Three Ways to Thank Your Worship Team Volunteers
Have you ever wondered what your service would look like on Sunday if NONE of your volunteers showed up to serve?
No band… no sound team… no media or tech crew…
It would be a disaster (seriously, I have this nightmare some Saturday nights)!
Your volunteers are vital to the mission of your church. As you’ve heard me say many times before, “As goes your worship team, so go your worship services.”
They are at the very heart of what you do in ministry and that’s why it’s important that you learn to thank them for their investment in your church and the kingdom.
Thanking your volunteers is one of the most important ways you can celebrate them . . . and one of the best ways to ensure that they “want” to come back and serve again next time.
Yet, we don’t leverage the power of a proper “Thank you”, or our “Thank you’s” end up sounding the same week after week.
Here are 3 ways that you can express appreciation to your volunteers, and inspire them to keep serving at a high level.
#1 – Public / Private Praise – one of the easiest ways to thank volunteers is through personal praise. The place we get into trouble is when we think that everyone likes to be thanked in the same way, when in fact, people can have very strong preferences over whether praise is public or private.
It’s up to us to learn the difference! Some of your volunteers enjoy being thanked publicly before the entire team.
But MOST of your volunteers do not. They prefer to receive a genuine “Thank you. You’re making a big difference in our church” in a one-on-one setting. Don’t withhold your thanks for your volunteers. Just be sure you learn how they LIKE to be thanked.
#2 – Send a Personal Thank You Card – A Thank You card is a great way to thank a volunteer . . . IF it’s personal and specific.
If you’re like me, I’ve never enjoyed the obligatory thank you cards I receive after buying someone a wedding gift or graduation present. Mostly because they are generic and… well… expected!
But when someone sends me a personal note of thanks that is specific and personal, then I’m on top of the world. And I’m quick to do whatever I did to receive the card again.
Here’s the best way to do it:
– Specific – don’t use generalities like “Thanks for serving on Sunday”. Be specific. “You really nailed that guitar solo on Sunday”.
– Personal – don’t make it overly formal (though this isn’t an excuse to misspell words – ha!). Write conversationally, sign it personally, and share a scripture or other personal element to add some warmth.
#3 – Send a gift card. Everyone likes money (or a free Starbucks card).
I usually reserve gift cards for someone who went above and beyond for our team. It’s a personal Thank You card with a little extra “oomph” to it.
The key here is that it doesn’t have to be a BIG gift card. The card doesn’t say, “You’re as valuable as a cup of coffee.” It says, “I noticed what a great job you did, and want to share a small token of my thanks.”
So – those are 3 ways to thank your volunteers… and here are 3 SECRETS for keeping it fresh each week:
First – you don’t have to give everyone a BIG thank you every week. Pick out a handful each week and really make them feel appreciated.
Second – don’t thank someone the same way every time. Spread it around a little. If you send hand-written notes every week, it becomes expected and doesn’t carry any real value.
Finally – learn to “thank yourself”, too. Ministry can be thankless at times. Not everyone sees all that you do to make the service a success or lead your team well.
So, one of the most important things you can learn to do in ministry (and life) is pat yourself on the back. We don’t always here the words “Thank you”, so we need to find satisfaction in knowing that we did well and give ourselves a little thanks along the way.
How are you doing at thanking your volunteers (and yourself)?
Your partner in ministry,
PS – The Early Bird deadline for my upcoming Coaching Network is THIS Saturday, September 15.
If you are planning to apply for the network, now is the time to do it because if you apply by this Saturday, September 15 you will receive Priority Consideration AND $733.00 in savings and bonuses, including:
- The Early-Bird rate of $267 per month – Saving you over $360.00 of the normal network investment.
- The How to Double Your Worship Team in a Day resource ($99.00 Value)
- Autographed copies of my new books, “Engage: A Guide to Creating Life-Transforming Worship Services” and “Revolve: A New Way to See Worship”(a $23.95 value)
- A $100 VISA gift card from me for you and your spouse to use as you wish
- Free Dinner for you and your spouse with me and the WLI team on the night before the Tele-Coaching live event in sunny south Florida ($150 Value)
** If you are ready to apply now, just complete the Word Document application and email it back via the instructions on the last page or click here to read more and apply online:
https://worshipleaderinsights.com/coaching
WHEN YOU GROW, YOUR TEAM WILL GROW
Here’s a powerful question for you: What could you do over the next year that would dramatically impact the development of your worship ministry and your personal growth as a leader more than this network?
