Comment on Cynthia Lee's "The Y-Factor"

(The comment button on Cynthia's post does not work)

One of the best things about having volunteers at church is that these people are giving and serving simply because they want to. They have nothing to gain from volunteering in terms of monetary gain or employment benefits, yet they seek to exercise their gifts at church. I often think that volunteers are more valuable than paid staff because their hearts can sometimes be more into their work. They are not bogged down by the details and pressures of leading a ministry, and are free to work in one or two areas that they feel called to work in. A paid staff person might be doing a lot of different things, not all of which they feel called to work in or are equipped to do so.

The challenge for leadership in this article is that genuine leadership must empower others. Leaders must be able to equip others for the work of ministry. Too often the solution for churches who want to bear fruit is to add another paid staff person. This is not always necessary. One hundred volunteers equipped to do work is better than one paid person simply because of the fact that the mission of the church has been owned by its members. This is necessary.