Wednesday, December 15, 2010

balancing the needs of cause, volunteers and donors

As I continue to work with nonprofits, being aware of the relationship between the cause (or mission) and stakeholders (ie donors and volunteers) is as vital to an organization's purpose as is the cause itself.

You'll agree that most nonprofits fall into the categories of
  • paid staff and rely heavily on affinity for the cause, volunteers and donors
  • paid staff and rely heavily on affinity for the cause and donors
As with any brand, the volunteer and donor experience builds affinity (why I love the cause) and leads to more desire to volunteer, more reasons to give.  A virtuous cycle.

Any nonprofit must balance its desire to achieve its mission and fulfill the cause, with the need to ensure its volunteers have a superb experience volunteering, and that donors feel as if their gifts and contributions are valued and recognize them for it.  It all boils down to relationships.  The cause and your mission may not move forward as effectively when the volunteers and donors don't feel appreciated.

Does your organization have a designated donor relations and volunteer relations coordinator?  Should it?  Of course, it depends on the size of your organization, and the number of volunteers it works with, and the relationship it has with its donors.

if you're not making the donor's and volunteer's experience a positive one, a great way to start is by saying thank you.  It's all part of cultivating and stewarding the most important external stakeholders you have.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Just how big is your world?

How big is your world? Are you engaged in it beyond school, beyond church, beyond work?

Do you spend significant time with others outside of your core group of friends, outside of those who believe what you believe?

I encounter too many people who have to have some "faith" label applied to the activities they are engaged in, in order to justify their participation in that activity to themselves and to their friends.  It's sad when Christians limit themselves to only serving in ministry.

Many followers of Christ won't fully understand service until they move beyond the walls of church, the confines of ministry, and the boundaries of their faith to serve where the majority of people live.  There are too many Christians who limit their opportunities to serve God by not serving outside of their church.  Perhaps they limit the opportunities that God has for them by drawing a circle but not going to the edge.

You don't have to volunteer in a ministry to be able to serve in the name of Christ.  In fact, you may find yourself to be very passionate about serving in a cause that has nothing to do with your faith, and that's okay.  Because it has everything to do with your faith.  Romans 12 encourages us to give our bodies to God as a living sacrifice – that means all of yourself.  Give, and give more of yourself.  Your resources may be limited, but even after giving the most valuable possession God had, he still has more resources than you'll ever need.

God is limitless.  Don't put him a box that somebody else has made for you.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Drawing a blank: your church web site is turning away visitors

Recently I visited a church web site using my iPhone to watch a video, and then a few days later on my iPad, to refer an email address to some friends – and both times couldn't access the content because the site used Flash, a format that doesn't work on the Apple mobile platforms. Nothing but a big blank page.

OK, so while that sounds all geeky, consider: because the hosted media (online sermons) were displayed in a format that wasn't readable by the iPhone, I couldn't share them with someone that I wanted to refer them to, and I couldn't share the sermon video on Facebook.  The irony is overwhelming that one can't share truth because the media format isn't compatible with the over 51 million iPhone users. (Tech Crunchies, April 2010).  iPad sales are a modest 3.27 million (July 2010)

Likewise, because the navigation of the web site (and links to the content) were rendered with Flash, I couldn't use the web site on the iPad.

With YouTube, Vimeo, and many other excellent, low-cost options for video sharing.  The church in general has no excuse not to be talking to the world in a way the people of the world can understand and access.

Churches, kiss Flash goodbye.  Be brave, and arrive at the party early.  Embrace technology that doesn't raise barriers to people who are desperate to know the Truth.  Or to find an email address on your web site.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Let's keep it simple: Less management, more relationships

Here are some observations from the front lines of service:

There's a distinct difference between the ministry Christ had, and how he managed his disciples, and how churches conduct ministry and manage ministry.

Christ had clear, direct lines of communication between himself and the disciples. There was complete clarity on what needed to be done (even if there wasn't complete understanding of his teachings). He kept the counsel of his father, because his companions had some unusual or no understanding of what God's plan was.

Church communications today don't seem so clear, even with email and phones. Leadership by texting is not uncommon, and highly ineffective. As a business professional, I would never consider conducting business with clients by text, yet it seems to be an acceptable way to conduct relationships with ministry leaders.

All church leaders can't be completely aware of what's happening at the serving level, unless they are in continuous dialog with observers and participants in ministry. Too often valid observations are perceived as complaints; things that a professional organization would consider for continuous improvement are perceived as annoyances. There is little room for true innovation, because the model for innovation are the "best practices" of other churches or what is currently popular in church ministry circles (ie, copying what others have done) instead of solving a problem to create transformation.

Dave Browning at Neue states it very well: Less is more.

