Many hands make light work, and one of the places I’ve watched this concept play out perfectly is in a church workday or clean-up day. There’s a lot of work that goes into keeping the church building and grounds nice, and it’s helpful to gather larger groups of volunteers to knock out projects fast. But there’s a big difference between a well-planned workday and one that wasn’t properly prepared.
So, if you’ve had volunteer days like this in the past and don’t feel like they’re that helpful, I urge you to try again. Here are the steps we recommend for planning and running a volunteer workday.
Step 1: Get clear on what tasks you need done
Before you even put out the announcement in the bulletin or add it to the preservice slide deck, you need to know what tasks you’re focusing on. This will help you prepare for the next steps. It also makes it easier for you to answer any questions that people have, like “Will I get dirty?” “Is everything outside?” and “How long will it be?”
Without a clear plan, it’s really easy to have this end up being a day where not a lot gets crossed off the to-do list. Start by thinking about the purpose of this volunteer day. Are you getting ready for the holiday crowds? Are you cleaning up the grounds to prepare for winter? Or after winter? Does the building just need a little love in a lot of places?
Choose a few key areas to focus on and then list out all the tasks that need to be completed. Here’s some examples to get your wheels turning:
- Rake leaves
- Repaint handrails
- Add new weather stripping to the doors
- Clean out the gutters
- Wash the windows
- Touch-up paint in the hallways
- Spot clean the chairs
- Spread mulch on the flower beds
- Get the salt buckets ready (if you live where there is snow and ice)
The exact tasks that you’re going to need done will depend on your building and grounds and what you’re preparing for. Think through each task that people may be able to complete. If there is something specific that you need done, like cutting down a tree, you may want to pre-ask people that you know are qualified to complete the task, instead of adding it to the general list.
Reminder: include tasks that anyone can help with
There are people with all different abilities in your congregation, so make sure you have something that anyone can help with, regardless of their abilities. This includes having jobs ready that kids can help with. It’s fun to see families show up and serve together, so make sure you have tasks they can work on.
Step 2: Pick a day and time (and a weather back-up plan)
Now that you know what you and the volunteers will be working to accomplish, it’s time to set the schedule. This can be tricky because there are so many things competing for time, but you’re not going to find a time that makes everyone happy.
Most importantly, check the church building calendar. You don’t want everyone showing up Saturday for a volunteer cleaning day only to find that there is a wedding in the works. Make sure you reserve the date on the calendar and make all staff aware of the event.
Then, it can help to double check the community schedules. If there is a community activity or a local sports event that you know a lot of your church members will be attending, find a different day. While you can’t please everyone, you don’t want to set the day up for a small turnout by not paying attention to what’s happening in your area.
A four-hour window can work really well. This allows people to work together on some larger projects while also knocking out smaller ones. It also allows people to invest half their day or stay for a few hours and still feel like they were able to contribute.
We always like to aim for Saturday mornings, like 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. This also allows you to provide breakfast, like donuts and muffins, and a few snacks, without needing to provide a full lunch. It also opens up the remainder of the day for volunteers to use for their personal plans.
Weather back-up plan
We find it helpful to have planned tasks that are both indoors and outdoors. If you get hit with a rainy day, you’ll likely have a lower turnout, but get done the projects that you can. It can even help to have a few stand-by projects ready just in-case they does happen and you have more people working inside than expected.
If you don’t want to continue with the plans if the weather is bad, have a backup day lined up ahead of time. Then, clearly communicate what volunteers can expect and how they’ll know if they should show up or not if the weather is looking a little iffy. You don’t want to chance having volunteers show up if you’re not moving forward with the plan.
Step 3: Recruit volunteers (and be ready for day-of walk-ups)
With all the details in place, it’s time to shout it from the rooftops… or at least announce it to your church. Include it in your bulletin, add it to the calendar of events on your website, and add it to the pre-service slides.
It’s helpful to have people sign up if they’re interested in coming, so you can have a rough idea of how many people to plan for, but it’s okay if people show up the day of without registering. Make sure you have enough work lined up so everyone has something to do (having the jobs isn’t usually a problem, having them planned out can be.)
On your sign-up form, ask people to share if they have any interests or specific maintenance or landscaping skills. Make sure it’s clear that it’s perfectly okay if they aren’t experienced in any of these areas and that there will be plenty of things that everyone can help with.
It’s also helpful to know what kind of tools or equipment people would be willing to bring along with them. You can include a simple checklist for them to select what equipment they have and then you can follow-up with them if you’re interested in having them bring it. In the past, we had a family bring a utility vehicle that made it a lot easier to move equipment and people around the grounds.
