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I’ve heard people say that firing a volunteer is impossible, but this isn’t true. Firing a volunteer is possible. You can fire them nicely or not nicely. You can fire them directly or cause them so much discomfort that they quit. However, all of these scenarios have the potential to hurt people’s feelings and damage relationships. If you’re looking for a better way to remove a volunteer from a position in your small church and turn a stressful situation into a beautiful opportunity, keep reading. We will be going over:
- The top reasons volunteers fail and how to help them succeed instead
- How church culture may have contributed to the unhappy situation you’re both in
- Why going slower than you think will be better for your ministry
- How to turn ‘firing’ a volunteer into a beautiful restart for your ministry
Before we dive into talking about volunteers, I just want to thank you for being one. Even if you happen to be one of the few who are paid in your church, I know you volunteer more time than you’re paid for. I know you volunteer time, resources, and even money for your small church. We give a lot in small churches. This is what the church is. We are put on this planet to work together, serve each other, and reach out to our communities.
Without volunteers, there would be no significant ministry on the planet. So before we talk about firing people in volunteer positions, I want to honor the fact that you have volunteers!
What Would Jesus Do?
Volunteers don’t exist to do ministry, they are our ministry. It doesn’t serve people well to keep them in places where they aren’t doing well, are frustrated, or are failing. So, when it comes to firing a volunteer, I want to point all of us to what Jesus would do. Do you remember those “WWJD” bracelets? I don’t know about you, but I could have a bunch of these bracelets, but they wouldn’t all have the ‘J’ in the middle. When it comes to small church ministry, what bracelet are you wearing? I think we sometimes wear the “What Would Big Churches Do” bracelet, and we need to be careful with that.
It’s hard to transfer standard procedures from anywhere and put them into the church because this is God’s place, and God’s world often feels like an opposite world. We are called to find joy in trials and suffering, and to have faith without seeing the evidence. We are to have hope when it’s hopeless, and to give up our lives to save it. It’s totally opposite.
I’m not saying that we need to throw wisdom, professionalism, or good sense out the window. I believe God gave us the intelligence to think through things in order to choose with intention. So the choice becomes, do I want people to see Jesus?
Common Reasons For Firing A Volunteer
Generally, when someone is considering firing a volunteer, it comes down to one of four common circumstances:
- They are not doing a good job. They aren’t reaching the goals set for their position. They aren’t meeting your expectations.
- Their character doesn’t match their role, and you’re thinking that they’re not a good fit for the position.
- They aren’t doing the job the way you wanted it to be done.
- They aren’t nice to work with, or you don’t like them.
If you’re looking at firing a volunteer, you need to identify why, and be honest about it. Sometimes it’s easier to think that they aren’t doing a good job when maybe they are, they’re just doing it differently. Before you decide to get rid of a volunteer, make sure you are full of humility.
Align Your Heart
Be like Jesus! He’s full of grace, and He always reflects His Father. I believe that God sees us with compassion and love, especially when we mess up. I want to recommend that you work on yourself first before you deal with anyone. This is our main responsibility, and it is what we are held accountable for. Work on yourself until you can view these people with compassion and love.
You might be wondering how to get your heart into this place. Start by feeling your feelings. Don’t deny that you’re angry or frustrated. Then, healthily process these feelings. You can process them during your quiet time with Jesus, in your journal, or even with a counselor or coach. I think it’s also important to ask God to open your eyes to where these feelings are coming from.
They are probably touching upon other familiar parts of your own story. Feelings are often a lot deeper than we think. Another important thing to do when aligning your heart is falling back in love with Jesus. Allow Him to change your heart, and ask Him to help you.
I know that this is easier said than done, and it doesn’t happen right away! This is a process that could take more than a few days, but it is so important. Loving these people needs to be the priority.
Throughout this process, if you’ve discovered that the reason for firing a volunteer is because you don’t like them or because they do things differently than you, then you’ve probably already solved that. You’ve gotten in touch with humility and God’s grace. However, if you think that they just aren’t doing a good job, then your next step is to figure out why they aren’t doing a good job.
Why Aren’t They Doing A Good Job?
If you’re considering firing a volunteer, it is so important to understand why a volunteer is coming in late, not showing up, or why they aren’t following the policy and curriculum. We often make assumptions that volunteers don’t care or aren’t committed to Jesus, and these assumptions are huge mistakes that often shatter relationships. I want to point out that if you don’t know the real reason why they aren’t doing a good job, then you don’t see what you’re resolving.
6 Valid Reasons Why Volunteers Don’t Do What They’re Supposed To
- They don’t know what they’re supposed to be doing because there was not a clear job description.
- They don’t know how they’re supposed to do the job.
