One of the hardest parts of ministry is recruiting and keeping volunteers. It is a conversation I have with our leaders over and over again. It is one of the biggest struggles that never seems to go away. Sometimes I think we suffer from that issue because we are doing something wrong, either not running the ministry right or not recruiting well enough. And that may be true, but there is an issue that is much more fundamental that we need to understand first.
The disciple Matthew wrote about Jesus' life and we find in chapter 9 of his Gospel that Jesus addresses this very issue. Matthew wrote that Jesus said, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
2000 years ago Jesus pointed out that there are a huge number of people who need Him, but there aren't a lot of workers to reach them. His solution isn't to tell the disciples to recruit better or to have better appreciation dinners. His solution is to pray! Ask God to send workers.
I really like using the word "workers" more than "volunteers." We are short-handed. No two-ways about it. We desperately need more workers. And we need to ask God to send them.
Don't forget to sign up for a Small Group ASAP!
