Champions Fax Archive

Why Do They Do It?
Volume 4, Number 4, February 22, 1999

Marilyn Nelson is a Church Champion that serves as professor of Christian Ministry at the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond. Prior to her teaching position she directed Christian Social Ministries in the Washington D.C. area. (She even attended the recent Gathering of Church Champions) In the current Journal of Volunteer Administration she has published the report from a research study of volunteer commitment in the parish setting. This is a study focused on those who volunteer with congregations. Below are some of her findings. Church Champions and pastors will benefit from these findings by applying them to their situations in ministry

1. They do it because they were asked. Most of the volunteers became engaged in their ministries because they were asked. The volunteers want to be involved in ministry and respond best to personal contact.

2. They do it because it fits with their own sense of mission. "Those who felt the most strongly committed to their volunteer involvement…had a strong sense of self-role congruence." The individual's goals and aspirations matched the organizations. There was a strong mission connection between the volunteer and the organization.

3. They do it because they like a challenge. The volunteers felt that the voluntary commitments led to self-expression. The role valued their creativity. They responded to challenge and meaningful ministry more than menial tasks.

4. They do it because they feel connected to God's work. There was higher commitment among those who defined rewards as moving beyond their own lives and being connected to what God was doing. They felt a sense of the calling of God on their lives.

5. They don't do it for material rewards. Personal material rewards had a negative correlation with their commitment. "Those who volunteered in order to meet influential people, to get practical experience, to learn new skills, to get ahead in a career, or to investigate new career possibilities had low volunteer commitment."

6. They don't do it to meet people. The impetus to volunteer is not to make new friends or to be accepted. Most volunteers in the study already are well socialized.

This study is found in the Winter 1999 edition of The Journal of Volunteer Administration. Their web site is www.avaintl.org. It is well worth the time to seek out and study.

Church Champions with further interest in the field of Lay Mobilization should inquire about the upcoming Lay Mobilization Consultants Training Workshop to be held March 21-25 near Dallas, Texas. To get more information please call 800.765.5323.

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