Working with volunteers: why it so often goes wrong
Working with volunteers is sometimes one of the hardest things there is.
- “Aren’t we all brothers and sisters?”
- “You have to be flexible in the Kingdom of God.”
- “We must be one in Christ.”
- “We should not judge one another.”
If you are active in church or missions, you have probably heard these statements many times. Maybe you have even said them yourself, with the best intentions. But for many pastors and missionaries who come to us for retreat, these are no longer words of encouragement. They have become a cover for disappointment, frustration, and ultimately exhaustion. We often hear it at the retreats and debriefings we organize. Far too frequently. It has become a pattern that needs to be broken—and you can help!
What goes wrong in a lot of volunteer work?
In many volunteer teams, chaos arises because agreements are not kept, roles remain unclear, boundaries are crossed, and no one holds each other accountable. Problems are regularly excused with spiritual language, and consequences for creating problems are too often absent. Spiritual language is not a substitute for healthy structure. In fact, it is regularly misused as an excuse to avoid responsibility.
- Volunteers sign up for an activity but simply do not show up.
- Expectations constantly change.
- You thought you came for technical work, but on day one you are in children’s ministry.
- Leaders say you should be led, but meanwhile there is simply no plan.
- The covering of love has been replaced by a haze of non-commitment.
- And those who (do) persevere slowly burn out on the inside.
Flexibility in itself is not the problem. On the contrary. Anyone who serves in God’s Kingdom knows that sometimes you have to adapt. But flexibility is not a license to place people outside of their calling. God calls people personally and with purpose. That requires organizations to handle that calling with care, and workers to guard it themselves.
The Bible is clear about this. In 1 Corinthians 7:20 it says:
“Each person is to remain in that state in which he was called.”
And in 1 Corinthians 12:18:
“But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.”
An organization that ignores this calling works against the body of Christ, even if the intentions are good.
That is why it is so important that the calling is discussed before someone goes into the field. If these conversations only take place after someone is already there, something is wrong. It is not the task of the missionary to figure out on the field what he or she is called to do, and the same applies to organizations. That clarity should be present at the beginning, before you go, and it should be documented somewhere so that together we know what we are working toward. Can that not be done? Then think VERY carefully again about whether you should continue down that path.
The primary responsibility of the mission organization, not the worker.
You as a worker cannot fix an unhealthy system. You are responsible for your obedience to God, not for keeping a structure running that refuses to change. When you realize this, you protect yourself from spiritual exhaustion and can continue to serve with pure motivation. 1 Peter 5:2-3 says:
“Shepherd the flock of God… not yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples.”
An organization should lead through servanthood, not through pressure. It is their task to provide clear communication, respect calling, encourage accountability, and guard healthy boundaries. Proverbs 11:1 warns us:
“A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, But a just weight is His delight.”
God requires justice, also in structure and leadership.
Organizations must be honest about roles. They should not make spiritual promises they cannot keep. They must respect calling, not just look for extra hands. They must build in accountability and encourage healthy boundaries. Galatians 6:2 says:
“Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.”
What can / should you as a worker or volunteer do?
First: recognize your boundary. You are not called to fill gaps, but to follow God’s voice. Colossians 3:23 says:
“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.”
Second: speak the truth in love. This means you may honestly and respectfully say when something is not right. Ephesians 4:15 encourages us:
“Speaking the truth in love.”
Third: sometimes you have to let go. If staying means your calling comes under pressure or your spiritual health suffers, then you may leave. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 says:
“Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.”
God will never ask for your obedience at the expense of your health or calling.
The preparation phase is crucial.
Much of the misery we see in the field does not originate there, but in the preparation phase. That is why it is essential that you leave well prepared as a future worker—not only spiritually, but also practically.
At our retreats we too often encounter that these issues are not discussed early enough. Many missionaries get stuck because they are not clear about what they are truly called to do, or because they left with vague expectations. This leads to frustration, burnout, and prematurely stopping the work.
That is why it is important to:
- Be certain of your calling. Do not be driven only by need or vacancy pressure. Ask God for clarity.
- Be honest about your calling and the gifts you bring to the organizations you are speaking with. Do not present yourself as better than you are—there is no need.
- Have open conversations with your home church about your calling. Be clear about what does and does not fit within it.
