5 Signs of burn-out in your volunteers

Because the small-church is, well.....small, our volunteers tend to get overextended.  So, for our helpful hint today, I present 5 Signs of Burn-out in Your Volunteers:

  1. They drop dead.  This is a sure sign of overload when your members actually expire, pass-on, cross-over, or catch the Ezekiel express.  Dying is a great way for a volunteer to simplify his life, but it severely limits your options.
  2. They run screaming out of the _________ (choose one:  nursery, board meeting, worship service, or mission circle.)  Departing a meeting in such a manner is a sure sign that something is wrong.  Note:  Do not get between the door and the volunteer in this situation.
  3. They doze off during worship.  Do not confuse these volunteers with your regular Sunday sleepers.  These are the folks who used to fill up the bulletin page titled, Notes, with your sermon outline.  You do not want to lose these people.  They're the ones who found your "Calvin Was a Regular Guy" sermon riveting.
  4. They refuse to wear the "Moses" costume again.   Self-explanatory.
  5. They sit on the floor and play with their socks during the children's sermon.  This poses a dilemma for the pastor that Solomon never faced.

These are all serious and confirmed signs of burn-out in your volunteers.  Should you spot any of these signs, there is absolutely nothing you can do about it.  Except go to churchstaffing.com and update your resume!