Have you ever heard an employer say, “We need to hire a few more slackers?” Or “We need a few more quitters to replace the ones who left during the pandemic never to return.”? Of course not. Businesses do not intentionally recruit slackers or quitters. As a recruiter or business owner, you always want to find prospective winners. You want people with the capacity to “do the job” needed. Your desire is for people passionate about the work to be done.

In the church, we should be following a similar pattern, though oftentimes we don’t. When filling a position in the church (especially a volunteer position) we generally look for the first person who will say yes to the position. We’re not looking for potential, passion, or giftedness. What we’re looking for, and I’ve had many people tell me the same, is a warm body to fill an empty slot.

My friend Allan Taylor has said, “We recruit most of our failures.” In other words, one reason our ministries do not flourish and produce desired fruit is often due to our own negligence in properly recruiting the best people for a given position.

People will serve out of their passion. As leaders, we must assist church members and attendees in finding their God-given passion and link that passion to service in His kingdom. A person’s passion will always have a correlation to their giftedness (spiritual gifts) and natural God-given abilities. Every person wants to utilize his/her talents and gifts. Using them for God’s glory in His service is what we were created for and where we will find our greatest satisfaction.

When it comes to recruiting new members and attendees, we do not go hunting like the corporate world. While we do not recruit like the business world, our best recruiting is done by word of mouth from existing members. Therefore, every member serving out of his/her passion will likely share with others. Why? Because serving this way brings joy and satisfaction that cannot be found in any other place.

If you are passionate about something you enjoy sharing it. You desire to tell others. Why do we have so many sourpuss Christians today? Hmm! Perhaps, we need to implement passion-driven, gift-oriented ministry in our churches. What will you undertake this week, beginning today, to implement passion-driven ministry in your church?

Contact George Yates today for complimentary surveys, assessments, and other information on moving to a passion-driven, gift-oriented ministry in your church.