Less management, more relationships.  Focus on the relationships, and management will be easier.  Relationships are what create loyal followers and affinity for the cause.

Fewer distractions, more focus.  Embrace it!

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Embracing your call to service

Do you find that there are times where God has called you to serve, but you haven't embraced it?

Aren't they the same thing? Not entirely.

It's easy, in the moment, or over time to accept God's calling to serve in a specific area (such as with youth or children or homeless or fill in the blank), but to embrace it means to live it.  To dive in fully, and to be completely engaged in it.  To fully surrender to serving in that area and to following the lead and call of God, even if the area of service isn't one that you entirely want to do, but it's one God wants you to fulfill.

It's not the obvious places of service that need embraced: it's the ones that are placed in our lives that we resist committing to.  Our churches emphasize service overseas or on the mission field or to our communities, but in our lives there are areas of service we overlook, we ignore, we resist – until one day we realize that our calling is right under our noses.

We need to learn to recognize the opportunities to serve in our families, our homes, or places of business, our schools.  The places where we spend the most time and with the people who surround us every day.

If we don't embrace those opportunities, why will God entrust us with bigger ones?  Perhaps these are the big ones, and every other opportunity we are hoping and praying for are deceptions or intended to blind us to what's been placed before us.  We're so easily distracted by the allure of "purpose" and "calling," that as we look beyond our current circumstances to where we think God is calling us to, that we fail to hear His voice where we are.

Serve well where you live, and other opportunities will follow.  To embrace is to love, to love is to serve.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Hello Christianity: Your message is losing relevance

Lacking any original ideas, popular culture Christian-themed media continues to render the message of the Bible irrelevant, unless it's in the context of other popular culture symbology and messaging.

For example: "The Light" shirt is a knockoff of the Twilight visual branding.  Blatant and embarrassing knockoff.
So why aren't more Christian-themed media or art copied?  It's not hard to figure out: we're slaves to the story.  Somehow we can't get away from the idea that we have to get the whole gospel message in every time we speak or say or create something.  In doing so, we lose focus, and in losing focus, others lose interest.  And if this is the best believers can do, then there's nothing compelling to inspire anybody else.

We don't have to include any message in our creativity.  Art needs no justification or reason to be.

Outside of the context of the movie, the shirt has little meaning. Little relevance.  Because without context, there is even more explaining to do about what it means.  Instead of starting a conversation, it just looks like a word that was misspelled.  That means its bad design too.

C'mon believers! You can do better than this!  Embrace the best.

Friday, April 23, 2010

The tension between the familiar and the new

I found a note, written during a worship seminar: "the tension between the familiar and the new."

It's a theme that is discussed frequently as we plan worship (for youth, the lovers of all things new), who actually tend to prefer the familiar, who avoid change.

On the other hand, the musicians want to do what's new, to try new songs, to do old songs new ways.

In our role of leading worship, I remind the worship team that those who in the role of worshipper (ie, not leading) will best connect with God on a personal level when the songs are familiar – when they can be sung from the heart, when the words are known, the tune recognized, the song is known.  There is comfort and reassurance in that which we know.  There is uncertainty in that which is new.

We cannot worship a stranger.  God must be known to us as personally, as familiar as the songs we sing to praise Him.  We must know Him in order to be deeply comforted and reassured.  We must know Him in order to respond to Him.

The tension that's created between the familiar and the new is a healthy one.  We will grow stale if we sing the same song. The psalmist declares  in Psalm 40 "I will sing a new song."

Embrace the tension. Sing a new song!

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Am I equipping or being equipped?

Most churchgoers are simply content to do their time in the pew, toss a few coins in the plate, and drive home, content until next week.

If you're reading this, I bet you're one whom has thrown themselves into fray, seeking the arms of the Father, aware you're a prodigal, yet assured you're a beloved child.

You're serving, living a life of worship, aware that everything you do is for God's glory.  But in the back of your mind you wonder: am I properly equipped to do what I need to do?  What's expected of me?  Where are the boundaries in my service?

Which is why the church (and those who are are the gifts Christ gave to it) need to focus on equipping God's people – especially those volunteers who are equipping others.  The equipping may not be what the church leadership thinks it should be.  If you're a pastor or a ministry director, have you considered asking your volunteers what they need to be properly equipped (and how they are motivated)?

After all, the role of good communications is to understand what your audience is listening for, not what you think they need to hear.

A bit of behavioral psychology and profiling may be in order, to understand what motivates (and demotivates key volunteer leaders.  Short of that, making expectations clear for what their roles are, and then equipping and empowering individuals to serve, can make up for the behavior analysis.

In practice: If you want to serve, make the way ready.  It may be another volunteer's role to prepare the way, in order for you to step in and serve.  It may be your role to prepare the way for another. Are both of you prepared?

