I recently just experienced a first: firing a volunteer.  This is something that I have heard about, read about, and even spoken about many times in ministry.  It was just something that I had never had to deal with first hand.  And let me tell you, it was quite the experience.

I used to think that you can’t fire a volunteer…they are volunteering!  If someone has the heart for ministry and is willing to do so, why would you stop them?  Well, my mindset has obviously changed, so I have written couple of thoughts as to why I would stop someone from volunteering in student ministry:

They lack loyalty.  There is nothing quicker to cause drama than loyalty issues.  Loyalty is something my pastor and church values in a huge way, and I understand why.  When it comes to a ministry, you need people backing you up, supporting you, and having your back, no matter what.  The second someone stops supporting you and your decisions, they are no longer loyal, and will only fuel the fires the Devil throws your way.  It is very easy for the wrong person to walk up to the disloyal volunteer with an issue and walk away feeling worse because the person who is supposed to be fighting your battles with you just handed someone an arsenal to attack you with.

They aren’t committed.  Inconsistency is the last thing students need.  In a world of broken homes, an unstable economy, teachers who could care less, and the constant drama of teenage relationships, the last thing a student needs is another person who will let them down.  Ministry is a commitment, and there are expectations.  We aren’t just feeding kids pizza and playing dodge-ball with them until their parents pick them up, we are pouring into them, hopefully forming their faith, and helping them develop their character as a Christ follower.  And students are messy.  In order to deal with the messiness and gain the opportunity to invest in them, you must be present.  I don’t trust a doctor who shows up occasionally, I don’t trust a boyfriend who calls when he feels like it, and I don’t trust a car that stops working every three weeks.  Why would a student trust a leader who is inconsistent? 

They don’t get the vision.  I love vision, it is so critical in ministry, it is what keeps the wheels turning.  With vision, you can ask a leader to do the wackiest thing, and if they get the vision, they will do it with a smile on their face.  Unfortunately, there are people who don’t always get the vision.  This is where problems occur.  For one, they will never understand why you do something, so on the off chance they actually do something you ask, they won’t do it well or with a good attitude.  Also, if they don’t get vision, they don’t get you, they won’t follow you, and they will cause drama.  If they don’t get the vision, they won’t reach the bar of excellence that has been set, so your job then becomes that much harder, as you strive to pick up their slack.  At the end of the day, the vision is something that (hopefully) comes from God, and if you are following your calling and chasing after that vision, you need to do all that you can to do that, even if that means leaving others behind.

I do not like confrontation.  I do not like telling someone they cannot do something ministry related.  On the other hand, I do not like seeing a ministry suffer because someone doesn’t fulfill the expectation.  God has given me a heart and vision that is way too big to accomplish on my own, I need a team to get there.  It is also too big to let anything, or anyone get in the way.  It isn’t about someones feelings getting hurt, it is about accomplishing all that God has set before us.  It is hard.  It does suck.  It is necessary.