Covid-19 has changed everything in our lives. The Volunteer Roles you need to fill for your ministry to operate safely and within your local jurisdictions guidelines have also changed. Your ministry has always depended on the goodwill of volunteers. Depending on your context, you may only need some of these roles right now. The further out of quarantine you are, and the closer to in-person worship, the more you need to consider these potential new volunteer roles.
New Volunteer Roles
Health Volunteers
Medical Check-In Volunteers screen volunteers and leaders before performing their duties. The screening should include a temperature check and looking for/asking about signs of illness, at a minimum. Check with your local government for best practices and requirements.
In-Person Worship Volunteers
Greeters are not a new position, but how they function must change slightly. Volunteers now prop open the doors wide. Stand in an open position to be seen and greet visitors and congregants as they join you for worship. Gently remind people to maintain social distancing, direct them to bulletins, and guide them towards the worship space.
The Seating Team blocks off seating spaces to accommodate social distancing in worship. The team will help family groups find the right space for their numbers.
Offering Volunteers will no longer pass plates. Instead, place the offering plates/lockboxes/baskets in central locations that are readily visible and easily accessible. Depending on the location, the offering may need to be monitored.
Building & Grounds
The Parking Team sets up cones in every other spot to ensure social distancing in the parking lot.
Meeting Schedule Organizer – Remember to include time for disinfection and cleaning of the space in-between meetings.
Restroom Volunteers monitor the restrooms to ensure that cleanliness is maintained and that social distancing guidelines are followed.
Digital Worship Volunteers
Worship Production Manager oversees and organizes the details of your worship service, including the integration of online worship with in-person worship.
Live-Stream Technical Director and Assistants focus on the live-stream aspect of worship. It is important that there is redundancy in this position for if something fails at one location, an Assistant can take over seamlessly.
Media Operators are in charge of all media for the online service. Everything from lyrics to prayer slides that may be displayed during worship falls to the Media Operators.
Live-stream Hosts are much like the Greeters for an in-person worship service. They are visible and present before the service begins and greet folks as they enter the space for worship.
Live-Stream follow-up Volunteers follow up with participants about things that came up during worship, like first-time visitors, prayer requests, or other enquiries.
A Video Editor can take the live recording of your worship service and easily turn it into a video that can be watched by those who missed the live-stream.
Technology Volunteers
Digital Deacons use technology to help “bring” others to service. If you’ve been doing live-stream worship you know that there are folks who just need that little bit of help calling in so they can listen to service.
Digital Sunday School Trainer/Teacher Assistant – This role may not be needed, fingers crossed. However, it is a good one to have in the back of your mind. As you gear up for back to school and back to Sunday School, think of your Sunday School Teachers. Which of them are tech savvy and which will need help in the situation that your Sunday School goes online. Having someone who can train teachers well or assist teachers during the lesson can make every difference in the success of your program.
The Isolation Ministry Team volunteers reach out to those who are unable to leave quarantine at this time. Ensure that they have what they need, including someone to talk to.
Filling New Volunteer Positions
As you begin to fill these roles, don’t scramble, coax, or coerce. It is more important than ever to find the right person with the skills and passion for the job. You may also want to allow these folks to test the waters of the position. Make sure it is a good fit before you ask them to commit for an extended period of time. Allowing people to try out a position will lead to greater long-term volunteer retention, satisfaction, and repeat volunteers.
The last part of looking for these new volunteers is recognizing that some of these roles may be outside of your volunteer’s comfort zone. Speak to that! And reframe it as a time of learning and discovery.
Worship Times
Whether you are starting from scratch or just need a refresh, Worship Times is here to help you come back from quarantine stronger than ever. We are a full-service digital marketing team that specializes in helping ministries of all sizes and denominations communicate. Wherever you are, we want you to reach your people and continue your ministry.
We are committed to the success of your ministry. Whether you need support or reassurance that you are heading in the right direction, we are here. Start with a free website review today and let’s get started.
