All over the world, sports teams of all kinds have built a habit of huddling together before each game they play. They’re there to hype each other up, go over key plays and plans, and encourage every team member to do their best.
If sports teams recognize the importance of huddles to get their head in the game, how much more important are huddles for church teams? Church services aren’t a game—they have real, eternal impact. Every leader and volunteer has a role to play in making every Sunday service the best it can be. And pre-service volunteer huddles are a simple way to rally your ministry teams around your church’s mission and vision.
But it’s easy to let the busyness of the day take over and lead to skipping these crucial team huddles. Here are four reasons we believe it’s worth it to invest time into intentional, meaningful volunteer huddles.
#1 – Get Volunteers on the Same Page
Every Sunday won’t be perfect. Balls will get dropped. Technology will fail. But prioritizing pre-service volunteer huddles in your church can help make sure everyone has the details they need ahead of time and prevent a lot of mishaps.
Taking just a few minutes to huddle can give your volunteers the information and confidence they need to serve well. Depending on the ministry area, you might use this time to give the production team a rundown of each element of the service or go over the key points and expectations for the day’s lessons with children’s ministry volunteers.
For a quick overview of what a volunteer huddle structure might look like and what to include, download this free resource.
#2 – Inspired Volunteers are Motivated Volunteers
After a while, serving can become just another thing you do on Sundays. It can get routine and eventually lose its meaning. The pre-service volunteer huddle is an opportunity to bring your volunteers back to what matters by telling stories, sharing wins, and casting vision.
Use the pre-service volunteer huddle time wisely by preparing what you’ll share to inspire your team in advance. If your volunteers seem to just be going through the motions, this time can reignite their fire and remind them why serving is so important.
#3 – Build a Healthy Volunteer Culture
When volunteers rush into church on Sundays, barely speak to each other, frantically trying to get into their places…what does that say about the church’s culture? It says that team burnout is always looming and church leadership isn’t doing anything to build a culture where balance and communication are prioritized.
But when volunteers huddle before service over, say, coffee, donuts, devotional time, etc. and review details for the day, this shows a church culture that values people over production. You may only have 15 minutes to dedicate to a pre-service huddle, but that short time can contribute to building a culture that has far-reaching effects on the entire ministry.
#4 – Give Your Volunteers Much-Needed Encouragement
People appreciate acknowledgment and recognition; it shows them that their effort doesn’t go unnoticed and that their role in the church is significant.
The volunteer huddle is a chance to encourage your volunteers by acknowledging the value they bring to the team. Put the spotlight on someone and simply thank them for what they do. This not only encourages the person you’re recognizing but lets the entire team know that church leadership appreciates them.
Huddle Talks Will Help You Lead, Inspire, and Train Your Volunteers
We know that not every church leader has the time to plan meaningful volunteer huddle talks before each Sunday. If you recognize the importance of using volunteer huddles to engage and inspire your team but don’t know where to start, consider Huddle Talks—a resource that gets you 52 huddle talks that you can use for each week of the year.
Get 52 Huddle Talks here.
