The one-page handoff

You made the ask. Somebody said yes. That's worth celebrating.

But here's what often happens next. Two weeks later, the new volunteer calls on Saturday night. Where are the extra bulletins? Who has the key to the closet? Do we still pray before the offering? By the third call, it feels easier to do it yourself. So you take it back, and you're right where you started.

Most handoffs don't fail because the volunteer isn't willing. They fail because everything they need to know is still in the pastor's head.

Paul's handoff to Timothy

Near the end of his life, Paul told Timothy to take what he had heard from him and commit it "to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also" (2 Timothy 2:2). The Greek word for commit is paratithemi (to place beside, to entrust for safekeeping). It's the picture of setting something valuable down in front of someone and saying, "This is yours now. Take care of it."

You can't place something beside a person if it only exists in your memory. It has to be written down.

What goes on the card

Keep it to one page. If it takes more than that, the task is probably too big for one person, and you should split it. Every card needs five things:

1. What. One sentence on the task and why it matters.
2. When. The day, the time, and how long it usually takes.
3. Where things are. Keys, supplies, passwords to the sound board, the spare box of crayons.
4. Who to call. One name and a phone number for questions. Try to make it someone other than you.
5. What "done" looks like. How they'll know the job is finished and finished well.

An example

Sunday coffee and welcome table

What: Set up coffee and snacks so visitors feel welcome the moment they walk in.

When: Sundays, 9:30 to 9:50 a.m., about 20 minutes. Clean-up is 10 minutes after service.

Where things are: Coffee, filters and cups are in the kitchen cabinet left of the sink. The key is on the red hook in the office.

Who to call: Brenda Wilson, 555-0142.

Done looks like: Coffee is hot by 9:50, the guest cards and pens are out, and the kitchen is wiped down before you leave.

That's it. Anyone could pick that up and do it on their first Sunday.

Then let them own it

This is the hard part for many of us. The first time your volunteer sets the table differently than you would, leave it alone. If it isn't wrong, it's just theirs. Taking it back the first time something looks different tells them they were never trusted in the first place.

Paul reminds us that the Holy Spirit gives each believer a gift "to profit withal" (1 Corinthians 12:7), for the good of the whole church. When you hand someone a task and step back, you make room for the Spirit to work through them in ways you might not have planned.

When the early church chose the seven in Acts 6, the apostles prayed over them and laid hands on them before they started. Consider doing a small version of that. Pray with your volunteer before their first Sunday. It tells them the job is ministry, not just a chore.

Start with one card

Pick the task you most want off your plate. Take 15 minutes this week and write the card. Hand it to the person who said yes, walk through it together once, and then let it go.

That hour is yours again, and someone else gets to use their gift.