Volunteer Leaders: Identifying, Training & Supporting
In this Church Growth Incubator LABS call, the discussion focused on how fast-growing churches develop, train, and release volunteer leaders effectively. The session emphasized the importance of the 1:10 volunteer leader-to-attendee ratio, a critical benchmark for church health and engagement. Research showed that churches with strong volunteer leadership structures experience higher discipleship impact, increased volunteer engagement, and significant church growth.
The call outlined five key insights:
- Values Drive It All – Leadership development should align with a church’s core values.
- Define the Pathway – Clear, structured leadership pipelines create a consistent development process.
- Structured Application – Implementing an application process helps vet and place leaders effectively.
- Coaching & Mentoring – New leaders thrive with personal coaching relationships.
- Make It Progressive & Tiered – Leadership development should have clear levels and progressive training.
Two churches were highlighted as exemplary models:
- The Summit Church (NC) – Known for a structured, step-by-step leadership pipeline, including a high-capacity volunteer cohort.
- Liquid Church (NJ) – Implements a leadership pipeline that includes personal growth plans, hands-on experiences, and campus-specific leadership training.
Additionally, the call covered common obstacles churches face in developing volunteer leaders, including overloaded staff, complex onboarding processes, and inward-focused cultures. Practical takeaways were shared on simplifying onboarding, using mentoring frameworks, and structuring training materials.
The session concluded with upcoming training dates and the in-person retreat at Pantano Christian Church, with an RSVP deadline approaching.
0:00 - 2:30 | Introduction & Overview
- Welcome & purpose of the LABS call.
- How today’s session connects to invite culture & church growth.
- Focus on volunteer leader development in fast-growing churches.
2:30 - 5:30 | The 1:10 Volunteer Leader Ratio: Why It’s Critical
- Tony Morgan’s research: Volunteer leaders as a key church health metric.
- The 1:10 volunteer leader-to-attendee ratio benchmark.
- Why increasing volunteer leaders strengthens discipleship & retention.
5:30 - 9:50 | Why More Volunteer Leaders = More Church Growth
- Research-backed connection:
- More volunteer leaders → More engagement → Higher attendance growth.
- Churches with high volunteer engagement see 40% more decisions for Jesus.
- Financial impact:
- Churches with strong volunteer engagement tend to carry less debt.
9:50 - 14:30 | 3 Major Barriers That Hold Churches Back
- Overloaded Staff: Churches need to embrace Ephesians 4 leadership (equipping others).
- Complicated Onboarding: Too many steps discourage leadership growth.
- Inward-Focused Culture: If a church only serves itself, it struggles to develop leaders.
14:30 - 20:00 | Research Process: What Fast-Growing Churches Are Doing Differently
- Study of 26 of the top 100 fastest-growing churches.
- Deep dives with 13 churches that excel at volunteer leadership development.
- Extracted common strategies for building strong leadership pipelines.
20:00 - 26:30 | Insight #1: Values Drive Leadership Development
- Churches that tie leadership training to core values see higher retention.
- Examples:
- Northview Church: Leadership training focuses on “Love God, Love Each Other, Love Our World.”
- Rolling Hills Church: Uses a “Delegating the Core Values” leadership training course.
- The Journey Church: Jethro Leadership Principle (Exodus 18 model for leadership scaling).
26:30 - 32:50 | Insight #2: Defining the Leadership Pathway
- Most fast-growing churches use a 5-tier structure for leadership development:
- Volunteer → 2. Team Leader → 3. Coach → 4. Director → 5. Pastor/Staff.
- Mariners Church: Introduced Senior Coaches to oversee multiple leadership teams.
- Why many churches still separate volunteers & staff—and why that’s changing.
32:50 - 38:40 | Insight #3: Structured Application Process for Volunteer Leaders
- Volunteer leaders go through an additional application process beyond general volunteers.
- Key elements of the application process:
- Personal & spiritual assessment (faith journey, gifts assessment, experience).
- Commitment agreement (time expectations, leadership standards, lifestyle expectations).
- Leadership interview before final approval.
- Liquid Church: Blurring the line between staff & high-level volunteer leaders.
38:40 - 44:30 | Insight #4: Coaching & Mentoring as a Core Strategy
- Churches that require one-on-one mentoring see stronger leader retention.
- Dan Reiland’s Mentoring Model: Read a book → Discuss → Apply.
- Rich Birch’s Four P’s for Leadership Coaching:
- People – Checking in on relationships in their leadership area.
- Projects – What initiatives they are working on.
- Profits – Budget/resources needed for success.
- Prayer – How to support them spiritually.
