April 21, 2003
Volunteerism grows faith,
panels says at Baylor
___By Mark Wingfield
___Managing Editor
___WACO--Volunteerism positively impacts the faith life of church members, a panel of Christian social workers reported April 7.
___Paula Sheridan, David Sherwood and Dennis Myers of the Baylor University School of Social Work reported on results of a three-year study of volunteerism in religious congregations. The national study has been funded by the Lilly Endowment.
___The trio spoke in a breakout session during the Hand in Hand Conference at Baylor. Although the final results of the study have not been published, they previewed some of the data.
___The study involved 7,000 people in 34 Protestant congregations in four states. After initially conducting a written survey with all congregants, the researchers conducted more detailed conversations with church leaders.
___Nearly half the survey participants said they were engaged in some type of volunteer work. And those who do volunteer work reported higher attendance and participation in their local churches than the non-volunteers.
___Further, 60 percent of volunteers said their work had changed the way they feel about other people. They reported becoming more understanding, more aware of the needs of others and more grateful for their own abilities and resources.
___In addition to the psychological and relational factors that might motivate anyone to volunteer, church members identified five spiritual factors that also motivated their service--a sense of calling by God, a personal theology of helping, a desire to express gratitude, being obedient to God and living out the commands of Scripture.
___Based on an initial analysis of the data, the researchers recommended eight strategies for church leaders to strengthen volunteerism:
___ Provide relevant training. "Sometimes we get so motivated that we fail to stop and give proper training," Sheridan explained.
___ Facilitate involvement. People are more likely to volunteer if they are presented with opportunities to volunteer, she said.
___ Create a culture of serving. "Preach it, teach it" and model it from the top down, one survey respondent encouraged.
___ Pose and respond to questions. This type of open dialogue can help church members make connections between what they say they believe and how they live, Sheridan said.
___ Rephrase problems as strengths. She recalled a church that experienced problems with graffiti in its neighborhood. Church leaders found a way to turn the gang-oriented "taggers" into artists, beautifying the neighborhood while using the talents of the former troublemakers.
___ Contextualize ministry outcomes. Volunteers and potential volunteers need to understand the impact of their work, especially when results may not be visible in traditional terms.
___ Provide a long-term perspective. She encouraged church leaders to focus not just on immediate results.
___ Bridge and network volunteers with the community. Successful church leaders know their communities and the needs of the communities, Sheridan said, and they know how to become conduits for getting things done.
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