- They don’t value the fine points because they don’t know why they’re essential.
- They don’t agree with what they are supposed to be doing.
- They can’t do what they’re supposed to be doing because they aren’t capable of doing it.
- They don’t want to do what they’re supposed to be doing.
These reasons have nothing to do with volunteers not caring, not trying, or not loving Jesus. Please, don’t assume that you know why people aren’t doing a good job, because these reasons have different solutions. This is why you need to know what’s really going on. Keep in mind that, of all 6 reasons, the most common ones can often be solved without firing a volunteer.
The typical reasons why a volunteer might need to be removed are if they don’t agree with the job description, if they don’t have the potential to actually do it, or if they don’t want to do it. If your volunteer falls under these 3 things and maybe they should be fired, I’m gonna show you a better way.
An Alternative Route
The best way to avoid firing a volunteer is by setting everyone up for success with clear, well-thought-out job descriptions, intentionality, well-thought-out agreements to the job description, and regular evaluation and feedback. This is how to get people in the right places from the beginning, and how to keep them in the right places in the future.
However, if you’re reading this article, that probably means that you’re looking at firing a volunteer because something broke down along the way, and you’re already in a place where intervention is needed.
I want to start by saying that this is not your fault, and it’s going to be okay. No matter how you’ve found yourself in this position, I want you to keep a few things in mind. This is hard for both you and the volunteer.
Don’t begin with confrontation. I suggest slowing it all down and getting to know them on a different level. Show them that you care about them before you confront the position. In the meantime, clean up your job description and start an evaluation process. You will then have the opportunity to discuss how both of you think things are going.
Taking the slow, relational route is not a quick fix, but it doesn’t have to be. A lot of times, we’ve tolerated and ignored situations like this, and by the time you want to fire someone, it feels so urgent. Please remember, this isn’t as urgent as you might think. So, start taking some steps. Don’t ignore it, but don’t rush!
The Exception, Not The Rule
When you have someone who is staying in a position when they don’t agree with the job description, the standards, or the vision, then maybe they are in the wrong spot. If you got your heart right, you did your best to build a relationship, and they are standing against you or the ministry, then there probably does need to be a separation. However, I suggest you don’t fire someone.
The word ‘firing’ is violent. Removing someone from a position that they don’t want to be removed from can cause damage. They often feel acted upon, stripped away, unwanted, and unvalued. It’s understandable. I don’t know a soul who’s ever been fired or let go that feels good about the person who fired them.
I want to suggest a different way. There are times when a person should not continue in a position when it’s damaging to them, you, and others. I’m all for protecting the ministry and doing all we can to move toward the vision you believe God gave you. However, I want to provide you with a less violent, more fruitful way for your ministry.
Consider Offering A Fresh Start
If you want to preserve relationships as best as you can, consider this. Go for a rebrand or a fresh start. Build a foundation that’ll take you to where you want to go, and that prevents this stress in the future. It may take a long time to create a clear vision, develop motivating job descriptions, and form a volunteer team to do this with. Tell your current volunteers that they are free from all positions and that you are revisioning, so things will look different when they come back.
Once you create a new vision, everyone is starting fresh. Firing a volunteer isn’t an option, you can only hire people. When you go to fill new ministry positions, it’s clear what’s expected and people know what they are committing to. If they look at the new vision and job description and don’t agree with or value it, then it will be clear that that is not a good position for them.
Be careful to keep your heart right. This isn’t manipulating the system to get rid of someone. This is a prayerful process. Ask God, “Where are we going?”, “Show us how.” “Refresh us.”
Remain Like Jesus And Shine His Light
If you haven’t gone through the job description and evaluation process that I go over in the volunteer series, this will feel very different than you may have expected. If you’re going to do some revisioning, please go back and read the volunteer series! Remember, everyone has a place in the body. If a person is no longer a great fit in your ministry area, where can you find a better fit? Be like Jesus, and truly want the best for them.
If a team member has to be removed before you can take the time to go through a revision process, then, if you’re not the pastor, you need to involve them. Your ministry area is not an island, it’s part of your church. For tough conversations, the best advice I have is always to have another person present. Do your best to love them, and to keep yourself in a humble position.
As church leaders, having a difficult conversation is a sad exception to the rule. I truly believe that 99% of the time, you can get people out of the wrong position and into the right one by building a deeper relationship, asking the right questions, and communicating with grace and love.
However, remember that you have no authority over the behavior or actions of another person. You can do everything right and still leave hurt. You can also try to do your very best, and still not be proud of your words and actions. The good news is, there is always grace and forgiveness. We can always do better next time. Other good news is that we aren’t responsible for another person’s actions. Your responsibility is to do your best to shine Jesus, keep your heart in a good place, and love others.
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