While running errands one day, I ran into three members of my small church. The first person recently had been named head of the congregational care committee. When I asked about her new job, she replied, "It'll be easy. We all know everything about each other."

Later I saw a member who was beginning his 20th year as a Sunday school teacher. He said, "You know, I've been teaching so long that nobody thinks I can do anything else. I'd love to use my handyman skills at church and take a break from teaching, but I don't know how to tell everyone I want to do something new."

The third member told me she was completing a Web-design certification program. "I haven't told anyone at church," she said. "Everyone thinks of me as the accounting person. I'd love to quit being treasurer and develop a Web site for our church. But if I quit, who'd be treasurer?"

This is a common problem in small churches with many longtime members. People fall into roles, and—because the church is small—the tendency is to keep people there. Volunteering becomes a duty, and people serve out of guilt. Motivation drops and eventually people quit (or worse, leave!) because they're so burned out.

This isn't good ministry. Each member brings different talents and gifts to the body of Christ, and these abilities change over time. Helping people use their skills is part of genuine, caring ministry that builds up the church. Good "people ministry" involves asking, listening, and then responding.

Wonderful things happen when church members look at each other with fresh eyes. Some ideas for implementing this approach:

Nancy Giehl is with Volunteer Management Associates in Boulder, Colo.

Copyright © 2005 Group's Church Volunteer Central.