Helping New Members Serve
"New member assimilation? We don't call it that anymore. Sounds like the Borg."
Comments below are from volunteers who meet with new members
Not as many churches "assimilate" their new members nowadays, partly because the bad guy cyborgs on Star Trek used that term for their forced absorption of victims into their collective being. Some churches say they help people get connected. Others talk about discipleship or full participation. But whatever the name, most churches intentionally help newcomers become fully part of their church family.
"Wow! We are really getting some neat new members!"
Participation in worship and Bible study, proportionate giving and serving in ministry are often noted as markers of a fully-connected member. While churches teach and emphasize these behaviors, many also intentionally help newcomers make new friends at church. The more new relationships a newcomer builds within their first months at the church, the more statistically likely they are to be still attending at the end of their first year.
But when it comes to serving/volunteering, do we do more than simply encourage it? Do we need to do more? After all, there's always pleas for volunteers in the Sunday announcements. If they wanted to serve, they'd just jump right in, wouldn't they?
"These visits are such a wonderful way to get to know new members and see where they are in their spiritual journey. We see what the church can do for them and how they can help the church."
Not necessarily. In big churches, newcomers think there surely are people better qualified to be an usher or a Sunday school teacher than they are. In a small church, newcomers wonder if they'd be intruders in the close groups of families and friends that seem to be doing everything. And in all churches, people wonder what the job would really be like, how much time would be involved, if they have the ability to do the job, if they would like the job, and what they'd do if they tried it and didn't like it! Plus, if the jobs trumpeted in the announcements don't fit them, they have no idea how to find something that does.
The majority of newcomers want to become involved in their new church. They want to get to know people, to become comfortable there, and to contribute in some way. But they need help. And the best help is individual help.
"I met Lynn, a new Christian who was so excited about being a Christian. It made me feel so good, and helped me see that sometimes I take my faith for granted."
Why invest the time to intentionally and individually help newcomers serve?
- It emphasizes to the newcomer that serving is important, and it demonstrates the truth and importance of 1 Cor. 12:27, "Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it " (ESV).
- It often isn't easy to find the place to serve that matches someone's personality, schedule, and preferences. It can take a lot of thought and prayer, plus a lot of information and assistance from the church.
- It can take some time, even several months, to find the right place. Having someone alongside through the process greatly increases the odds of a successful conclusion.
- Asking about people's gifts demonstrates that we really do believe and practice gift-based volunteering.
- Conversations uncover deeper gifts. On their own, Edgar is happy to usher, and Samantha offers to bake cookies, but without digging a bit deeper into their gifts, no one finds out that, at work, Edgar skillfully directs large teams working on complex projects and that Samantha leads training seminars. It provides one more relationship-building opportunity for the newcomer.
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New members come with gifts. It takes intentionality on the part of the church to help new members put those gifts into ministry, ministry that is needed for the church's mission to the world.
See also "How to Help New Members Serve" and "Christmas Gifts"