How it compares
Average tenure14 months
Volunteers as a share of regulars~42%
First-90-day drop-off~30%
By church size
Under 200
55%
Most hands on deck200–500
47%
500–2,000
40%
2,000+
33%
What the above-average churches share
- 01A real onboarding moment, not a cold drop into the deep end
- 02A named team leader who notices when someone goes missing
- 03Clear, bounded roles — with an honorable off-ramp when seasons change
Worth trying
- ✦A personal ask beats a stage announcement roughly 5 to 1
- ✦"Serve once" try-it events convert better than open calls
- ✦Existing volunteers recruiting friends is the top channel
Sources
- Faith Communities Today (FACT) survey
- Barna Research
- Lifeway Research