44:30 - 49:00 | Insight #5: Leadership Training Should Be Progressive & Tiered
- Churches that use structured, step-by-step training see better engagement.
- Example from Peavine Baptist Church:
- Step 1: Discover your gifts & interests.
- Step 2: Placement into an entry-level leadership role.
- Step 3: Shadow an experienced leader.
- Step 4: Take ownership of a leadership role with ongoing mentoring.
- Training should NOT be a “menu” but a structured “pathway.”
49:00 - 52:30 | Best Church Models for Volunteer Leadership Development
- The Summit Church (NC):
- Highly structured, step-by-step leadership development process.
- Guest Services 101-401 & High-Capacity Volunteer Cohort.
- Liquid Church (NJ):
- Leadership pipeline with both content-based & hands-on training.
- Uses real-life leadership experiences as part of training.
52:30 - 54:30 | Honorable Mention: Two Cities Church & “The Weekender” Model
- The Weekender Model:
- Intensive Friday-Sunday onboarding for new volunteers.
- First pioneered by Mercy Hill Church (NC) & now used by Two Cities.
- More effective than multi-week onboarding classes.
54:30 - 55:49 | Final Announcements & Next Steps
- Upcoming Pantano Christian Church Retreat: RSVP deadline approaching.
- Encouragement to explore the training portal & begin implementing strategies.
- Follow-up on Done-for-You Social Media Campaign (reminder to use provided assets).
- Closing remarks & next steps for attendees.
Arise Church
www.myarisechurch.com
Assemblies of God Brandon, Florida
Founded: 1959 | Locations: 4 | Attendance: 1,504
Arise Church is launching A.L.P.S. (Arise Leadership Pathways) to identify, train, and empower volunteer leaders. Spearheaded by Community Pastor Tina Blount, this new initiative aims to provide a structured leadership development process.
- Leadership Development: A.L.P.S. is in early implementation, designed to move volunteers into leadership roles.
- Volunteer Identification: Leaders are selected through direct relationships and observation rather than formal applications.
- Growth & Challenges: Rapid expansion, including new Saturday and Spanish services, has increased the need for structured leadership training.
Arise Church is actively building a leadership pipeline to sustain growth and equip volunteers for long-term ministry impact.
Flatirons Community Church
Nondenominational Lafayette, Colorado
Founded: 1983 | Attendance: 10,945
Flatirons Community Church has a structured and intentional leadership development pipeline, ensuring that volunteers are properly onboarded, trained, and supported as they step into leadership roles. The process emphasizes long-term commitment, accountability, and spiritual growth in all volunteer positions.
- NextGen Leadership Development: Volunteers in NextGen Ministry (Kids & Students) commit to a one-year leadership agreement, which includes consistent service, spiritual accountability, and mentorship opportunities. Leaders must also uphold Flatirons' theological and moral values as role models for the next generation.
- Comprehensive Volunteer Onboarding: New volunteers undergo a multi-step process that includes an application, background check, staff interview, and shadowing current leaders before stepping into active roles.
- Ministry-Specific Training: Each ministry (e.g., Safety Team, Worship, Guest Services, Small Groups) has tailored onboarding processes that include training videos, mentorship, and structured follow-ups.
- Mentorship & Leadership Growth: Volunteers are encouraged to grow into leadership roles by demonstrating faithfulness and alignment with Flatirons’ mission. Team leads provide ongoing coaching and spiritual development to help volunteers deepen their commitment and impact.
Flatirons Community Church prioritizes both spiritual growth and leadership development, ensuring that volunteers progress through clear pathways and are well-supported as they take on greater responsibility in ministry.
Gathering Pointe Church
Lifepoint Church
Baptist - Southern Baptist Lewis Center, Ohio
Founded: 2004 | Locations: 3 | Attendance: 4,927
Lifepoint Church has a structured leadership pipeline that moves volunteers from serving roles into team leadership and coaching positions. Their approach emphasizes spiritual growth, leadership multiplication, and clear accountability.
- Lifeteam Leadership Development: Volunteers start by serving on Lifeteams (ministry-specific teams like Kids, Students, Worship, and Guest Services). Leadership roles emerge as volunteers demonstrate faithfulness, participate in discipleship, and receive coaching.
- Lifegroup Leadership Training: New Lifegroup leaders complete an orientation process, leadership expectations agreement, and coaching structure. Leaders are paired with a coach who provides ongoing mentorship and training. Leaders are also expected to empower others in their groups to step into leadership roles.
