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If you have a ministry that is growing, you probably know this feeling. The same few people are doing all the work. They are tired. They need a break. But you do not know how to find more help.
I know a church that figured out a simple solution. They started using a Google Form to recruit volunteers. Not just from their congregation, but from the whole community.
Here is how it happened and how you can do it too.
It Started With People Asking To Help
Here is what surprised them. The recruiting did not start with a plan. It started with people showing up and asking.
At their first garage sale, a couple of community members came in and saw how overwhelmed they looked. They said, “Do you need some help? It looks like you are really overwhelmed.”
And the church said yes. “We would love some help.”
Those same people came back when the ministry opened for good. They said, “We love being here. We love being with the people because we are seen as people.”
That is how it started. People saw something good happening and wanted to be part of it.
The Problem That Showed Up Later
Here is what happened next. The ministry kept growing. More people came. More donations showed up. And the volunteers who had been there from the beginning started to feel it.
Ruth puts it this way. “The folks who have dedicated a lot of time to it are saying, ‘Okay, we need to take a little breathing room.'”
They were not burned out yet. But they could see it coming. They were paying attention to their own limits. And that is a good thing.
So, they started praying. “God, we need some more volunteers.”
And then something happened. More people started asking. Not church people. Community people.
A Simple Way To Capture Interest
Here is what they did next. They noticed more and more people were asking to help so they set up a simple system.
They created a Google Form.
Nothing fancy. No complicated software. No volunteer database. Just a simple form.
They put it on their Really Free Marketplace Facebook page and on their website. Anyone who wanted to help could fill it out.
The form asked a few simple questions. When are you available? What would you like to do? How often do you want to come?
Seven Jobs with Descriptions
Here is the part that made all the difference. They did not just ask for warm bodies. They created seven different job descriptions.
Seven jobs. Each with a clear description so people could see exactly what they were signing up for.
Ruth credits this idea to listening. She says it was another great idea she picked up along the way, and it worked.
When you have job descriptions, people can choose. They can look at the list and say, “I could do that.” Or “That sounds fun.” Or “I have time for that one.”
Not everyone wants to do the same thing. Some people love sorting clothes. Some people love greeting. Some people love organizing donations. Some people only have an hour a month to give.
Job descriptions let people find their place.
A Simple Google Form to Recruit Volunteers
If you want to try this, here is what you could put in your google form.
- Name. Simple. Just ask for their name.
- Email or phone. So you can reach them.
- When are you available? Give them options. Monday evenings. Wednesday evenings. Thursday mornings. Whatever works for your ministry.
- What would you like to do? List the jobs. Be specific. Greeting. Sorting donations. Organizing shelves. Helping people shop. Cleaning up. Stocking. Whatever you need.
- How often do you want to come? Weekly. Every other week. Once a month. Once in a while. Let people choose what works for them.
- Anything else you want us to know? Leave a space for them to tell you stuff you did not think of.
That’s it. Simple. Clear. Easy.
Where To Put The Google Form
Ruth’s church put the form on their Facebook page and their website. Those are good places to start.
But do not stop there. Share the link in your email newsletter. Put it in your Sunday bulletin. Tell people about it when they come to your ministry.
When someone offers to help in person, you can say, “That is great! Here is a link where you can sign up and tell us what you would like to do.”
The form makes it easy for people to say yes. And it makes it easy for you to keep track of who wants to help.
What Happens When People Sign Up
Here is the important part. When someone fills out the form, do something with it.
Reach out to them. Thank them. Tell them when the next opportunity is. Match them with a job that fits their interests and availability.
Ruth talks about slowly building up where people’s interests are. That is the goal. Not just filling slots. But matching people with things they will actually enjoy doing.
When people do what they enjoy, they stick around. They tell their friends. They become part of what is happening.
Volunteers Who Are Not Church Members
Here is something else that happened. Some of the people who signed up were not church members. They came from other faith communities or no faith community at all.
And that was fine.
Ruth says, “You don’t have to pledge yourself to our congregation to work through this space, to make a difference.”
That is such an important thing to hear. The goal is not to get people in the doors on Sunday. The goal is to love people and meet needs. If they want to come down the hallway to the sanctuary someday, great. If not, that is fine too.
They are welcome to serve either way.
People Want To Be Part Of Good Things
Here is what I have learned. People want to do good things. They are looking for places to volunteer. They are looking for places to donate. They are looking to be part of something meaningful.
When they see a church doing good things with no strings attached, they want to be part of it.
That is what happened here. People saw something good happening. They asked if they could help. And the church made it easy for them to say yes.
A Few Things To Keep In Mind
Start simple. You do not need a fancy system. A Google Form is free and easy to set up.
Be clear about what you need. Job descriptions help people see themselves in the roles.
Make it easy to find. Put the form where people are already looking. Facebook. Your website. Your email newsletter.
Respond when people sign up. Thank them. Get them involved. Do not let their offer sit there.
Welcome everyone. Church member or not, they are welcome to serve. You never know what God might do through their time with you.
What This Looked Like For One Church
Let me tell you how this played out for Ruth’s church.
They had two dedicated volunteers who had been there from the start. Those volunteers needed breathing room. So the church started praying for more help.
Then people started asking. Community members who had come to the garage sale. People who loved what the marketplace was doing. They wanted to be part of it.
The church set up a simple Google Form. They put it on their Facebook page. People filled it out. They matched people with jobs based on their interests and availability.
Now they have volunteers from the community. People who love being there. People who do not have to become church members to make a difference.
And those original volunteers? They got their breathing room.
Your Turn
So here is my question. Do you have volunteers who need some breathing room?
Maybe it is time to try a simple Google Form. Put it out there. See who shows up. You might be surprised.
People want to help. They are looking for places to serve. Make it easy for them to say yes.
And if you try it, I would love to hear about it. That is what this community is for. Sharing what is working and encouraging each other to keep going.
If you are not already in our Small Church Ministry Facebook Group, come join us. It is a place where small church leaders and volunteers can be honest about the struggles and celebrate the wins together. We would love to have you.
Read More:
5 Unmistakable Signs You’re Facing Ministry Burnout
