In many churches, the fall usually brings new volunteers. As people settle into new schedules post-vacation they often decide to get plugged in at church and try some volunteer opportunities.
When someone decides to take the step and begin volunteering, it’s important for them to be able to identify a clear process from initial interest to actual volunteering. You don’t want to lose them in the training process or for it to be so disorganized and confusing that they become discouraged and decide not to volunteer after all.
Realm makes sure that doesn’t happen and that your volunteers successfully go from signing up to stepping into their volunteer role.
How does Realm make this happen?
- Handle background checks – Realm uses an integrated church background check service to make sure each volunteer is cleared to serve. This initial step is of the utmost importance, and Realm helps you keep track of everyone’s status and verification.
- Train your volunteers for ministry – Through the Training Pathways component, Realm guides volunteers through each stage of the training process. It will monitor their progress and keep them and you up to date with timelines for completion. It also assigns a pastoral staff member to them for individual follow up. Your volunteers will only be as successful as their training, and Realm helps you make sure each volunteer is trained and equipped.
- Create serving groups – Realm helps organize your church volunteers into different groups based on their gifts and talents. You can build ministry teams based on where and when they serve and from these ministry teams organize how you want your volunteer groups structured. Community is born from these ministry teams serving together. Realm helps you stay organized and create a greater community.
- Track volunteer attendance – Realm uses a volunteer check-in kiosk to help track volunteer attendance. This helps you know, as a leader, where everyone is and to make sure every area is covered. It promotes accountability and also connection. You and the other leaders will be able to see who has missed a week or a series of weeks. This allows you to contact your volunteer who has been absent to connect, check in with them, and make sure they are doing okay or if they have a need you can meet.
- Promote communication – Through Realm you can easily communicate with an individual in a group or to a volunteer group as a whole. This helps streamline announcements, specific needs, changes that your volunteers need to know about, and gives you a place to encourage your volunteers as well. Good communication with volunteers is key to a successful ministry.
Your church may have Realm, but not be fully utilizing it. As you look toward the fall and start planning for training your new volunteers to take some time to make sure you are using these 5 components. It will make your job easier and your volunteers more connected.
Does the software have volunteer scheduling? Meaning is there a place where we can create a volunteer schedule?
Hi Candice. Volunteer scheduling is on our 2020 roadmap for Realm and will be available in the software later this year.
Does Realm have the actual training videos? Or is Realm used more as a tool to make sure whatever volunteer training you use is completed?
Thank you.
Does Realm have an option for having volunteers sign up on Realm for specific dates (think like you’d see for signing up to being people meals)
Hi Jennifer. That specific feature is slated to be released in the next couple of months. Realm does currently have the ability to allow congregants to set their own preferences for where and how often they’d like to serve and to select specific dates that they can/cannot serve. If you have any additional questions, please let us know. God bless!