Events

Pull your team together early. For large scale events like Lutheran Church of Hope’s annual Taste of Hope, which sees 8,000 attendees, Gail starts meeting with the event team – 10-12 key volunteers and staff members – about 6 months in advance of the event.

Let your point-people own their areas. Gail said she knows that micromanagement could kill the planning of large-scale events. That’s why she lets her trusted volunteers take charge of their areas. “Truly, they plan it—they tell me what’s going on, they get all the details.”

Take advantage of different methods for gathering volunteers. In addition to the main organizers of large events, you’ll need many more volunteers for the day of the event. In addition to your standard channels online and with tools like your newsletter and bulletin, encourage people to share calls for volunteers with their own social groups and networks.

Keep God at the center. “Every time we meet, we pray. ‘God, point us to the right direction on how we’re supposed to do this.’ I would never have thought that I would be able to throw a party for 8,000 people, but now I know that it’s possible if you’ve got a good structure and you’ve got God at the center.”