Appreciated or Just Expected? Church Volunteer Edition

At what point does ministry service shift from joyful giving to taken-for-granted labour? Countless volunteers pour hours into making church happen every week - from children's workers to music and production team members to faithful ushers. Beyond Sunday services, home group leaders invest their evenings, open their homes, prepare teachings, and provide pastoral care throughout the week, often balancing these responsibilities with full-time jobs and family commitments.

As volunteers, we should serve willingly and primarily out of love for Jesus and for God's glory, not human recognition. Our motivation ought to remain Christ-centred, not dependent on constant affirmation. We should guard against entitlement when appreciation doesn't come in expected forms. The heart of volunteerism is beautiful, sacrificial, and Christ-like. Our churches benefit largely from this commitment, and our ultimate reward awaits in heaven.

Yet even in thriving church communities, we have an opportunity to grow in how we steward our most precious resource - our people.

Consider this: if your most faithful volunteers suddenly stepped away, what would it cost to replace their service with paid staff?

Our budgets reveal our priorities. We allocate significant funds for honorariums to conference speakers flown in from overseas but sometimes overlook practical needs like transport allowances for volunteers who arrive early for setup, serve all day, and stay late for teardown.

To be clear: I'm not suggesting that volunteers should feel entitled to compensation. Rather, I'm inviting us to reflect on whether our stewardship practices truly honour both the financial resources God has given us and the time our people sacrifice. Do these choices align with what we claim is important?

When volunteers say "I just want to serve," we can honour their heart while still creating cultures where sacrifice is seen, not merely expected. Appreciation isn't about entitlement — it's about stewardship of the gifts people bring.

True appreciation requires action alongside genuine thanks.

How might we better show we value volunteers?

Perhaps most importantly, could we prioritise genuine relationships with our volunteers beyond their functional roles? While we needn't become best friends with everyone, creating space to know people as individuals rather than just for their service demonstrates authentic care and shifts our focus from merely what they contribute to who they are.

Let's not be quick to point fingers too but instead my prayer is that this will spark honest conversations so that we can build better together. #AppreciatedNotExpected