Imagine for a moment, what if …
- Your worship team could double over the next year and so could your personal effectiveness?
- You could consistently get everything done at the office, manage your staff and volunteers well, see consistent growth in excellence and still get home on time for dinner and family fun each night?
- You could develop personal leadership growth habits that help you lead yourself and your team at an optimum level?
- You could achieve greater clarity and a stronger working relationship with your pastor?
- You were able to work with your pastor to plan your services months in advance, and create more impactful services than ever before, while reducing the stress of Sunday?
What would your life and church look like one year from now if your worship team and effectiveness grew by 50%? I can’t promise these results but I can say that they are typical of results I’ve seen in the nearly 200 worship pastors who have completed my coaching process over the last 5 years.
I’m not teaching you theory or stuff that I’ve only read about. I’m coaching you as a fellow worship pastor and practitioner who is in the trenches day after day leading a growing worship ministry. In addition, the coaching process that I will lead you through is a proven process that has been effective with nearly 200 churches who have been through this coaching process, and hundreds more who have taken part in my one-day seminars.
** If you are ready to apply now, just complete the Word Document application and email it back via the instructions on the last page or click here to read more and apply online:
https://worshipleaderinsights.com/coaching
COACHING WILL HELP YOU ACCOMPLISH MORE
Instead of you flying to our office in New York City for an ‘in person’ coaching network, you will participate in this coaching network via your telephone and your computer.
Think about it, you will experience the same network experience that others have experienced while SAVING THOUSANDS of dollars in travel costs and SAVING DOZENS OF HOURS on cross-country flights.
YOU GET FREE RESOURCES (UNLIKE OTHER NETWORKS)
The short answer . . . I will share every worship ministry and personal development principle I know and give you every resource I’ve developed to help you implement each principle.
Don’t worry, it will not be overwhelming . . . everything will be delivered in a manageable bits over the course of the year.
All that said, here’s the ‘official list’ of all that you receive:
- Monthly hands-on coaching from me.
- A proven coaching process that leads to growth and health.
- Over $1419.00 in FREE resources from Worship Leader Insights.
- Unlimited email access to me and the WLI team.
- A monthly coaching environment where everyone is focused on a Kingdom agenda.
- MP3s of each session for your review. NOTE: Even if you miss the exact date, you can listen to the network at your leisure.
- Free attendance at all WLI training events during your network.
- Private “call-in” times with me to have your specific questions answered in more detail.
- NEW – a private weekend training event (in sunny South Florida) exclusively for Tele-Coaching members, complete with a behind-the-scenes look at The Journey on a Sunday morning ($1500 value)
- The opportunity to grow and take your church to the next level.
Plus much, much more . . .
As you can see, just the tangible benefits you will receive as part of this network will far out-weigh your monthly financial investment.
** If you are ready to apply now, just complete the Word Document application and email it back via the instructions on the last page or click here to read more and apply online:
https://worshipleaderinsights.com/coaching
And if you apply before September 15 and you are accepted, you will receive an additional $733.00 in Savings and Bonuses, including:
- The Early-Bird rate of $267 per month – Saving you over $360.00 of the normal network investment.
- The How to Double Your Worship Team in a Day resource ($99.00 Value)
- Autographed copies of my new books, “Engage: A Guide to Creating Life-Transforming Worship Services” and “Revolve: A New Way to See Worship”(a $23.95 value)
- A $100 VISA gift card from me for you and your spouse to use as you wish
- Free Dinner for you and your spouse with me and the WLI team on the night before the Tele-Coaching live event in sunny south Florida ($150 Value)
** If you are ready to apply now, just complete the Word Document application and email it back via the instructions on the last page or click here to read more and apply online:
https://worshipleaderinsights.com/coaching
I WILL INVEST IN YOU EACH MONTH FOR ONE YEAR
Each phone call is two hours long and we will meet monthly for one year. This is a big commitment but I want to make sure that we fully cover all 7 of the Worship Leader Challenges and I’ve outlined in my resources
You will complete the network with a personal library worth of worship ministry leadership materials and personal development insights.