- Coaching System: Lifegroup leaders report to Campus Life Pastors and Coaches, ensuring a structured span of care. Leaders receive coaching huddles twice per term, and group multiplication is encouraged through mentorship.
- Leadership Commitment & Expectations: Volunteer leaders commit to a year-long leadership role, attending training huddles, leadership gatherings, and discipleship opportunities. They are expected to model Lifepoint’s core values, personal integrity, and active church participation.
Lifepoint Church’s volunteer leadership pipeline focuses on equipping, mentoring, and multiplying leaders, ensuring that volunteers don’t just serve, but develop into disciple-makers who lead and empower others.
Liquid Church
www.liquidchurch.com
Nondenominational Parsippany, New Jersey
Founded: 2007 | Locations: 7 | Attendance: 4,461
Liquid Church has a multi-tiered leadership pipeline designed to equip and develop lay leaders into high-capacity ministry roles. Their LEAD Program (Liquid Equipping and Discipleship) provides structured training, mentoring, and hands-on leadership opportunities to help volunteers progress into leadership and pastoral roles.
- LEAD Program:
- A structured leadership development plan that includes initial leadership training (2 years) and ongoing personal development.
- Training covers spiritual maturity, leadership skills, project management, and emotional intelligence.
- Leadership Pipeline for Lay Leaders:
- Volunteers move through training, leadership projects, and mentoring to develop their ministry capability and leadership readiness.
- A mentorship system pairs experienced leaders with developing leaders to provide ongoing coaching.
- Campus Leadership & Team Tracks:
- Two specialized tracks:
- Campus Leadership Track: Develops Campus Pastors, Associate Pastors, and Campus Managers.
- Campus Teams Track: Trains Family Ministry, Special Needs, High School, and Group Coordinators.
- Volunteers shadow leaders, lead projects, and manage teams before stepping into permanent leadership roles.
- Pastoral Development:
- Lay leaders considering pastoral roles can participate in additional training and take seminary-level courses for leadership certification.
Liquid Church’s highly structured leadership pipeline ensures that volunteers don’t just serve but grow into leadership roles through hands-on experience, structured training, and mentorship.
Mariner's Church
www.marinerschurch.org
Nondenominational Irvine, California
Founded: 1965 |Locations: 7 | Attendance: 17,096
Mariners Church has a structured leadership pipeline focused on developing, mentoring, and multiplying volunteer leaders. Their coaching model ensures that leaders shepherd, equip, and empower teams while progressing through clear leadership levels.
- Coaching Leadership Model:
- Coaches serve as shepherd-leaders, guiding and mentoring volunteers spiritually and operationally.
- Senior Coaches mentor and develop other coaches, ensuring structured leadership support.
- Leadership Pipeline Progression:
- Four levels: Volunteer → Leader → Ministry Director → Senior Leadership.
- Each level has defined responsibilities, competencies, and leadership expectations.
- Development Process for Leaders:
- Structured coaching playbook provides clear expectations, training, and mentoring paths.
- Leaders are developed through relationship-building, team empowerment, and strategic leadership training.
- Key Leadership Competencies:
- Mariners focuses on vision, discipleship, teamwork, stewardship, people development, and strategy to ensure sustained leadership growth.
Mariners Church's intentional coaching and leadership development model ensures volunteers don’t just serve but grow into leadership roles through mentoring, structured progression, and hands-on leadership opportunities.
Northview Church
www.northviewchurch.us
Nondenominational Carmel, Indiana
Founded: 1980 | Attendance: 9,114
Northview Church has a structured leadership pipeline that moves volunteers from serving roles into team leadership and eventually ministry oversight through intentional training, mentorship, and structured pathways. Their system ensures volunteers don’t just serve, but lead teams and develop future leaders.
- Engagement Engines for Leadership Identification:
- Next Experience, Valor (Men’s Gathering), and That Girl (Women’s Gathering) serve as entry points for potential leaders, providing clear next steps into serving and small groups.
- “ICNU” Conversations – Staff members intentionally identify high-capacity leaders and personally invite them into greater leadership.
- Leadership Structure & Progression:
- Volunteers progress through six leadership levels:
- Team Member (General volunteer)
- Room Lead (Oversees a classroom or group)
- Team Trainer (Coaches and trains new volunteers)
- Team Lead (Leads a specific ministry team)
- Ministry Associate (High-capacity leader overseeing multiple teams)
- Staff (Paid leadership roles)
- Each ministry (Kids, Guest Experience, Groups, etc.) follows this clear leadership pipeline, ensuring volunteers always see a “next step” for their leadership journey.
