Have you ever had a volunteer that just didn't fit? Several months ago, Nicole and I had dinner with a couple who was thinking about volunteering in high school ministry. I plugged him in and, from the beginning, it wasn't a good fit. Most of the students he was working with didn't connect well. I think some may have stopped coming or switched groups to one they liked better. He had a very "in your face", almost confrontational approach. So he phased out as we ended our ministry year at the end of June.

But that's not the end of the story. I've talked to him a few weeks ago and then ran into him again today at Wanda's at CBU. I've never seen him so excited as the last two times I've talked to him. He's now interning with our senior pastor, has stopped his gardening business, and is about to finish up some undergrad coursework so he can pursue a Master's in pastoral counseling. This fits his personality of working with those in tough situations.

The moral of the story: not everyone will be a fit in your ministry. BUT, they will be a fit somewhere in your church.

"Now all of you together are Christ's body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it."

Labels: volunteers, youth ministry

This entry was posted by Mike Lovato, on Friday, August 11, 2006. You can leave your response.