Open Volunteer Season

It's that time of year again. 

When churches insert these slips of paper into bulletins trying to recruit a fresh crop of volunteers for the Fall. Somewhere a giant redwood tree shed a tear. It's Open Volunteer Season.

My hatred for Open Volunteer Season stretches for two decades. It always spread false hope in my life. 

My father, who was a pastor, printed volunteer forms and placed them in the bulletin (more on that in a second). I never filled one out, because my volunteer sheet was pre-filled for me. I always hoped that someone would volunteer for my jobs.

They never did.

My brothers and I had two jobs that we were volunteered for. We did the trim work around the church yard and we folded the bulletins. How cruel is it that we were forced to stuff the bulletins with volunteer sheets only to know that no one would volunteer to be a "Bulletin Folder and Stuffer"?

So be careful as you fill out these sheets. 

They look good. Pastors know how to church-it-up by throwing some scripture down. However, be careful they can be a trap.

Here are five ways to survive Open Volunteer Season:

1) Read How to Avoid Volunteering at Church. This is golden. It gives you eight ways to avoid volunteering. 

2) Fill these bad boys out for someone else.  

Once a leader in our church was organizing a blood drive. I signed up in a moment of weakness. So I asked her how many people I had to recruit to get out of my commitment. She said, "Eight." I fell five short and had to give blood. (Of course the entire time I quote Samuel L. Jackson, "You want my blood? Take my blood!" So it proved to be worth it.) But that's what birthed this strategy.

These forms state that the person is interested. They still have to say yes or no. You simply nudged an opportunity.

3) Use the Church Problem Solving Flowchart to find out where you should be serving.

4) Don't fill one out. This really isn't an option. Every eye is staring at you. Pastors ramp up the greeter, parking lot, and usher ministries just for these Sundays. The exits are guarded more heavily than Fort Knox. You can say that you are taking it home to look at, but they will ask you about it next week.

5) Plan your summer vacation so that you miss it. Miss two weeks and you should be good. The problem is you have to guess which two weeks. Normally, Open Volunteer Season falls a few weeks after Memorial day and a few weeks before July 4th.

Seriously, you should be serving alongside the body of Christ somehow. If you aren't serving in someway, chances are your relationship with Jesus is stagnate and you are disconnect from the church. So while it is Open Volunteer Season in most churches, find a place that you can passionately serve.

Question:
How has volunteering changed your life? 

You can follow me on Twitter @christiangravy.