Recruiting tech volunteers for your church can feel like pulling teeth. It’s tough to find the balance between “we need you” and “we’re not trying to force you.” That balance is why it’s important to focus on how you ask people to volunteer.
It’s also important to breakdown some of the lies that keep people from filling your tech needs. These lies aren’t complicated—they almost always stem from insecurities and fears people have in their heads. Thankfully, we serve a God who sees past those things to the people he calls us to be.
As leaders, we have the same responsibility: To help people transcend their fears and step outside their comfort zones. We can start that forward movement in two ways. First, we exemplify love and grace. Second, we address the most persistent and pernicious lies that prevent people from volunteering, including the following five.
Lie #1: I Can’t Learn the Tech
I have a theory. When people see a lot of buttons and technology options, they experience BAD—Button Anxiety Disorder. The good news is, BAD can be overcome with training.
When asking for volunteers, communicate that technical knowledge isn’t required but will be provided. Knowing they won’t be thrown into a Sunday morning unprepared breaks down barriers and increases the likelihood that they will volunteer. And communicating the solution is easy. Simply add two words, “training provided,” to your in-person or printed request for volunteers.
Lie #2: I Won’t Fit In
While on the set of an independent film, a crew member showed me how to identify a job assignment by someone’s outfit. It soon became all I could see. Unfortunately, some potential volunteers view tech teams in the same manner. They assume they won’t fit since they don’t look or act a certain way.
It might seem like a shallow reason, but people act on it. To overcome the reasoning, offer a welcoming smile and encouraging word. As to attracting new volunteers, use words and phrases that are inclusive. Here are three examples.
- All who are interested…
- We look forward to meeting you!
- Non-geeks are welcome.
Lie #3: I’m Not Creative
Some people avoid volunteering in the tech department because they think it means Adobe Photoshop. The truth is, you don’t need right-brained people most of the time. You need people willing to press an arrow button or keep a camera steady.
It isn’t glamorous work. However, it is necessary work, so clearly communicate the logistics side of the volunteer position. Also steer clear of the instinctual reaction to the word “tech” by conveying that you seek servant leaders, not necessarily creative ones. Here are two ways to do that.
- Looking for a place to serve? The media team might be for you!
- Creativity is not required. (Sometimes blunt is the way to go.)
Lie #4: I Don’t Have Time
Time is a precious and valuable commodity, explaining why most of us seek to protect it. Volunteers are no different. Convincing them to give of their time requires communicating the value of volunteering.
It also involves defining the volunteer position, particularly when it comes to the time commitment. The information can be as vague as “a few hours each week” or as specific as “three hours each month.”
Lie #5: I Have to Be Perfect
Some people refuse to volunteer on your tech team because they feel there is no room for error. They know a mistake with greeting a person or praying stays relatively private. A tech error, though, often occurs in front of the entire congregation. The mistake can be embarrassing, and the pressure, exhausting.
To mitigate it, offer grace and understanding when a mistake happens. Share your blunders, too. It makes you approachable. It also tells possible volunteers that the team is for struggling humans rather than model perfectionists, which could make them more likely to sign up.
Example Volunteer Request
Now that we’ve gone through five major lies, we can put together an example request for tech volunteers. We’ll use the name, Faith Church, and a fake email address, adam@faith-church.com.
Hey Faith Church family!
Looking for a place to serve that supports the church and each other? If so, the tech team might be the perfect fit. Creativity is not required; training is included; and the time commitment is a couple of hours every week. All who are interested should send an email to adam@faith-church.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
Feel free to adapt and use the copy as you see fit. Doing so will attract new volunteers and eventually form your dream tech team.
How do you overcome the lies that keep people from joining your service teams? Share your thoughts in the comments.
More:
If you need more help with volunteers, our Courageous Storytellers membership site has your back. We’ve got volunteer job descriptions, a training guide, leadership tips, a webinar with Kem Meyer, and more. (Even more? Oh yes: More.) Join now to get access to our volunteer resources—as well as an ever-growing library of more resources.
Image: Tam Tran (Creative Commons)