Make sure to send a confirmation email or text message (or even a phone call) to let people know that you got their sign-up form. You can provide any additional information that would be helpful for them and give them a chance to ask any questions they may have prior to the volunteer day.
Step 4: Build the supply & tool list
Think through what you need to have on hand and have it staged before the day begins. You don’t want to be running out for a gallon of paint or more lawn bags while people stand around and wait.
Don’t forget about general equipment like:
- Lawn bags
- Rakes and shovels
- Garbage bags
- Work gloves
- Cleaning rags and towels
- Cleaning supplies
- Hammers
- Ladder
If you’re working on bigger projects, you may need to schedule a dumpster to be on site. Think through how you’re going to dispose of things like large limbs, bags of leaves, etc. If you need special equipment, ask a qualified volunteer in advance or rent it ahead of time.
Step 5: Send reminders the week of the event
Never assume that people are going to remember that they signed up or agreed to bring something to help out. Send out a reminder 48 hours before the event. Include the details like date, time, and where to go when they arrive. Provide a list of anything they can bring with them to help.
Let volunteers know that it’s okay if they’re not able to make it for the whole time, and they’re welcome to arrive late or show up early if they need.
If someone previously agreed to bring a certain tool or piece of equipment, confirm with them that they’re still able to.
Step 6: Prepare and set up
Create a central spot where people will sign-in when they arrive (this makes it helpful to thank them later). Have a table with coffee, water, and juice. Provide muffins, donuts, or other snack items for volunteers.
You’ll also want to have a table with things like safety gear, bug spray, sunscreen, and a first aid kit.
And here is the key—have a task list of all the jobs that you’re trying to get done. We love using a whiteboard for this. You can easily write them on it and have people cross them off when they complete them. You can list things in priority order or by complexity.
Make sure you have a list of the jobs that can be added to this list if a lot of the tasks are crossed off early. While it’s okay to send people home if you finish early, you have a team of volunteers who showed up and want to help. They gave up part of their day to be able to help, so provide them the opportunity to do so.
This is also the area where you can have the tools and supplies that they may need.
Step 7: Day-Of—get them started
Gather in the central area at the start time to thank everyone for coming and go over the process. Explain how they can choose a task from the list and cross it off when finished. Tell them where to put things like full lawn bags or debris. This helps them not have to waste time trying to figure it out later.
Let them know who to go to with questions. It’s helpful to have more than one person for this if possible.
It’s also helpful to have someone stay near the central area to welcome people and help them get started. Make sure to introduce volunteers to one another and help people get to know each other. Take water and food around to keep people fed and hydrated.
And don’t forget to take pictures throughout the process. Before and after pictures can be a fun way to show a job well done. And group pictures are helpful for documenting the day and advertising for future workdays.
Step 8: Clean up (plan time and people for this)
There’s always a surprising amount of clean-up that needs to be done at the end of a workday. You can make this easier on yourself by building this into the workday. Make sure people know where you want things placed when they are finished using them. As you get near the end of the timeframe, tools can be put away in the maintenance closet or shed instead of being returned to the central planning area.
Having volunteers know where to put garbage bags, debris, and lawn bags from the start means you don’t have to move them around at the very end. If you rented equipment, have a plan for getting it returned at the end of the day.
We’ve found that people usually trickle out toward the end of the event instead of everyone leaving at once. As jobs are completed toward the end of the timeframe, people begin to leave instead of looking for something to fill the last 20 minutes of the time. So, having a clean-up plan in place from the start can help so the last couple people aren’t left doing it all.
Step 9: Say thank you—publicly and personally
Show your volunteers appreciation. Create a short video to play before service with the before and after and group photos. Thank the volunteers for showing up to help keep the church looking great and being a safe and welcoming place for the community.
Send thank you notes to those who showed up, or even a quick thank you email. Let them know that you appreciated their help. And if they brought a tool or piece of equipment, make sure to thank them for that, too.
In addition to sending thank you notes, you can also with volunteers who may be interested in joining your facility volunteer team. You may have noticed people who enjoyed the work they were doing or met someone with skills in building maintenance.
Keep it simple
The steps above will help you run a smooth volunteer workday at your church. It’s easy to build this idea up into something much bigger (and I know it looks like a lot of steps) but it can be very simple.
If you’ve never held a day like this at your church, start small with simple projects. Focus on a specific area instead of several areas at a time. You can start small and grow as you get used to the process and your church members begin to show up in bigger numbers.
The church is not a building, but your building and grounds are a huge asset for your church to reach people and care for your congregation.
Have questions? We offer a free 30-minute call to help answer any of your church facility management questions. Schedule a call today or drop your question in the comment box. We’re always happy to help.