Sunday, February 21, 2010

We want to be like everybody else... just different

"Why does everybody look at me like I'm different?"

An innocent question asked by a young individual, for which the answer doesn't come easily.  Perhaps through clothing that sets them apart (or isolates them), not wearing the Hollister or Abercrombie or American Eagle.  Or because they aren't included among the small groups, preferring to spend time by themselves (by choice or by necessity).  Perhaps because they are awkward in small groups (and larger groups).  Perhaps because they are not like us.

Why different?  And if so, why are we so uncomfortable with an individual's differences that we can't find a way to reach out to them, to include them, to make them feel welcome?

Is it because we think we know better?  In our desire to be loved and accepted, we seek out those who will accept us as we are, because they are like us – and politely avoid those who aren't like us – even though we have the opportunity to give them what we all are seeking: love and acceptance.

Whether it's in a student group, or in our main church services, in small groups, in service opportunities... we all know who I'm talking about.  We avoid them, but they are like the people that Christ reached out to, associated with, welcomed into his presence. 

At some point, we are the outsiders.  Who will reach out to us and include us in their circle?  What happens when we have to ask, "Why do you look at me like I'm different?"

377DMG47SBS6

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Equipping the saints: Be ready for today

Have you ever thought to yourself, "I need to be ready for tomorrow," or "I know that God is preparing me today for the future."

But what about today?  All of the experiences, the insights, the wisdom and knowledge you have right now has prepared you for... today.

I remember long conversations with people who are so concerned with discerning God's will for their future, that they miss what He has allowed in their lives that has equipped them to be who they are, and where they are.  They are oblivious of the moment, of the day.

I've talked with people who are so paralyzed by indecision because they fear choosing the wrong path.  If it's the wrong path, then God will make that clear to you as well… and guide you to where He wants you through the decision you made.

Don't be afraid to choose.  Often our faith is proven by the choices we make, and being aware that who we are today is by God's design.

377DMG47SBS6 

Monday, February 1, 2010

The blind side of church communications

The church seems to have forgotten how to have a two-way conversation.

The Christian church is good at preaching, at teaching, at carrying out the functions of church – but in many ways have forgotten how to engage its members in meaningful dialog.  Are we too intent on carrying out our roles that we forget how to serve, to care for the people that we are trying to equip?

Church leadership (pastors, boards, ministry directors) often have a blind side to communications – they think they are communicating, but they are really not – substituting email, memos and church policy in place of where true dialog needs to take place, in conversation.

The size of the zone of blindness increases with the size of the church.  Effective church management should be no different than business management, yet the church (in America) rejects this notion.  The blind side grows as churches grow, and as leadership loses touch with people as they pursue ministry.  It grows as the emphasis on evangelism takes the place of equipping people to evangelize.  The blind side grows as the degrees of separation grows from executive and teaching leadership to lay leadership (who often are more in touch with what is really happening in ministries).

It's not too late. Pick up the phone, have lunch with someone who volunteers in your church.  You'll be surprised what you can learn.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Volunteer leadership, why bother?

Several of us keep asking ourselves the same question recently: why are we serving and leading in this ministry?

This isn't particular to any particular church, but to all of them, especially in the US church.

We know we've been called to serve – but circumstances cause us wonder – why do we continue when we receive little support, little training, little encouragement?  There is a layer of church leaders, serving as volunteers, who are frustrated and discouraged by the lack of clear direction and guidance they receive from pastoral staff.

Regardless of the "your treasure is in heaven" arguments, as individuals it is increasingly difficult to serve without a clear direction or purpose, without a sense of self and the meaningfulness of the service.  Time and again, the church makes excuses for practices that would never be accepted in any other organization, under the guise of "ministry."  It accepts behavior that would not be tolerated in any other environment.  It accepts sincere hearts and good intentions as substitutes for competence and planning.  The lay leaders need guidance, encouragement, affirmation from the paid church leadership — the pastors and program directors — if we are to buy into and carry out your vision.

Enough already!  The purpose of the church is to "equip the saints."  When volunteers step up to serve, provide them with an orientation to responsibilities, with a mentor to guide them into their leadership service, with a clear idea of the boundaries of their leadership.

Where this is of critical importance is in areas that may involve a disciplinary issue, which unfortunately may need to happen if a behavioral issue has been allowed to continue, unchecked, for too long.  After the Matthew 18 process has been followed, how should the situation be handled?  Is there a code of conduct that was violated?  Is every adult leader in the ministry familiar with the process and outcomes?

Pastors, equip your people.  You will lose them if safeguards aren't in place, if they become discouraged because they don't feel like the church (personified, it's the people leading the church) care about them.

We know we're on the same team, it would be encouraging for us to know we're appreciated and respected as part of the team.