Volunteer Engagement: Celebrating Unseen Teams
This morning, I received a text message from my 18-year-old daughter. She said, “I’m sorry for how stupid I was when I was a kid. How did you manage to put up with all three of us?”
I replied, “That’s why God made you all so cute.”
I wondered what prompted her text message and then she reminded me that she was at work. She nannies for a family with three kids under the age of five and this morning was challenging. The kids were more demanding than usual, full of energy, and not listening well. This culminated in one of them knocking over my daughter’s coffee that she had picked up on her drive to their house. The morning chaos had given her a momentary glimpse into what my life was like on an almost daily basis for many years when she and her brothers were young.
Being a parent is a lot of hard work, and most days you won’t receive a “thank you” or any type of recognition. Mom and Dad can remember to pay the bills, clean the house, mow the yard, pick up the groceries, do the laundry, and plan the birthday party, but not hear a word of praise. Conversely, if one of those things goes undone there will be family protests.
A similar dynamic can be found within the walls of our churches. In this “family” there are often individuals (or entire teams!) whose work goes unnoticed. They work behind the scenes, making Sunday services and weekly programs run smoothly. They do the things that we tend to only notice when they stophappening. While their contribution is invaluable, their recognition sometimes falls short. Creating intentional methods to celebrate those who fill these roles is an important part of stewarding volunteers and keeping them engaged.
Seeing the Unseen: Methods of Showing Appreciation
1. Turn on the spotlight.
Be intentional about highlighting the teams and volunteers who serve. Commit to a weekly or monthly rhythm of publicly recognizing the teams that are otherwise unseen. This can be done by using the communication methods already in place at your church – newsletters, videos, social media posts, etc. Showcase the parking team's dedication during winter storms or the production crew's early Sunday arrivals. Share stories about how one of the volunteers made an impact in the ministry. But be careful not to fall into the recruitment trap! Many times, we only talk about our teams when we are trying to enlist new volunteers, but by emphasizing teams outside the context of recruitment we create a more community-centered view of what it means to be a part of the team.
2. Take Time to Celebrate.
Recognition should extend beyond public acknowledgment to create meaningful moments of appreciation that strengthen team bonds and morale. Host regular appreciation events targeting specific teams, thoughtfully designed around their unique dynamics and preferences. These should be fun, relational gatherings that your team members eagerly anticipate and view as genuine celebrations rather than obligatory functions. Rather than defaulting to generic pizza parties, tailor celebrations to each group's preferences and schedules – perhaps a barista-led coffee tasting for your early morning teams, a family picnic for those serving in children's ministry, or an evening food truck festival for your youth leaders. These personalized events demonstrate that you understand and value each team's distinct contribution while creating opportunities for deeper connection and community building. When team members feel seen and celebrated in ways that resonate with their interests and circumstances, it reinforces their sense of belonging and importance to the church.
3. Offer a simple “Thank you.”
The first year that my husband was in ministry he decided to write a thank you note to each of his Small Group leaders at the end of the Group semester. He was shocked to hear from one couple who told him that in over a decade of serving at the church they had never received a thank you note from a pastor for anything. That note had a greater impact on them than any gift could have had.
In our era of instant messages and quick emails, a handwritten thank you note stands as a powerful gesture of genuine gratitude and personal connection. Unlike digital communications, these physical expressions of appreciation require time and thought, making their impact far more meaningful and memorable for both sender and recipient. Thank you notes only cost about 5 minutes of our time (and maybe a stamp) so don’t underestimate the effect it might have on one of your team members!
Hacking the System: Using Planning Center’s Tools to Celebrate your teams
Recently I had a pastor refer to church management tools (like Planning Center) as being part of the “Church Industrial Complex.” He was mostly joking, but the underlying concern that he had is that, by using software tools such as Planning Center, was he going to start viewing his church members as just another name in the database. He didn’t want to lose sight of the fact that the church is not a dashboard of metrics on a computer screen – it’s a people. I told him what I tell nearly all church teams that I work with – if you’re using Planning Center’s tools well, your people won’t feel like a name in a database – they’ll feel seen and cared for.
What do I mean? Well, Planning Center has some amazing tools that can help create a culture of appreciation and comradery. Here are just a few ideas:
Birthdays Alerts: Use a Planning Center list to see which volunteers have a birthday coming up next month. Then, use automations to perform an action like sending a birthday email or creating a task to remind you to drop a card in the mail.
Anniversary Alerts: Set up Custom Fields or use tags to mark anniversary dates for when volunteers started serving. You can use this information to celebrate long-term volunteers and remind the team of how much impact they’ve made.
Absence Alerts: Set up automatic alerts to notify team leaders or ministry coordinators when a volunteer misses a scheduled shift. This allows you to follow up with those volunteers to keep them engaged. This can be done by setting up a recurring list in People.
Impact Reports: Regularly send out reports to teams showing how their work has made a difference. For example, “This past month, your team served 200 hours and helped 50 families!” This reinforces the importance of their work and gives them a sense of purpose.
New Team Members: When a volunteer joins a team, make a point to announce them to the group. This can be done through Messaging or during in-person gatherings. You can also use Custom Fields to tag new team members and highlight their contributions over time.
Celebratory Feedback Forms: Use Forms to gather feedback from your volunteers about their experiences and how they feel celebrated. You can use this information to improve future celebrations and ensure that your team feels valued.
Celebrating the unseen teams in your church is more than just a nice gesture—it’s a vital practice that nurtures a culture of gratitude and community. By recognizing the hard work and dedication of those who serve behind the scenes, you not only boost their morale but also cultivate a deeper sense of belonging and purpose. With tools like Planning Center, it’s easier than ever to stay organized and intentional about showing appreciation, ensuring that every volunteer feels valued and celebrated for the unique contributions they make. Whether it’s a simple thank you, a personalized celebration, or a thoughtful acknowledgment of milestones, taking the time to invest in your teams’ well-being will help them stay engaged, motivated, and committed to the mission of the church. After all, a well-celebrated team is a team that thrives—and the impact of their work is felt by everyone.
Alicia Osgood
Support & Implementation Specialist, Threefold Solutions
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