It goes back to the day some volunteers brought me something they found when cleaning out a Sunday school supply closet -- an institution-size can of peaches. We couldn't figure out how that had been used in Sunday school! Then someone recalled that, years before, that closet had been a pantry for our kitchen. The lonely can of peaches must have been left behind in the transition. What shocked us was that the can of peaches wasn't yet past its expiration date!

I remember those peaches sometimes when I follow up with leaders after we've asked them to contact someone who expressed interest in the ministry they lead. Most leaders follow up promptly. Some leaders, however take 3-4 weeks to make the contact. Or they send one email and that's it. Or, if the ministry is seasonal, like lawn cutting, they say, "I'll give him a call when we're ready to start."

It's as if volunteers were canned peaches. You could put them on a shelf and when you come back to them, months later, they'll be ready to go.