Volunteers are your church's backbone–they help meet needs, serve the community, and further your mission. However, the key isn’t just having volunteers, it’s having volunteers who know how to work together. Trust and unity are crucial in ensuring everyone works together for the sake of the Gospel.
Cohesive teams aren’t just healthy teams, they also make it possible for your church to achieve your goals and have an even greater impact on your church and community. In this blog, we will explore practical ways to build trust and unity within your volunteer teams, ultimately ensuring smoother operations and greater impact.
Understanding the Foundations of Trust
Put simply, trust within a team is a belief in the reliability and strength of each team member. A strong, unified team will have high levels of trust, knowing each person is responsible and capable of moving the mission forward.
A recent project by Google studied what makes teams successful and found that the most important factor for team effectiveness is psychological safety, which is largely fostered by trust. Teams with high psychological safety were 35% more likely to have positive outcomes in terms of performance, innovation, and employee engagement.
However, creating trust often takes time and work. Laying the groundwork for an environment where trust can flourish will ultimately drive better team effectiveness and outcomes.
Fostering Communication
Building trust starts with creating a culture of communication among team members. Without effective communication strategies, misunderstandings can arise, and coordination can become difficult, leading to frustration.
To foster strong communication within your team, consider:
- Establishing Regular Check-ins: Schedule consistent team meetings to ensure everyone is aligned and has the opportunity to voice concerns or updates.
- Encouraging Open Dialogue: Create an atmosphere where volunteers feel comfortable offering feedback, suggestions, and ideas without fear of criticism.
- Developing Clear Channels for Communication: Utilize tools like email, messaging apps, or church management software to streamline communication and ensure everyone stays informed.
- Practicing Active Listening: Encourage team members to listen attentively to one another, validating ideas and ensuring everyone’s voice is heard.
When these practices are embraced, communication becomes a tool for connection rather than a barrier to it. Volunteers will feel more engaged and valued, ultimately strengthening both trust and unity.
Creating Shared Goals
Next, to build unity and trust, work to establish shared goals and objectives. These create a collective vision and ensure everyone stays focused on the larger mission, which helps build unity among volunteers. When team members understand how their roles contribute to the bigger picture, they’re more likely to stay motivated and invested in your church’s mission.
For example, set a goal of sharing the Gospel with X amount of people this year. When setting the goal, explain how this ties into the broader mission. Then, work to break it down into smaller, manageable tasks so volunteers see progress. Lastly, be sure to celebrate achievements together, no matter how big or small.
A collective vision drives action.
Encouraging Inclusivity
Within your volunteer teams, it’s important to establish inclusivity so each person feels valued and respected. This will strengthen team bonds and allow people in every stage of life to contribute and use their gifts and talents.
A few ways to encourage inclusivity are:
- Fostering a Safe Environment: Make sure your team environment is one where everyone feels comfortable being themselves.
- Promoting Diversity Awareness: Conduct workshops or training on diversity, equity, and inclusion to ensure volunteers understand the importance of respecting different perspectives.
- Encouraging Team Bonding: Organize group activities that allow team members to interact outside their usual roles, helping break down barriers and build relationships.
Using Team-Building Activities
Speaking of team bonding, one of the best ways to do this is to schedule team-building activities. Often these are fun ways to reinforce trust, promote unity, and boost morale.
There are numerous options ranging from small games to retreats, but here are a few to get you started:
- Icebreaker Games: Use fun, low-pressure games to help team members get to know each other better (e.g., Two Truths and a Lie, or Human Bingo).
- Volunteer Challenges: Set up team challenges to encourage people to work together. This could be a scavenger hunt or a group game.
- Outdoor or Off-Site Activities: Organize events like hikes, ropes courses, or community service days to encourage teamwork in a relaxed setting.
A survey conducted by the Team Building Hub found that 63% of leaders felt team communication improved after participating in team-building activities and 61% of leaders felt team morale improved.
Maintaining Long-Term Unity
Lastly, creating a culture of unity and trust isn’t a one-time thing, instead, it takes active work and intentionality. However, putting in the work will ensure that as your team grows or changes, long-term unity is maintained.
Here are a few strategies for keeping the unity alive long-term:
- Regularly Reinforce Team Values: Continuously remind volunteers of the core values and church mission to help maintain a strong sense of purpose.
- Provide Ongoing Feedback: Offer constructive feedback and encourage volunteers to provide feedback. Regular communication helps address concerns before they become bigger issues.
- Create Opportunities for Growth: Offer professional development or skill-building opportunities to keep volunteers engaged and motivated.
- Recognize and Appreciate Contributions: Show gratitude for the efforts of your volunteers through thank-you notes, recognition events, or small tokens of appreciation.
Maintaining unity is an ongoing process that requires attention, but the results are well worth it. A united team will continue to thrive and contribute to your church’s mission.
Next Steps
Building trust and unity within your volunteer teams is a vital part of ensuring long-term health for your church. By focusing on clear communication, shared goals, inclusivity, and team-building activities, you’ll create an environment where volunteers feel supported, valued, and motivated to further your mission.
One tool designed to help create and manage healthy teams within your church is church management software, and at Ministry Brands, we’ve worked to ensure it truly serves as your ministry partner. Through your ChMS you can communicate with teams, assign tasks, and even schedule volunteers. Book your free demo here.
