Book Review: The Volunteer Revolution

I love to see people thrive in meaningful volunteer ministry roles.  It is so much fun to see electricians discover that they can use their skills not just to earn a living, to further God's purposes by wiring houses and repairing outlets for single parents.  It is equally enjoyable, however, to see see other electricians who prefer to leave their wire strippers at work and use their spare time to do what they love, whether it is teaching toddlers or running a sound system.  This is the thesis of Bill Hybels' book, The Volunteer Revolution: Unleashing the Power of Everybody.

At just under 130 pages, Hybels does not offer a theoretical or scholarly essay of volunteerism, nor does he cover the spiritual gifts in depth.  He does not here offer a training manual for launching a ministry (see his other works for that).  What he does is encourage pastors and lay leaders to further volunteer engagement.

If you are a faithful church member who is longing to make a difference with your time and energy, pick up this book.  You will be inspired to get off the bleachers, put on a Jersey and lace up your shoes.  You will hear the stories of others who got involved.  Maybe you have been faithfully volunteering for years and, for some reason, are wondering if it is time to find a new ministry.  This book will help you to see the hundreds of places to give your time.  This book could be the catalyst you need to discover the new ministry God has for you!

If you are a pastor, this book will inspire you to continue to invest in volunteers (in spite of the fact that they sometimes make your job harder when you think they should be making it easier.)  If you are teaching a series on every-member-ministry, Hybels offers great insights into the Biblical stories you might teach from.

If you are a church leader, or the volunteerism coordinator of a church or non-profit, Hybels offers some very practical help for engaging first-time volunteers, as well as helping seasoned volunteers evaluate and assess their ministry effectiveness.