How To Deal With Difficult Volunteers

One of the challenges in ministry is difficult people.  Those difficult people can be an angry parent, over demanding pastor or an energetic teenager.  But, what if it’s one of your volunteers?

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Volunteers are essential to your ministry.  They help you reach more teens and grow more disciples.  But, sometimes they show up late, try to take control over a program or just give you a hard time.  You might want them to just go away or change, but really you need to:

ADDRESS IT RIGHT AWAY 

That can be nerve wracking and it’s not as simple as walking up and saying, “Dude, what’s your problem!?”  Instead, make a plan and be sure to:

PRAY ABOUT THE SITUATION

You might be tempted to have them to have them leave; however, God might be asking you to do something different.  It’s in seasons of conflict where we really need to ask God, “What is it you want me to do?”

On top of direction you need to ask God for patience.  Sometimes these situations take time and you can be tested.  You don’t want to do anything irrational to escalate the situation.

PARTNER UP

Another person can bring accountability.  They can help you address the situation early and offer an outside perspective.  They’ll let you know if you are acting irrational or how to navigate the situation.

When you actually confront the person having someone else there can also bring clarity.  They can serve as an objective force so that people don’t feel like they are being attacked by you.  Just make sure you meet with that person ahead of time.

CONNECT AND COMMUNICATE

Before you jump to conclusions consider the fact that you might not have the full story.  A volunteer might not be difficult because of a:

• Personal issue at home.

• Lack of clarification or communication on what is expected.

• Frustration from not seeing results from what they are putting into the ministry.

No matter the reason it’s important for you to listen before making a decision.  When you decide to meet with this person don’t start with telling them what they’ve done wrong.  Instead spend time asking them what they are feeling, seeing and experiencing.

You might discover the issue is resolvable and not a big deal.  They might also be able to offer you feedback that wasn’t clear to you before.  Just be open to connecting with them.

REASSES AND REASIGN

You might discover that the person is not happy or capable of serving in your ministry.  Instead of giving them the boot consider a few options:

• Option #1: Put them in a different position: Sometimes a change of scenery is what someone needs.

• Option #2: Give them a season to take off: There are times when someone just needs to breathe.

• Option #3: Challenge them to change: Give them the opportunity to turn it around if necessary.

If after that period it’s clear that they just can’t serve in your ministry then you can ask them to step down permanently.

We rely on volunteers to help us with our ministry; however, when they aren’t cooperative or on board it can really slow us down.  Lean in early and develop a plan so that you can continue to grow a healthy ministry.

For more on firing volunteers read HERE