- Volunteers progress through six leadership levels:
- Ministry Associate Program:
- Over 115 volunteer leaders serve as Ministry Associates (MAs), taking on staff-level leadership responsibilities while remaining unpaid.
- MAs receive coaching, personal scorecards for ministry impact, church email accounts, access to leadership events, and inclusion in staff huddles.
- This program creates a sustainable leadership structure without increasing paid staff roles.
- Test Drive Onboarding for Quick Volunteer Placement:
- Northview eliminates lag time between a volunteer’s interest and their start date.
- Using the "Serve Finder" tool, volunteers schedule their own Test Drive to experience a serving role before fully committing.
- After shadowing a team, they either join immediately or go through additional onboarding based on the ministry's needs.
- Ongoing Training & Support:
- Leaders use structured handbooks, coaching check-ins, and huddles to keep teams aligned.
- Every leader mentors and develops those under them, ensuring leadership multiplication.
Northview Church’s volunteer leadership pipeline is highly intentional, ensuring that leaders are identified, invited, and equipped to take increasing levels of responsibility. Their Ministry Associate Program and Test Drive model provide a scalable approach to developing high-capacity volunteer leaders, making leadership growth both accessible and sustainable.
Peavine Church
Baptist – Southern Baptist Rock Spring, Georgia
Founded: 1836 | Locations: 3 | Attendance: 2,008
Peavine Church has a structured volunteer leadership pipeline that moves people from attending to serving to leading. Their Step One process provides a clear pathway for identifying and equipping new leaders, ensuring volunteers discover their gifts, receive training, and step into leadership roles.
- Step One Leadership Pipeline:
- Volunteers begin with Step One, a pre-class assessment and leadership discovery process.
- The S.H.A.P.E. Assessment helps identify spiritual gifts, passions, abilities, personality, and experiences to match volunteers with the right ministry fit.
- Volunteers are personally coached and placed into ministries where they can serve and grow into leadership.
- One Team Leadership Development:
- The One Team Application screens potential leaders to ensure alignment with Peavine’s mission, spiritual beliefs, and commitment to church leadership.
- High-potential leaders receive additional training and mentorship to step into team leadership roles.
- Post-Class Leadership Placement & Follow-Up:
- Volunteers meet with staff leaders to discuss their ministry fit and next steps.
- Ongoing coaching ensures volunteers are developed into team leaders over time.
Peavine Church intentionally develops volunteers into leaders by helping them discover their gifts, receive hands-on training, and grow through structured leadership opportunities.
Rolling Hills Community Church
Baptist – Southern Baptist Franklin, Tennessee
Founded: 2003 | Locations: 5 | Attendance: 2,613
Rolling Hills Community Church has a structured leadership pipeline that moves volunteers through progressive leadership levels, from Core Team Members to Team Directors and eventually Core Team Staff. This tiered system ensures intentional leadership development, mentorship, and accountability.
- Core Team Member: Volunteers start by serving in ministry teams such as Guest Services, Worship, or Family Ministry. They support church activities and work under team leaders.
- Core Team Leader: Those who demonstrate leadership potential step into leadership roles by overseeing small groups, ministry teams, or Sunday service teams. Leaders sign a Ministry Covenant and must display spiritual maturity and leadership skills.
- Core Team Coach: Coaches mentor and train team leaders, providing leadership development and problem-solving support. Coaches help equip leaders to handle challenges and disciple their teams effectively.
- Core Team Director: Directors oversee entire ministry areas, ensuring alignment with the church’s vision and developing long-term leadership strategies. Directors manage volunteer recruitment, training, and engagement.
- Core Team Staff: High-capacity volunteer leaders may serve as part-time unpaid staff members, taking on significant ministry oversight roles. These individuals receive staff training, access to leadership resources, and formal recognition as key leaders.
Rolling Hills Community Church develops leaders through a clear progression, ensuring that volunteers receive mentorship, training, and leadership opportunities as they grow into higher-capacity roles within the church.
The Journey Church
Association of Related Churches Newark, Delaware
Founded: 2007 | Locations: 12| Attendance: 2,576
The Journey Church has a structured leadership pipeline based on the Jethro Principle, ensuring leaders are developed through progressive responsibility, mentorship, and assessment. Their Steps of Leadership Process helps volunteers move from serving roles into team leadership, equipping them for greater impact in ministry.
- Leadership Development Structure: Leadership is distributed across five levels—Directors oversee Assistant Directors, who lead Area Coordinators, who lead Team Leaders, who lead J-Team members. This model fosters scalability and personal discipleship.
- Identifying and Developing Leaders: Leaders are selected based on five core leadership characteristics:
- Strong character and alignment with church beliefs.
