{"id":31006,"date":"2017-11-02T03:00:30","date_gmt":"2017-11-02T09:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.churchvolunteercentral.com\/?p=31006"},"modified":"2017-11-01T14:47:43","modified_gmt":"2017-11-01T20:47:43","slug":"time-volunteer-retire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wwv.group.com\/childrens-ministry\/blog\/volunteers\/time-volunteer-retire\/","title":{"rendered":"When It’s Time for a Volunteer to Retire"},"content":{"rendered":"

I met Wally at a Colorado Eagles hockey game. He was the usher in my section, and I discovered he attends one of the local churches in town. Wally\u00a0shared he\u2019s been an usher at his church for 30 years.<\/p>\n

Thinking I\u2019d learn the secret to volunteer retention, I asked Wally the reason for his longevity in ushering. His response was, \u201cNever let them tell you what to do.\u201d Not the answer I was hoping for.<\/p>\n

Wally\u2019s sage advice was based on his experience with the new senior pastor who wants to \u201cchange things.\u201d Wally operates as a solo performer and refuses to give in to the new hospitality procedures his church is trying to implement.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m thinking: It\u2019s time for Wally to retire<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Here are three signs that it\u2019s time for a volunteer to step down:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. No longer a team player.<\/strong> Effective ministry is team-based. Lone rangers who do their own thing prevent unity and synergy. When an individual puts\u00a0his or her\u00a0own interests above the mission, it\u2019s time to leave or find another position.<\/li>\n
  2. Unwilling to learn new skills<\/strong>. Ministry today is different than it was just a few years ago because culture, technology, and expectations are rapidly changing. People who are unwilling to learn new methodologies or update their skills will be lost in today\u2019s ever-changing world of ministry.<\/li>\n
  3. Motivated by obligation rather than passion. <\/strong>When serving is a \u201chave to\u201d rather than a \u201cget to\u201d, the effectiveness and quality of the service diminishes. With today\u2019s volunteer pool aging out, many need to be given the permission to step down rather than serve out of duty. It\u2019s possible some of your volunteers would welcome the opportunity to retire with appreciation for time well served.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    So how do you facilitate the volunteer retirement process? Gently.<\/p>\n

    Approaching the subject of retirement isn\u2019t easy in the workforce, let alone in a volunteer ministry role. After all, we never \u201cretire\u201d from serving God. So it\u2019s a conversation that needs grace and personal interaction. (You don\u2019t send an email.) When the conversation is opened it provides the opportunity for reflection of service, feedback and evaluation, and discussion on redirection—if\u00a0another role may be the solution.<\/p>\n

    If your church has a Wally, it\u2019s time to schedule some coffee and a talk. You, your ministry, and Wally will benefit from some fearless conversation.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    I met Wally at a Colorado Eagles hockey game. He was the usher in my section, and I discovered he attends one of the local churches in town. Wally\u00a0shared he\u2019s been an usher at his church for 30 years. Thinking I\u2019d learn the secret to volunteer retention, I asked Wally the reason for his longevity in ushering. His response was, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":82,"featured_media":31268,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[670],"tags":[118,119,120,121,122,123],"class_list":["post-31006","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-volunteers","tag-leading-volunteers","tag-ministry-retirement","tag-retiring","tag-stepping-down","tag-volunteer-effectiveness","tag-volunteer-retirement"],"yoast_head":"\nWhen It's Time for a Volunteer to Retire - Group Children's Ministry<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I met Wally at a Colorado Eagles hockey game. He was the usher in my section, and I discovered he attends one of the local churches in town. 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