Planting By The Brook

Part II,   Visioncasting and growing.

I mentioned in Part I (read it here) that we already had about 35 Greeters and Ushers.  What I didn’t  mention was that we actually had about 70 Greeters and Ushers in a 2-3 month rotating schedule, but… only about 35 of them would actually show up  for their assigned serve time… well, they would show up 20 to 45 minutes late, the doors were already flowing with people coming to services.  I had leaders say “At least they showed up Jay… they ARE volunteers ya know.”  I knew most of them. Wonderful people, great hearts for God, they loved Southbrook and believed they were doing the right thing.

Remember the real problem in Jerusalem? It was the broken, burnt, destroyed spirit WITHIN the walls.  They were used to seeing the conditions they lived in and no longer could see the problem.  They couldn’t see that they were a reproach (disgrace) to God.

It was time for a First Impressions Team gathering and visioncasting.  I used Andy Stanley’s “Visioneering” and the story of Nehemiah to cast a vision of what could and should be here at Southbrook Church,  “One of the best places in the Charlotte area to come and know Jesus.” 

Next, we started a campaign of “INVITING” new volunteers.  We completely changed the schedule from a 2-3month rotation to a serve once a month system (to eliminate burn out) and within the next 3 months we had 140 First Impressions Team members.  We changed and added several new weekly team leaders,  and now have maybe a handful of people who are late or no-shows.  We unified all the Team members with bright “Safety Green” volunteer t-shirts (check this out). Yea we hear a lot of talk about those bright green shirts.  But now there is pride in the hearts of our team members.  Every 101 (new members) class we have, Pastor Rob asks the folks why they came back and what the glue was, and undoubtedly several of them will say it was the smile and “Welcome to Southbrook” coming from those green shirted volunteers. Not to mention the awesome music from Return… yep, a cheap plug…

About 2 years ago, myself and another First Impressions leader went out to Granger Community Church, in the South Bend, Indiana area.  They have “The best” First Impressions program going.  Several times a year they teach how they serve.  The payoff has been many fold.

We came home from that seminar and put on a required “First Impressions Matters” training weekend at Southbrook.  Helping the team members to understand that “People matter to God” so what you do as a volunteer servant does too.  When you step onto the church property to serve, it’s no longer about you.  This has made a huge difference in how our volunteers have changed their servant’s attitudes, because we helped them change their spirit WITHIN their walls.

I pray that this is a help to you and your church.  It’s all about Jesus and His kingdom, not about us here at Southbrook.

In His service.

If any church wants more information or help with their volunteer training, feel free to contact me.

Jay Foreman

First Impressions Ministry Lead

Director of Home Groups

704-361-0213

jforeman@southbrookchurch.com

jayforeman.blogspot.com

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