Beyond Filling Positions: The Secret to Building a Volunteer Culture People Love by Pastor Jim Graff and Tamara Graff

What makes someone excited to arrive at church early on a Sunday morning, serve behind the scenes, and willingly give their time week after week? Is it the responsibility they’ve been given, the importance of the ministry, or the satisfaction of knowing they’re making a difference?

While all those things matter, I’ve learned something through years of pastoring: people may initially volunteer because they believe in the vision, but they continue serving because they feel connected to the people and the purpose behind it.

One of the greatest challenges pastors face today isn’t simply finding enough volunteers. It’s creating an environment where people genuinely love serving. We can recruit people, assign responsibilities, develop schedules, and organize departments, but if we fail to nurture the hearts of those serving, even our most dedicated volunteers can eventually become discouraged.

Tamara and I have often talked about the difference between getting tired in ministry and getting tired of ministry. There will always be demanding seasons when we work hard, sacrifice, and give more than we thought possible. But we never want the people serving alongside us to lose the joy that comes from being part of what God is doing.

I believe one of the greatest responsibilities of church leadership is creating a culture where people are not simply needed but genuinely valued.

When Tamara talks about her approach to leadership, she often says that she makes friends, has fun, and discovers leaders along the way. That’s quite different from my natural leadership style. I grew up in a coach’s home, and I’ve always enjoyed developing people, establishing goals, and helping teams improve. Over the years, however, I’ve learned that effective leadership requires more than giving people direction. It requires building relationships that help them flourish.

Tamara has always understood something that has strengthened our church tremendously. When people enjoy being together, they are much more likely to remain committed to serving together. Relationships create an atmosphere where people feel comfortable contributing their gifts, taking ownership, and growing into leadership.

That doesn’t mean we abandon organization or accountability. It means we recognize that people are more important than the programs they support.

One of the most practical ways we’ve worked to develop this culture at Faith Family Church is through our leadership structure. We follow what we call the Moses model, where leaders are responsible for caring for smaller groups of people. Rather than allowing ministry teams to become so large that volunteers feel overlooked, we work to have a leader caring for approximately five or six people.

Why is that important? Because people need someone who knows their name, understands what’s happening in their lives, celebrates their victories, and notices when they’re struggling.

It’s easy for a pastor to stand on the platform and communicate vision to hundreds or thousands of people. But genuine care happens when someone takes the time to ask a volunteer how their family is doing, pray with them about a difficult situation, or simply thank them for faithfully showing up.

That kind of personal connection makes a tremendous difference.

Tamara often emphasizes three important elements of caring for volunteers: personal, regular, and celebratory contact. Personal contact means we know the people serving with us. Regular contact means relationships aren’t limited to moments when we need something done. Celebratory contact means we intentionally recognize the difference people are making.

These principles sound simple, but they require intentional leadership.

At Faith Family Church, we hold team huddles before services. These gatherings aren’t just opportunities to communicate assignments or review schedules. They’re moments to encourage our teams, celebrate what God is doing, pray together, and remind everyone why their ministry matters.

Tamara also prepares a short leadership letter that our team leaders can use during these gatherings. She often builds these messages around our church’s culture statements, such as choosing joy and honoring people in every direction. These letters reinforce our values while giving leaders practical encouragement to share with their teams.

Think about what happens when someone receives a few minutes of meaningful encouragement every week. Over time, those moments begin shaping the way they think about serving, relationships, and their responsibility to others.

We also intentionally celebrate volunteers during our church services. But there’s something important about how we choose whom to recognize.

We don’t want to celebrate someone simply because they’re doing the work of five people or sacrificing every evening with their family to keep a ministry functioning. We want to recognize people who demonstrate faithfulness, positive attitudes, healthy priorities, and genuine love for others.

I’ve often said that what you appreciate, appreciates. When we celebrate the right things, we help establish the kind of culture we want to develop.

But appreciation alone isn’t enough. We also have to create opportunities for fellowship.

The New Testament places tremendous importance on believers loving and caring for one another. In fact, Ephesians 4:16 reminds us that the body of Christ grows and builds itself up in love as each part does its work.

Notice that spiritual growth and meaningful contribution happen together. God never intended ministry to become a collection of isolated people completing assignments. He designed His Church to function as a family.

That’s why fellowship must remain a priority even when the ministry calendar becomes demanding.

At our church, we intentionally create opportunities for people to connect through events like Faith Family Day, fall gatherings, and simple moments of hospitality before services. These opportunities give families and volunteers time to laugh, share experiences, and strengthen friendships outside their regular responsibilities.

Some of the most important ministry moments don’t happen behind a pulpit. They happen around a table, during a conversation over coffee, or when someone realizes they’re surrounded by people who genuinely care about them.

There’s another lesson I’ve learned about developing a healthy volunteer culture. We must never allow our departments to become so focused on their individual responsibilities that they forget we’re all working toward the same mission.

When ministry teams compete for resources, become territorial, or fail to communicate, frustration grows. Volunteers begin feeling the pressure of unnecessary conflict, and the joy of serving can quickly disappear.

As pastors, we must consistently communicate a vision of cooperation and unity. Psalm 133:1 reminds us how good and pleasant it is when God’s people dwell together in unity. That unity doesn’t happen automatically. It develops when leaders model respect, celebrate one another’s victories, and teach their teams to work together.

The truth is, no amount of excitement during a Sunday service can compensate for unhealthy relationships throughout the week. People need to experience the love of Christ not only from the platform but also through the people serving beside them.

So let me encourage you to evaluate your volunteer culture from a different perspective. Instead of only asking whether you have enough people serving, ask whether the people serving are flourishing.

Do they feel appreciated? Are they developing meaningful friendships? Does someone know what’s happening in their lives? Are they growing spiritually? Do they understand the difference their service is making?

Most importantly, are they experiencing the joy of being part of something bigger than themselves?

We will always need volunteers to accomplish the work God has entrusted to our churches. But our responsibility goes far beyond filling positions. We’re developing disciples, nurturing relationships, raising up leaders, and creating opportunities for people to discover the fulfillment of serving Jesus together.

When people are loved well, led with clarity, and encouraged consistently, they don’t simply become better volunteers. They become stronger disciples who help build healthier churches.

And that’s the kind of ministry culture worth investing in, because the greatest success isn’t how many people we can get to serve. It’s how many people we can help discover a lifelong love for serving God and others.