principles: Recruit, Resource, Retain, Review, and Reward. These practices help build strong teams, deepen spiritual growth, and ensure a sustainable and joy-filled culture of serving.
1. Recruit
Recruiting volunteers starts with cultivating awareness. A leader must always be looking for people to involve in ministry, identifying gifts and passions, and recognizing untapped potential. One helpful tool can be a spiritual gifts assessment, such as the SHAPE test, to guide conversations and placements.
When inviting someone to serve, make the invitation personal. Casual, caring conversations go a long way. Rather than sounding desperate or demanding, use encouraging phrases like “Would you consider…” or “You’d be great at….” This affirms the person and communicates value.
Clarity is essential in the recruitment process. Volunteers need to know the “why” of their role—how it connects to the church’s mission and makes a difference. They also need the “what,” a clear understanding of expectations and responsibilities. The “how” includes the skills or experience required, and the “when” defines the time commitment or term length. Finally, it’s important to mention if there are any financial considerations, such as supplies or reimbursements. Clear, compassionate recruiting creates healthy, confident volunteers from the start.
2. Resource
Once someone says “yes” to serving, the next step is to resource them well. This starts by helping them feel connected to the broader mission, vision, values, and culture of the church. Every volunteer should know that they are part of something bigger and that their role matters in fulfilling God’s mission through the church.
Standardized training is essential, especially when safety or care is involved. Depending on the ministry area, this might include programs like Plan to Protect, St. John Ambulance first aid, mental health first aid, or training in prayer and visitation. Alongside general training, role-specific instruction ensures volunteers understand exactly what is expected and how to do it well.
A mentoring model is ideal for early stages. Volunteers can shadow a leader or experienced team member using the “I do, you watch; we do together; you do, I watch” approach. This hands-on, relational training builds confidence and competence. Additionally, it’s important to provide clarity around any financial resources available or required. A well-resourced volunteer is equipped not only with information, but with confidence and a sense of belonging.
3. Retain
Retention is about more than keeping people busy; it’s about helping them grow. See every volunteer role as an opportunity for discipleship. Create space to pray with your team, share short devotionals, and encourage spiritual and character development. When volunteers see how their service connects to their relationship with God, their motivation deepens.
Building strong relationships within the team is crucial. Shared experiences, food, laughter, and moments of connection foster loyalty and belonging. Hosting occasional social events, team-building gatherings, or even simple coffee hangouts helps people feel seen and valued.
Communication plays a huge role in retention. Regular huddles are great for celebrating highlights, praying together, and keeping everyone updated. Beyond that, keep communication personal and consistent—use schedules, group chats, emails, or check-ins to stay in touch. Retaining volunteers is about making them feel cared for, spiritually nourished, and part of a family.
4. Review
Review is not about criticism—it’s about collaborative growth. At its core, reviewing is the act of regularly pausing to reflect, assess, and improve together. Whether one-on-one or as a team, creating space for open, honest debriefing strengthens both relationships and results. Encourage volunteers to share what went well, what could be improved, and how they experienced their role. This can be done casually over coffee or through structured questions after an event or a season of serving. The goal is to listen well and identify both strengths and areas of refinement. When volunteers feel heard, they become more invested.
It’s also important to create an ongoing feedback loop between you and your leader. Regularly ask for insight on how you’re leading your team, and bring what you’ve learned from your volunteers to those conversations. Review is ultimately about stewardship—evaluating how we’re doing so we can do it better for the sake of the people we lead and the mission we serve.
5. Reward
Celebrating your volunteers is vital. People are encouraged to continue when they feel seen and appreciated. Publicly and privately honor those who go the extra mile or serve with faithfulness. Call out the actions and attitudes you want to see repeated. Recognition doesn’t need to be elaborate; often, a simple thank-you or small gift can make a huge difference.
Encourage ongoing commitment by inviting volunteers to recommit for another year or season. At the same time, be sensitive and celebrate those transitioning out of a role. Offer opportunities to step into new areas of ministry when appropriate, so volunteers can grow into their next calling.
By celebrating faithfulness and movement, you foster a culture of gratitude and purpose. Your volunteers aren’t just filling slots—they’re making a lasting impact. Rewarding them reminds them of their value in the Kingdom of God.
Other Core Principles
- Strong volunteer teams are led by example. You must model what you want to reproduce. Volunteers are more likely to emulate leaders than follow systems. Lead with humility, joy, and consistency.
- Remember that your volunteers are a sacred trust. They represent your organization’s values outside its walls. Treat them with care, dignity, and honesty. Be aware of their limitations—most can give 2–4 hours per week. Honor their time by being organized, efficient, and purposeful.
- Consider your team’s total volunteer capacity like a full-time equivalent (FTE). Structure ministries around that reality, and avoid burnout by limiting how many ministries each person can be involved in. Establish a clear process for onboarding and offboarding to give structure to the experience.
- Ultimately, the way you treat your volunteers will shape your ministry’s reputation. Volunteers are your ambassadors. If they feel respected, empowered, and inspired, they’ll spread that story far and wide.