If you do not experience a clear calling to missions, but you are looking for a meaningful gap year or a way to develop yourself, be honest about that. That is not inferior, but it is something different. In that case, you are not a missionary in the biblical sense, but a volunteer who wants to serve on the mission field—and that is very valuable! The body of Christ also needs accountants, mechanics, and IT specialists. But confusion arises when a temporary experience is incorrectly presented as a calling. This damages trust, makes missions superficial, and may lead those who give or pray for you in the wrong direction.
A missionary is someone who is sent out by God and the church to proclaim the Gospel, make disciples, and help build churches, often outside his or her own cultural context.
An accountant, mechanic, or IT specialist working in a mission organization is therefore not(!) automatically a missionary. Something to keep in mind for all parties. So be honest—even if that means a church or organization says “no” to your plans. That is not a rejection of you as a person, but an honest assessment of your calling at this moment. Better a clear “no” than a vague “yes” that later leads to frustration for you and for those who send and support you. A gap year is fine, but then call it that. God also works through that, without you having to present it as something it is not.
The role of the sending church
The sending church plays a crucial role in the process of preparation and guidance. They have the responsibility to seriously assess whether someone truly has a calling to missions and is not simply looking to do a gap year or has another personal reason to go to the field.
This means that the church should not simply send everyone who presents themselves, but must carefully discern whether there is a clear, biblical calling. There must be room for open and honest conversation about motivation, expectations, and practical feasibility.
The church must also be clear to the candidate and the organization about what they can and want to facilitate. Sometimes someone may be suitable as a volunteer in a mission organization, but not as a missionary with a clear calling to evangelism. That must be clearly stated. Otherwise, false expectations, frustrations, and harm arise, both for the worker and for the supporters and the target group.
The church carries the responsibility to guide and coach someone from the very beginning—not only until departure, but especially after return. Without that care, there is a high risk that people will get stuck, become disappointed, or even end up broken. This is not a task that a church can simply outsource, because it concerns guarding the calling and the spiritual health of its own people. If you shift that responsibility, you automatically lose grip and involvement. How can you then still say that you are truly there for those you have sent? People always return, often with scars that a church cannot ignore. So if you say, “That was not our responsibility; that belonged to the organization we outsourced it to,” then you deny your own role in the whole. That cannot be the intention. The church must remain involved, stay close, and provide a safe place where someone can grow, recover, and catch their breath. Only in this way can you prevent sending from becoming a one-time action instead of a carefully carried process with attention to the person and their calling.
The responsibility of the organization
For an organization, it is important not to simply accept people who are not clearly called to bring the Gospel. Someone who comes as an accountant, technician, or mechanic is not a missionary, unless that has been intentionally arranged with clear agreements. Organizations are not there to simply fill vacancies with available hands, but to carefully assess whether someone is truly suitable for the role. Availability must never outweigh whether someone fits what is needed. Otherwise, you risk people with good intentions taking on tasks they are not called to do. This often causes problems, both for themselves and for those they work with.
In addition, organizations must be firm when workers are not reliable. Those who regularly fail to show up, do things half-heartedly, or treat it more like a vacation than serious work for God’s Kingdom must be addressed. Without consequences for this behavior, the team falls apart—and often the very people you wanted to keep are the first to leave. If you want a strong and healthy team, you cannot accept this kind of behavior.
It is also essential that organizations are open and clear about how finances are arranged. During their time with the organization, workers should always be able to see how the financial picture is structured and be able to verify it themselves. Too often there is currently a lack of clarity or even distrust, as if something is not right. Transparency is necessary to maintain trust and prevent people from feeling deceived.
In short: good agreements, clear roles, honesty about finances, and holding people accountable for responsible behavior are indispensable. Organizations that do not take this seriously endanger not only their volunteers, but also the mission work itself.
In conclusion
Do you recognize yourself in this story? Do you feel frustrated, tired, or disappointed in volunteer work or mission work? Then seek help. At our retreats we see that many people struggle with this. It is often a relief to be able to discuss this openly and honestly and to experience that you are not alone in it.
Be honest with yourself, with your church, and with the organization. Be clear about your calling and your boundaries. Dare to say what you can and cannot handle.
This is how you prevent burnout, disappointment, and loss of motivation. This is how you build a healthy ministry that honors God and builds up people.
