Firing Fallout: Helping the Fired Volunteer Succeed
So, you had to fire a volunteer – now what? Here are some final thoughts on dealing with the firing fallout to make it a success for everyone involved:
- Suggest that they take up to 6 months off to refresh themselves and give them time to recover from the firing
- Recommend some para-church ministries that may allow them to serve outside of church, where they have less emotions due to the firing
- Spend time with them in prayer and Bible study to build them up spiritually
- Encourage the volunteer to find another outlet to serve – perhaps another ministry if appropriate. Be careful, as this will only work if the heart issue has been resolved or will not surface again under a different environment
- When they start to serve again, help them find something simple that they can enjoy. If they were leading a team previously, recommend that they could find a different ministry and just serve as a team member for a time rather than lead
If the volunteer is not willing to learn and grow from the situation, it may be time to let them go. Jesus talked about this in Luke 14:
Luke 14:34-35 (NIV):
“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile…”
Firing a volunteer isn’t easy, but it is sometimes necessary. Spend plenty of time praying over the situation to ensure that you are pursuing the proper reasoning and approach. If the volunteer is willing, work with them afterward to help grow them back. If they are unwilling, be open to letting them go.
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