At a recent staff meeting, our Volunteer & Donor Engagement Coordinator, Heather, prayed a simple prayer that caused me to stop and write it down in my notes.
"Lord, give us wisdom to know what to communicate and when."
I haven't been able to shake those words.
The timing was fitting because that morning we had done something a little different. Instead of praying as we normally do, everyone was given a card with another area of our ministry to pray for. For example, the team member leading Volunteer & Donor Engagement was invited to pray for Family Care. The team member leading Church and Community Engagement was invited to pray for Intake. Others prayed over our communications, our operations, our church and community engagement, and so on.
It was a simple exercise, but it reminded us that none of us serves alone. And it is the same with our volunteer team. Whether you're welcoming a new volunteer, caring for a family, answering the support line, building relationships with churches, praying faithfully behind the scenes, or serving in another role, we are all part of one mission.
And we all need to be reminded: Serving people is knowing when to speak, when to wait, when to encourage, when to ask questions, and when to simply pray.
Serving people always means weighing carefully what and how we communicate.
Proverbs 15:28 says, "The heart of the righteous weighs its answers." What a beautiful picture of thoughtful, prayerful leadership and faithful service.
As you serve this week in your home, your church, your workplace, or through Alongside, I hope you'll join me in praying Heather's words: Lord, give us wisdom to know what to communicate and when.
It's a prayer worth carrying into every conversation, every text, every phone call, every email, and every relationship.