VOLUNTEER EXPIRATION DATES (1/18/11)

Expiration dates are on all sorts of things these days, and for good reasons! We can find them on loaves of bread, gallons of milk, and egg cartons. Expiration dates are on plenty of other things, too. They are on our driver’s licenses and professional certifications. These dates are put in place to make sure things stay fresh, maximize effectiveness, and give us an opportunity to evaluate the need for change. In the church setting (and any setting that uses volunteers), these are great reasons to put expiration dates on volunteer positions.

Expiration dates can protect us from burning out volunteers. Sometimes we put someone in a position and leave them there until they are used up. When volunteers are excited about doing good work for God, they begin like a freshly struck match. Their flame and energy is intense. Too often, though, we leave them burning in one spot for so long that their flame can sputter and die.

It would be much better to use expiration dates to ensure that we are rotating fresh people into positions to achieve maximum effectiveness. Baseball coaches know how many pitches their pitchers can throw before they start getting tired. They have a whole crew of pitchers that they rotate in to keep them fresh and effective. Rotating volunteers in the church setting is just as important. It keeps the ideas fresh and the energy level high.

Rotating volunteers can also keep programs from getting stuck in ruts. In baseball, there are some situations when  a left handed pitcher can be more effective than a right handed pitcher. The same is true in church work. There are times when we need to change things up to achieve our mission. Having an established culture of rotating volunteers helps the church to be more prepared when changes are needed. It is easier to move people around to positions that best match their gifts and the church’s current circumstance.

We also use expiration dates as a check and balance. When an expiration date is coming, it is a great time to evaluate what kind of changes need to be made. Even the President of the United States has an expiration date. Every four years, we can evaluate the needs of our country, and choose who should fill that position. One of the main reasons that limit was put in place, was to make sure that no president would ever attain the status of dictator. When we allow volunteers to stay in one position for a long period of time, it becomes difficult to make changes when they are necessary. An expiration date gives us a wonderful opportunity to evaluate and redirect.

Expiration dates take a little work to put into action, which is one of the reasons we don’t observe them in the first place. It is often easier to let someone stay in one spot than it is to find and train a replacement. But, for the reasons I have listed above, I think it is well worth the effort. As leaders in the church, it is our duty to help people find meaningful ways to serve. Using expiration dates to allow more people to rotate into places of service will give the church community a broad expression of faith. It can be a useful and beautiful practice.