Recruiting Ministry Volunteers: Creating a Buy-In Strategy

The beginning of a new ministry often looks something like this: Someone within the congregation has an idea, or a group or committee collaborated to address an issue in the community. The idea is brought before the decision makers in the church, and it’s approved to move forward.

The church then pours time, money, and other resources into starting up this new endeavor, but soon, recruiting ministry volunteers seems impossible. The ministry folds, because it becomes unsustainable to continue.

As a ministry leader, this is likely a situation you’ve experienced more than once. So, what went wrong? 

How can you effectively recruit volunteers and ensure that there are ample people who are bought in and willing to contribute their time and gifts to support the ministry? 

It starts with gaining buy-in early in the planning process and intentionally creating a buy-in strategy. This helps potential volunteers see the value they can bring to a ministry as well as the value they will receive from it. 

Active and Passive Buy-In

In any ministry, two types of buy-in are needed: active and passive. Active buy-in is more than a casual show of support. It goes beyond someone simply saying, “oh, that’s a great idea!” when you tell them about a new ministry idea or volunteer opportunity. 

Active buy-in requires the person to put some of their own resources into the ministry. This could mean actively volunteering their time, assets, and energy, or encouraging others to get involved. We all know that without active buy-in, a ministry won’t last for long. 

A ministry also requires passive buy-in, but it’s not nearly as important as active. Passive buy-in results from people knowing about a ministry and offering support, rather than skepticism or critique. This kind of buy-in might lead someone to recommend the ministry if it comes up in conversation with others. 

How to Gain Buy-in in Your Ministry

As you plan new ministries or seek to recruit volunteers for existing ministries, consider these five questions:

1. Who (name names!) in the church or wider community needs to buy into the ministry actively AND passively for it to achieve its goals? Consider individuals and groups, committees, etc.  
2. Who (individuals and groups) will make decisions about the future success of the ministry because they control funding, access to the building, or other needed resources? People aren’t likely to buy in if they feel left out of important developments or blind-sided by decisions.
3. How will you communicate with the people you identified in questions 1 and 2 about the ministry? Examples: During a short presentation in the Sunday worship service; in the newsletter or on social media; a church-wide dinner; a special meeting; lunch or coffee with someone not at the church’s building. 
4. What value will these people receive or potentially contribute to the ministry? Then consider how you will effectively communicate this value to the person/groups you identified. 
5. What can you ask these people to do now as a demonstration of active buy-in? 

In every church there are countless people who can offer active and/or passive buy-in. Their buy-in starts with making an intentional ask. Having a well-formed strategy will help you to identify the key stakeholders, communicate the needs of the ministry effectively, and match individuals’ skills and gifts with volunteer opportunities.

Getting buy-in and recruiting ministry volunteers for your ministry doesn’t have to be an energy drain for ministry leaders. Learn how to build an effective buy-in strategy in your faith community by registering for our FREE webinar, “Getting to ‘Yes”: Building Buy-in Among Volunteers.” We’ll help you explore how to implement new strategies in your context to more effectively create buy-in and recruit volunteers.