I have a degree in Sacred Music, and I can guarantee you that what you will learn in this network is the ‘practical, will work tomorrow’ stuff they don’t teach in college or seminary!
YOU WILL DISCOVER AND OVERCOME THE SEVEN CHALLENGES OF A WORSHIP LEADER
We will cover each of my Seven Challenges of a Worship Pastor plus issues related to personal development, time management and more. As a reminder, the seven challenges are:
* The Personal Challenge – How to develop personal leadership growth habits that help you lead yourself and your team at an optimum level
* The Pastor Challenge – How to achieve clarity and a develop a strong working relationship with your pastor
* The Planning Challenge – How to plan your services months in advance, and create more impactful services than ever before.
* The People Challenge – How to double your Worship Team volunteers and strengthen their commitment to the church through a proven audition system that leads to growth and health.
* The Provision Challenge – How to invest wisely the resources spent on the Sunday service for now and the future, especially in a troubled economy
* The Professionalism Challenge – How to create a culture of excellence that brings the very best out of you and your volunteers
* The Production Challenge – How to ensure that every Sunday service is successfully planned for and executed, with nothing left to chance
FINALLY, A COACHING NETWORK TO FIT YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE
Each tele-coaching call will be from 2:00pm – 3:30pm Eastern Time. Literally, you could call in to the network from anywhere in the world. Cool, huh?
All the calls are on Fridays, which I’ve found to be the best day for most worship pastors, but I also understand that you may have to adjust your schedule..
Remember, each call is only 90 minutes so even if you have to step out of a meeting or call in from home, it will not consume your entire day. Here are the dates:
- October, 12, 2012
- November 9, 2012
- December 14, 2012
- January 11, 2013
- February 8, 2013
- March 8, 2013
- April 12, 2013
- May 10, 2013
- June 14, 2013
- July 12, 2013
- August 9, 2013
- September 13, 2013
YOUR OWN PERSONAL CHURCH GROWTH LIBRARY
I strongly encourage you to make every date a priority but I also know that ministry is messy and uncertain so I will record every session and you will receive the complete MP3’s of each session within a day or two of meeting. If you attend, the MP3 is for your library and for your review. If you are unable to attend, you will still be able to gain the full experience.
AN UNBELIEVABLE OPPORTUNITY DEMANDS A GREAT GUARANTEE
As I mentioned earlier, this network is not for everyone but if you choose to apply and you are accepted, I would like to offer you a no-hassle, no questions asked guarantee.
Here it is: I’m so confident that you will find this Network beneficial that any time prior to the fourth monthly meeting (January 11, 2013) you can call my office and tell me that this network isn’t benefiting your church or your leadership ability and I will refund everything you have invested, including any long distance costs you might have incurred. Plus, you can keep any of the resources, MP3s or seminar materials that you have received to date.
In other words, I want to remove any fear you might have in joining this network. You can try it for four months with absolutely NO RISK!
YOUR RESULTS WILL EXCEED THE FINANCIAL INVESTMENT OF THIS NETWORK
I have tried to keep the monthly investment in this network as low as possible. But remember, you are receiving thousands of dollars of resources, free passes to my seminars, email support and private consulting. At the same time, you are saving thousands of dollars in hotel, flight costs, rental car expenses, gas, etc.
That said, the monthly investment is $267 per month if your application is received by September 15 ($297 per month after September 15 ). Once you are accepted, your credit card will be charged for the first two months.
** If you are ready to apply now, just complete the Word Document application and email it back via the instructions on the last page or click here to read more and apply online:
https://worshipleaderinsights.com/coaching
I WILL PERSONALLY HELP YOU GROW EACH MONTH
In addition to the monthly call, you will be assigned to read or listen to one of my resources plus another book (generally, a business book with clear application to ministry). While the network will stretch you to grow, study and read, it will not be overwhelming. I’ll help you prioritize so you can get the most from the network.
