Retro Post: What the church can learn from Ratatouille: Volunteer management

[Here is a post I did awhile back Mary-Kate posted a comment today so I thought I would bring it back up for debate or perhaps food for thought (pun intended)]

I saw this movie the other day and loved it. Pixar rocks. I thought there were quite a few clips that could be used as illustrations for kids or adults.

The first one I saw was in the opening sequence when Remy the rat first discovers he has a amazing sense of smell he knows that it is for something creative and good. He ends up saving his family from being killed because he could smell rat poison. How do they thank him. They make him the official food sniffer. They make him smell the garbage they are all eating. He ends up having to leave the family to find a place to express his gift.

I think the church does this to people all the time. We find out something that people are good at an make them do that instead of what they are passionate about. When someone comes to our church and we find out they are the best first grade teacher in city we in kidsmin start salivating. We can’t wait to get them plugged in doing something for our elementary aged kids. What I have found to be more effective is to interview that person find out what they love doing, just because someone does something for their job and just because someone is good at what they do for work doesn’t always mean they are passionate about it.

To find the best volunteers find out what love to do why they love it and make a place for them. Don’t try forcing people in to places you have created because you have a need alone, because someone else will come along and see the genius inside them. If you want to grow your volunteers know your volunteers.