What Happens When You Serve

How do you thank volunteers who serve in your church?

Some churches have a party once a year, but those are expensive. Some churches provide food or small gifts, but that can be impersonal. Many churches actually do nothing.

Thanking the people who serve each week is a simple way to grow your volunteer ministry.

It’s why we created What Happens When You Serve, a revolutionary new tool to thank volunteers in your church.

What Happens When You Serve is a volunteer thank you system. We’ve created a mailable, inspirational booklet you can put in the hands of all your volunteers. Each case includes 48 full-color booklets and 48 blank envelopes and thank you cards that you can mail to first time volunteers or those who serve regularly. They don’t have our logo on them, so it will look like they come from your church. It is a great way of expressing gratitude to your current servant leaders. More than saying thank you once, What Happens When You Serve helps you create a culture of appreciation.

1. Mail them to everyone who serves in your church for the first time. Keep a case on someone’s desk, and whenever someone serves for the first time, write a thank you note and drop a booklet in the mail. It’s a powerful act of gratefulness that will make a big difference.
2. Send them to consistent volunteers. Run a report of consistent volunteers. Send a thank you note and one of these booklets to each of them.
3. Give one to everyone after a sermon on serving. The next time you preach on serving, or using your gifts, put one of these in the hands of each family as they leave the service.

1. Volunteer confidence will increase. A simple thank you note lets people know you notice them and appreciate the time they spent serving.
2. People will know their gifts and talents are important. Don’t be surprised if you get notes or emails in return, because people aren’t used to this kind of personal gratitude.
3. People will serve more. Don’t get me wrong – you should thank volunteers because it’s the right thing to do. But when people feel appreciated, they are far more likely to serve longer.