Our community is primarily made possible by the contribution of our many volunteers. We recognize that good Volunteer Management Practices allow our Volunteers to feel safe, prepared, well-informed and appreciated for church work that uses their gifts and talents and offers them opportunities to grow.

Our Philosophy of Sound Volunteer Management is expressed by the Vision Statement of our Volunteer Coordination Committee which says:

"We commit to creating a safe and nurturing community where the physical, emotional and spiritual safety of members, adherents, staff and visitors of all ages is honoured, recognized, protected and celebrated. We do this by developing and implementing policy, terms of reference, job descriptions, orientation, training and developing methods for supporting the discernment of individual gifts that make clear our expectation of healthy community."

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

The goals of a volunteer co-ordination program should be to assist members of the church to discover their gifts and talents; to find the place in which those talents can be best utilized in a way that serves both the volunteer and the mission of the church; and to minimize risk to volunteers and to the church.

Such a program should consistently and systematically:

o Offer opportunities for members to identify ministry areas of interest, to understand the commitment required in various church roles, and to use their skills and talents with the aid of written job descriptions, training and orientation.

o Provide opportunities for volunteers to gain insights, knowledge and experience and to develop the skills and capabilities, in areas such as leadership, fund-raising, financial co-ordination and education, that are necessary in order to assure the sustainability and build the effectiveness of church programs.

o Provide support to volunteers, which would include opportunities for feedback and evaluation.

o Address safety through screening for positions of greatest trust or responsibility.

"We, the First Unitarian Church of Hamilton, believe our volunteers are the lifeblood of our community. Only with their contributions can we succeed in our goals of ministry to all.

Volunteers grow spiritually, emotionally and intellectually within these walls and guided by our mission and the Unitarian Universalist principles, they contribute their love, time, talents and energy to our faith. To that extent, we commit to the practices of sound volunteer management that will recognize, train, celebrate and protect the volunteer and provide a safe environment for all."

For more information contact: volunteercoordination@firstunitarianhamilton.org