The start of a new year is the perfect time to freshen the vision for your area of ministry—both in your heart and in the hearts of your volunteers.

It’s the vision for your ministry that will attract people to help you achieve it. They need to be able to see where you’re going, what kingdom results it will achieve, and how you’re going to get there. They also need to know that you value them as co-laborers, not just tools to accomplish your goals.

That vision is what will get your team of church volunteers to show up on those times when it would be more convenient for them to stay home. It will give them the commitment to stay at it when they’re tired. It will give them the excitement to be your best recruiters, as they tell others what the ministry is accomplishing.

There are four key questions that will help you re-examine what you’re doing, and why:

1) What’s the real reason your ministry exists?

2) What are you trying to accomplish?

3) How are you going to do it?

4) How are you going to lead the development of your volunteers so they become deeper disciples as they minister?

It’s all too easy for us to get so focused on the tasks we have to perform that we forget the vision we were working toward. It can happen to you—the church volunteer leader—and it can happen to your church volunteers.  Take advantage of the start of a new year to refresh that vision in your mind. Then make sure you cast that vision afresh in the hearts and minds of all those serving with you.