Boomer Volunteers

I was panelist on a panel which was discussing Boomers. One of the ladies on the panel was bemoaning the fact that she could not get Boomers to volunteer in her ministry. Her take on us was that we were lazy and spoiled and would not volunteer.

I explained with some level of emotion that current research showed that Boomers were more than willling to volunteer and that if it were a cause in which we believed, we would give not only our time but also our dollars.

The difference, I explained, is that we will not support ministries in which we did not believe or have a vested interest. The organizations of our parents may be good but we are probably not going to join or support them.

I try to encourage people who come to me asking for a role in the church to do three things.

1. I give them a booklet showing all the ministries in which our church members are involved and ask them to look through it and see if there is an established ministry they feel called to support.
2. I ask them to pray, asking God to direct them to the ministry God has for them.
3. I ask them to dream about what they would like to do under God's leadership, even if it seems a little "off the wall."
   

Often a person will find a role in one of our established ministries, but sometimes God uses the booklet and prayer to plant a seed for a brand new ministry. When that happens, I try to find a way to Baptize it and add it to the book.