- Ownership mentality—leaders take responsibility for their actions and team.
- Commitment to growth—willingness to develop spiritually and lead others.
- Empowerment mindset—focused on raising up new leaders.
- Faithful participation in church life, including giving and serving.
- Multi-Step Onboarding & Assessment: New leaders must complete a Steps of Leadership assessment, followed by structured interviews and mentoring with a director and a secondary leader.
- Leadership Reproduction Expectation: Leaders must replace themselves before stepping into higher roles, ensuring continuous multiplication of leadership.
The Journey Church ensures long-term leadership sustainability by equipping volunteers to grow, disciple others, and take on increasing levels of responsibility within the church.
The Summit Church
Baptist - Southern Baptist Durham, North Carolina
Founded: 1961 | Locations: 13 | Attendance: 12,330
The Summit Church has a highly structured, disciple-making approach to volunteer leadership, focusing on clear onboarding, mentorship, and leadership pipelines across ministries. Their leadership development strategy ensures volunteers start with small responsibilities and progress toward greater influence through structured training and mentorship.
- Worship Leadership Development: Summit Worship trains and mentors worship leaders through an apprenticeship model, offering choir participation, worship team roles, and internships that can lead to full-time ministry. Their Summit Worship Leader Pipeline ensures that leaders are developed and sent out to serve both within Summit and beyond.
- Summit Kids Leadership Pipeline: Volunteers in Summit Kids follow a progressive leadership track from middle school through adulthood, where they start as assistants and small-group leaders and eventually mentor younger leaders. This model intentionally builds leaders over time by equipping them with both ministry and life skills.
- Volunteer Onboarding Process: New volunteers go through structured onboarding, including training videos, quizzes, shadowing sessions, and mentorship with team leads. The process ensures that every volunteer is properly equipped, confident, and supported before taking on responsibilities.
- Team Lead Development: Summit invests in team leads who serve as coaches for new volunteers, ensuring a strong culture of mentorship and leadership multiplication.
The Summit Church emphasizes long-term leadership development by ensuring volunteers experience discipleship, training, and mentorship at every stage of their journey, equipping them for impactful service both in the church and beyond.
Two Cities Church
www.twocitieschurch.net
Baptist - Southern Baptist Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Founded: 2016 | Attendance: 2,895
Two Cities Church has a structured, intentional approach to leadership development, ensuring that volunteers and leaders grow through clear pathways, relational investment, and incremental responsibility. Their process spans across membership integration, student ministry leadership, and community group development, creating a pipeline from attendee to leader to staff.
- The Weekender Experience: A structured onboarding event that introduces new attendees to the church, helps them find their place in serving, and sets them on a pathway toward leadership.
- Step-by-Step Leadership Development: Volunteers start small, proving faithfulness in serving roles before moving into leadership, with clear assessments and mentorship at every stage.
- Student Ministry Leadership Pipeline: Focuses on high standards for conduct, relational mentorship, and clear onboarding processes to develop leaders who disciple students effectively.
- Community Group Leadership Growth: Uses an apprenticeship model, where potential leaders serve under experienced leaders before leading their own groups, ensuring sustainable leadership expansion.
Two Cities Church is highly systematic in developing leaders, balancing relational discipleship with structured training to ensure volunteers are equipped, supported, and empowered for long-term ministry impact.
Victory Life Church
Nondenominational Battle Creek, Michigan
Founded: 2002 | Locations: 2 | Attendance: 2,092
Victory Life Church has a structured leadership development process that moves individuals from first-time guests to ministry leaders and even pastoral staff roles. Their approach focuses on systematizing leadership growth while ensuring character and spiritual maturity before promotion.
- Guest Engagement & Connection: First-time guests who submit a connection card receive a gift box (pastor’s book, journal, etc.) and are entered into a four-week texting follow-up with a pastor.
- Growth Track & Serving: Encourages guests to attend Growth Track, which introduces them to the church and helps them find serving opportunities.
- Life Group Involvement: Serving is connected with Life Group participation, creating deeper relational engagement.
- Incremental Leadership Testing: Volunteers showing promise are given small leadership tasks before larger responsibilities.
- Leadership Progression: Volunteers who excel are mentored by pastors, leading to team leadership roles (ushers, greeters, etc.) and potential staff positions.
- Staff & Pastoral Development: Staff members are promoted based on faithfulness, alignment with core values, and calling. Many pastors have risen through the entire pipeline over years.
- Guardrails Against Premature Promotion: A focus on character and spiritual readiness prevents premature leadership placements, ensuring long-term success.