Six Big Shifts In How People Volunteer—And How To Respond, with Laurie Graham (Ep 121)

“If your systems assume long-term commitments, you’ll miss out on good people who’d love to help short-term. Rethink the length and structure of roles.”

February 5, 2026

by Karl Vaters

People don’t volunteer like they used to. They’re not less committed, it’s just different now.

I talked with Laurie Graham about some of the big ways volunteerism has changed and how we, as church leaders, can respond to these trends. Our conversation covers how church volunteerism has been affected by people’s changing schedules, their desire for deeper meaning, the need to restore their trust, and more.

Laurie runs SmallChurchMinistry.com, an online ministry that provides resources and support for volunteers and ministry leaders in smaller churches.

This is Laurie’s second time in The Church Lobby (click here for Practical Ideas that Work In Small Churches, with Laurie Acker).

Bonus Content

Rethinking Church Programs for Volunteer Flexibility, with Laurie Graham

Karl Vaters talks with Laurie Graham of SmallChurchMinistry.com about different ways we, as church leaders, can start to change church programs that were originally designed for the way people used to volunteer, into ministry that works for the more personal, seasonal way people live and commit today.

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Credits

Producer: Veronica Beaver

Editor: Phil Vaters

Music: Composed and performed by Jack Wilkins

Logo: by Solomon Joy

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Author

Karl Vaters

Karl Vaters produces resources for Helping Small Churches Thrive at KarlVaters.com.

He's the author of five books on church leadership, including his newest, De-Sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next. His other books include The Grasshopper Myth and Small Church Essentials.

Karl also hosts a bi-weekly podcast, The Church Lobby: Conversations on Faith & Ministry, featuring in-depth interviews about topics that concern pastors, especially those who minister in a small church context. He has served in small-church ministry for over 40 years, so he speaks and writes from decades of hands-on pastoral experience.

You can follow Karl on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, and LinkedIn, or Contact Karl to inquire about speaking, writing, and consultation.

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