What are your Buzz Words?

Many churches spend hours writing out policy manuals that nobody is reading. 

While I think it’s a good idea to get things in writing for reference, the truth is that most of your volunteers will not read the training manual, much less memorize your policies. 

One of the best ways to train and mentor volunteers is to devise short catchphrases that are easy to memorize. These catchphrases can become buzzwords that are part of your culture. 

Here are some of mine. The catchphrases are in bold. 

• Take the Stress off of Sunday – I say this a lot. Sunday is about the kids and the volunteers. If you can do something on another day of the week to get ready, then do it. 
• Test Everything – Test every object lesson, song, video, slide, microphone, and message. Practice your transitions, so things go smoothly. We have a dress rehearsal every weekend, so we are not practicing on the kids. 
• Never Work Alone – It’s boring to work alone. If you find one person to help you, it will cut your time in half and you are training someone else to do what you are doing. 
• Delegate Everything You Can – Don’t fall into the trap that you are the one getting paid, so you should do the work. Delegation is a win/win. You can get more done, and other people are learning new skills. If you have to do it all yourself, it will all fall apart when you can’t be there or leave. 
• Lead By Asking Questions – if you want to bring about change in somebody’s heart, you can’t just tell them what to do. You have to help them think it through for themselves. Once it becomes ‘their idea,’ it will stay with them. 
• Can You Help? I ask for help all the time. This is a good question for the subject line in an email. I get favorable responses to this simple question. 

So there you have it. What are some of your catchphrases?