Before I go any further, let me say thank you for taking time to read my blog. Knowing I have a growing audience keeps me going. So thank you.
The importance of gratitude struck me after encountering a few related posts in a short period of time:
- Guy Kawasaki wrote about the “Gift of Work,” linking to “Jesus & Your Job” by Nancy Ortberg, who explains how to find meaning in whatever work we do, no matter how seemingly insignificant or important the task. It reminded me of a maxim I once heard: there’s no such thing as a dead-end job; not having a job when you need one is a dead end, but the job itself isn’t a dead end. Always show respect for and interest in everyone who serves us, whether they are paid or unpaid.
- Phil at Vibrance in Ministry! wrote about thanking volunteers.
- Catholic Carnival 109 included my 40 ideas for Lent post, for which I’m thankful; and I’m appreciative of the rich variety of meaningful posts in this week’s Carnival.
Gotta run now to thank some volunteers–but before I go, how are you going to express your gratitude to someone this week?
Church Mojo 
Enjoyed the post. And thanks for bringing Phil’s blog to my attention. Have you ever thought about *how* we thank our volunteers?
Gary Chapman wrotea book called “The Five Love Languages” in which he describes various ways in which people express love and wish to have love expressed to them. The church I used to belong to (before moving to another city) was training its team leaders to use these principles to be better at expressing gratitude.
Thanks, Steve. Looks like some interesting information you suggested there at Gary’s http://www.fivelovelanguages.com/ site.
From my employee communications training, I find that the most effective thank-you’s to volunteers are timely, include specifics, are tied to a larger endeavor/purpose, have a personal touch, and in some cases are public where appropriate.