Editor's Note: This is the second of a two-part series on motivating volunteers.

How do we motivate the volunteers under our care?

#7 The freedom factor
Are volunteers free to choose, explore, and discover their best service fit?

According to educational expert, William Glasser, one of our most basic needs as human beings is the freedom to choose.

Think about a time you had to do something you were not particularly excited about doing. You probably felt trapped. Your motivation to do some task was totally eclipsed by your motivation to get out of it.

When people feel trapped in their volunteer service, their one desire is to get out from under the tyranny. I've been at church board meetings where the leaders sat around asking each other, "How many more years do you have left to be on the deacon board?" It was like they were in ecclesiastical prison, marking their days until they were free.

Often it is at this point that some well-meaning but not-so-wise leaders will seek to manipulate volunteers to continue to serve. Sometimes we even put a little spiritual guilt on wavering volunteers.

Again, I ask you to read closely: Guilt is the worst way to motivate anyone to do anything. Let the Holy Spirit convict-and you stay out of the guilt business.

Jesus said, "Whoever wants to follow me, pick up the cross and get going" (Allison paraphrase). Jesus threw out "whoever" challenges, but he did not succumb to manipulating people via guilt.

Take a page out of Jesus' motivational handbook. Challenge folks to get involved at high levels, but stay away from manipulating people through "spiritual" guilt. Guilt tactics will eventually discourage anyone under your "care."

Understand clearly that when people are free to choose and move on to other areas of service, one of two things will happen, and both will be to your advantage.

First, some volunteers will leave your ministry. This is not bad if they were not gifted or passionate about their volunteerism in your ministry and if they move on to serve in other areas of ministry to discover their best fit.

Second, others will continue to volunteer and serve with you because they choose to do it. These are great people to have in your volunteer army.

#8 The efficacy factor
Do volunteers really understand the big picture: How what they are doing is contributing to the overall success of the mission and vision of the church?

Studies of effective public educators have found that successful teachers often share a common belief that they are making a difference in students' lives. Education experts call this "teacher efficacy." I believe the church needs to cultivate "volunteer efficacy."

When volunteers in the church, regardless of where they are serving, really understand how their service makes a significant contribution to the accomplishment of the church's overall mission and vision, then they tend to be motivated to serve. To say it another way, volunteers who understand the big picture and their role in seeing that picture realized are motivated volunteers.

Why? They are making a difference. They have volunteer efficacy.

On the other hand, if volunteers feel like they are simply filling a slot in the cogs of the ecclesiastical machinery known as your church, they will tend to be unmotivated.

#9 The gratitude factor
Are stellar volunteers recognized, publicly appreciated, and championed for their outstanding and sacrificial service?

Legendary leadership expert, Max Dupree, astutely notes that the last job of the leader is to say thank you. If you oversee volunteers and are not skilled at consistently saying thank you (verbally and in writing), you will not oversee many volunteers for long.

A very wise youth pastor friend of mine understands that without his volunteer workforce, his youth ministry would not be the dynamic life-changing force it currently is. So what does Bruce do to keep his volunteer team focused and motivated? He intentionally plans times of public recognition, thanks, and encouragement for those volunteers.

Bruce asked me to speak at a mini-retreat he planned for all the volunteer workers in his youth ministry. He rented a Victorian mansion and from Friday night until Saturday lunchtime, Bruce honored, rewarded, thanked, encouraged, and yes, motivated those who labor with him throughout the year.

We had a blast. The food was tremendous. And we stayed up late into the night laughing and playing games … like students! The whole thing ended at Bruce's church. There all the volunteer youth workers were honored with a great meal cooked and hosted by the students in his youth ministry.

After the retreat and lunch by the students, one of the adult volunteers commented to Bruce, "When people in this church find out how well you treat us, you'll have people lining up at your office door to volunteer to serve in the youth ministry."

Exactly the point I am trying to make. There is a connection between appreciation and motivation for volunteers in the church.

Most volunteers don't serve to be loved, appreciated and thanked. However, volunteers tend to flock where they are loved, appreciated and thanked.

Don't be like some leaders who neglect volunteers and take them for granted. These leaders then mount a soapbox to preach a sermon on commitment. Look in the mirror and ask yourself if you are doing a good job of publicly recognizing, appreciating and thanking those stellar volunteers who work along side you.

The volunteers in Bruce's ministry had their already high motivation level bumped up a notch that fun weekend. They were treated like kings and queens, which leads me to the next point.

#10 The fun factor
Are volunteers having fun volunteering and serving in the church?

In some churches having fun is the same as sinning. This ought not be. To have fun, according to behavioral scientist Dr. William Glasser, is one of our most basic needs in life.

Furthermore, Arthur Costa, an education expert who has identified 16 signs of intelligent behavior, lists a sense of humor as No. 8. If having a sense of humor is a sign of intelligence, I must be a genius!

For years I spoke mostly to students. My approach has always been to use humor to teach the truth of God's Word. As a "commudian" (part communicator and part comedian), I know that the shortest distance between two people is humor.

As God has expanded my ministry to training and mentoring adults, I have come to realize they like to learn and laugh too. I know that volunteering is not one big laughing festival, but from time to time a little fun should be involved.

Someone said that laughter is one of the telltale signs of the health of an organization. Furthermore, the authors of the book, "Fish: A Remarkable Way to Improve Morale and Boost Results," would argue that one of the keys to service motivation is play.

As the authors say, "Work made fun gets done." When is the last time you had a good laugh with the volunteers in your ministry or church?

Start by laughing at yourself. Then invite the volunteers to laugh along with you!

#11 The relationship factor
Are volunteers experiencing a sense of community with other volunteers?

There is something about serving alongside others that tends to make people bond. That is community.

Community is the natural byproduct of laboring in service with other. Since one of our most basic, God-given needs is to belong, it stands to reason that those volunteers who work together and experience genuine community with each other will most likely be motivated volunteers.

This is the relationship factor of motivation. Show me a volunteer who serves in relational isolation, and I'll show you a short-term volunteer.

Are the volunteers who work in your church and ministry experiencing community with other volunteers? Why or why not? Is working in your ministry more like a family or a business? What, specifically, can you do to create an environment of community among the volunteers under your care?

#12 The prayer factor
Are you praying by name for the volunteers in your ministry or church?

When you are trying to find volunteers, pray (Luke 10:2). When you are seeking to motivate volunteers to high levels of service for God's Kingdom, pray.

I don't understand how, through prayer, God often moves in someone's heart to serve Him. I just know that prayer moves the heart of God to move the heart of people.

And note well that motivating volunteers is truly a heart issue. When someone's heart is in something, they are motivated. You can use the first 11 motivating factors to motivate volunteers, but ultimately motivation is a heart thing-and thus, a God thing. Therefore, it is a prayer thing.

Who are your key volunteers? Name them. If you could put together a dream team of volunteers to work in your ministry, who from your church would be on that team? List them.

Why not stop right now and invest a few moments in prayer to God for some of your key and potential volunteers?

Bill Allison is the founder and director of Cadre International, a speaking and training ministry for volunteer church leaders, teachers, and youth workers.