Good, hard-working, self-sacrificing Christian people are out there. Working with existing non-profits is the most effective way to help our communities where they need it most.
There is a lot of work that goes into doing good outreach and service:
Non-profit organizations are already doing all these things, and have the infrastructure already built to make things easier.
In my experience, the reason why most churches insist on doing everything themselves is they want to control two primary things:
They want to ensure the volunteers have a great and smooth experience.
They want to make sure the messaging aligns with the church's values.
There is nothing necessarily wrong with these things, but most churches do not have a paid staff member who only handles Outreach - many times this is a volunteer position.
Instead of relying on volunteers to handle the massive organizational complexities that go into a successful outreach program, why not just partner with existing non-profits that align with your church's values and interests, and focus all your effort on mobilizing volunteers?
This is where the Church can step in and play a pivotal role.
Churches can vet and interview non-profits to carefully choose a handful to really focus on. The church can spotlight these non-profits and really partner with them to help them scale their impact in the local community.
When I have volunteered with non-profits in the past, I am often meeting and talking to people outside my normal circle. This is a huge area of opportunity for Christians to be able to spread and share the hope of Jesus.
Instead of a church trying to control the volunteer experience and branding, the church can focus on equipping their members to bring the message out into the community and develop relationships.
Organizations already exist to serve people in our communities, and they already have an entire structure built to manage all the back office administerial tasks.
Why shouldn't we just partner with them and spend our time and energy serving?
This isn't a revolutionary idea. It is a simple one. But it requires sacrifice. Our churches have to relinquish some control, and shift their focus from controlling the structure of volunteering, to equipping the volunteers.
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