At the same time, there will be opportunities for you to share your ideas and learnings from the network plus you’ll be able to submit prayer requests and ask questions to me and everyone else in the network.
OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED GREAT RESULTS – SO CAN YOU
While I certainly can’t guarantee that our network will in any way produce the same fruit as previous networks, I can share what I’ve seen God do in the past! I’ve seen:
* Worship Leaders who were stuck in their leadership, break through to new levels of personal effectiveness
* Worship Teams double in a year
* Worship Leaders become so effective that they never miss a day off again
* Pastors write me letters thanking me for helping their worship leader
I could keep going but let me allow some of my coaching alumni pastors to share their results:
“Join this network! We all need to be growing in our leadership and there’s no better way to grow than to get into a network. Jason does a great job of identifying seven universal challenges that we all face. Once you are fully aware of these challenges and are armed with the tools that Jason gives you in the network to overcome them, you will begin to soar in your effectiveness as a Worship Pastor.”
– Mike Martindale, Westside Community Church Beaverton, OR
“I did not know what to expect from this network, but all I know is that after the very first session, I was inspired, motivated and mostly importantly, humbled.”
– Jean Sandoval, New Life Church Meriden, CT
“This is an excellent network for learning some great skills in implementing systems in your church. You are worth it; your church is worth it.”
– Archie Jackson, South Bay Church San Jose, CA
“I felt encouraged to grow in my weaker areas of my ministry. I didn’t feel beaten down; instead I was given systems that could help me in areas I have always struggled with in the past. Even my team could tell the difference!”
– Lisa Johnson, Valley Brook Community Church Granby, CT
“It’s worth every penny!”
– Dave Swanson, Calvary Fellowship West Hartford, CT
Visit https://worshipleaderinsights.com/coaching for additional video testimonies from worship leaders just like you!
MY CALLING IS TO HELP YOU GROW
God has given me a unique opportunity to serve in a church that is not only passionate about reaching and discipling people, but also returning what we have learned back to the kingdom so that other churches can do the same in their cities and towns.
In the last 10 years of my ministry here, I have been able to build systems for developing a thriving worship ministry that have worked not only here, but in churches all over the country. The reason I am doing this network is because I want to see you succeed in fulfilling your mission in the local church, and I believe with all my heart that this network can give you tools, insights, and systems to do exactly that.
LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF A SYSTEMS-BUILDING WORSHIP PASTOR
In 2002, Jason Hatley helped launch The Journey Church in New York City, directing the programming of their worship services. He served as the Pastor of Worship Arts and has built from scratch The Journey’s worship arts team, a group of over 200 artists and technicians who develop and implement the creative and technical elements at weekly Sunday services.
Currently, Jason and his family live in Boca Raton, FL to serve as the Pastor of Worship Arts at The Journey’s newest location in South Florida.
The Journey has been recognized as one of Outreach Magazines fastest growing and most creative churches.
Jason has been a worship leader since 1996. He invests in Worship Pastors around the country through interactive coaching networks and worship planning resources. He has been a featured break-out speaker at the Willow Creek Arts Conference (2007-2009), The Purpose Drive Worship Conference (2003-2004), as well as seminars around the country. He has a B.M. in Sacred Music Performance from Appalachian State University.
Jason is the founder of WorshipLeaderInsights.com, the author of nearly a dozen resources on Worship Leadership, including the BRAND NEW BOOKS “Engage: A Guide to Creating Life-Transforming Worship Services”, and “Revolve: A New Way to See Worship”.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Please complete the application and return it to my office ASAP. I am reviewing applications right now and will try to review your application and let you know within two weeks, but please bear with me. We are receiving greater response to this network than any other network I’ve offered.
** If you are ready to apply now, just complete the Word Document application and email it back via the instructions on the last page or click here to read more and apply online:
https://worshipleaderinsights.com/coaching
Let me know if you have any questions, just reply to this email
Jason Hatley
Pastor of Worship Arts
The Journey Church
www.worshipleaderinsights.com
www.jasonhatley.wordpress.com
TUESDAY MORNING INSIGHTS is Jason Hatley’s free weekly training resource specifically designed to provide you as a worship leader with proven principles, tips and practices to help you lead a healthy and thriving Worship Arts Team.