'Tis the season to think about end-of-the-year thank you cards and Christmas gifts for the volunteers in your ministry. Christmas time comes as ministry budgets are running on empty fumes and staffs have hectic schedules. Below are five easy and inexpensive holiday gift ideas for the volunteers at your church.
Instead of generic Christmas cards for your volunteers, why not ask the kids and teens of your church to draw, paint, or make a craft for your church’s volunteers? A handmade Christmas card from preschoolers in the Children’s Ministry will be adored by a member of the Tech Team. Likewise, a Christmas card made by the teenagers in the Student Ministry will be treasured by a member of the Welcome Team. Work to collaborate across ministries of your church as you work to celebrate Christmas and thank volunteers together.
Do you have a worship volunteer who walks in with a cup of Starbucks every Sunday? Or a parking lot attendant who holds a Sonic drink while they greet visitors on Sunday morning? You can gift specific gift cards to specific people or you could take the shotgun approach and buy gift cards from lots of different locations and let volunteers pick their favorite. Know that no matter how small the dollar amount, they will know they are appreciated when they get a treat from you.
Here at Vanderbloemen Search Group, we appreciate a good pair of “fun socks.” We get a kick out of wearing our #Vandersocks and love sharing them with our friends. If you don’t have the time or resources to have socks made with your church logo on them, don’t worry! Pick up fun Christmas Socks at any store, attach them with a note of thanks (“Thank you from the bottom of my feet” or “You rocked my socks off, thank you!”) and you are done!
Let’s be honest, trinket gifts usually don’t last more than 5 minutes before they get broken or thrown away, and we usually regret the gifts of chocolate and candy immediately after eating them. Organizations like Heifer International, Living Water, Compassion International, Christian Vision, Samaritan’s Purse, and many others make donating life-changing gifts in honor of an individual or a group fast and easy. Once you make the donation, tuck a note inside a Christmas card to each volunteer saying that you made this donation in their honor. Not only will they appreciate that they have one less piece of candy or trinket in their possession, but they will be thankful for the worldwide impact they made.
Use Christmas time as an opportunity to build culture and collective memories by hosting a party. Parties can range from fancy hors d'oeuvres parties to low-key “Let’s eat pizza, watch Home Alone, and play Christmas Pictionary” parties. Whatever type of party you choose to host, be sure to plan on personally saying “Thank you” to each of your volunteers there.