BUILDING UP THE BODY PB

Volunteering is the life-blood of local churches and this book is a comprehensive and practical guide to working with and encouraging volunteers.

Looking at the key issues for small and medium-sized churches, Richard Steel offers realistic suggestions and guidelines that do not rely on large budgets and staff. He writes about how working with volunteers can be challenging, but is also intensely rewarding - and stresses the importance of helping them realise just how important they are in the bigger picture of God's mission.

Building people up as volunteers is not just for the benefit of our individual churches, nor just for their personal development. It is about enabling the Church to reach out into all walks of society, all professions, all networks. It is about developing the skills and experiences that make us better people for building God's Kingdom in the world.

Starting with a theology for volunteering, Richard Steel offers tried-and-tested ways for recognising the God-given gifts everyone has, and how these can contribute to church life and personal Christian discipleship.

He explains how volunteers' expectations differ between different generations, creating the need for churches to provide more flexibility, more empowerment, less micromanagement, less tolerance of incompetence and a job experience that is not considered as just a contribution but definitely makes a difference.

A wide range of ideas are presented for advertising and recruiting volunteers from all age groups, both able-bodied and disabled. There is guidance on training, risk assessment, providing expenses, health and safety, role descriptions, volunteer agreements, probationary periods, appraisals, solving conflicts and the importance of saying 'thank you'.

Richard Steel also looks closely at the role of the leader - the need to provide resources and motivation through the employment of emotional intelligence and to help volunteers achieve job satisfaction. This will be a main motivator for their labour, avoiding a toxic leadership environment that loses the goodwill of volunteers.

'Building up the Body' concludes with appendices that provide sample role descriptions and volunteer agreements.

Endorsements

'Volunteering is crucial to how we work as church, and how many church members express their service of Christ in the world. The focus of this book is on volunteering in church but applies more widely. Richard Steel offers a theological foundation and framework for volunteering. He also shares wisdom from a wide range of experience in tackling the many aspects required in volunteering in our post modern world. Anyone involved in developing volunteering will gain much from this book.'
- Paul Butler, Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham

'Our understanding of leadership and management has mushroomed exponentially over recent years. It's wonderful how, even in faith organisations, enlightened notions such as leadership development, communities of practice, whole systems thinking, employee engagement, empowerment and alignment are now commonplace. I have noticed however, that there are two areas that have not kept up with the times. One is governance; and the other, the subject of this book, the organising of volunteers. Finally, a book that brings our understanding and practice of mobilising volunteers right up to date. And what's more, it's from a Christian perspective! In an era where people have become disillusioned with institutions, volunteers play a key role in helping transform churches from 'monuments' to 'movements'. If you are excited by this notion, this insightful book is a 'must read'.'
- Patrick Goh, Head of Global Human Resources, Tearfund

Width: 130mm
Height: 198mm
Thickness: 16mm
Weight: 226.00gr

Paperback 176 pages