While every volunteer plays a vital role in making our ministry possible, we refer to certain volunteers here at Union Gospel Mission as “high impact” volunteers. The high impact volunteer title and program model did not originate through Union Gospel Mission, but UGM learned about the program through an organization called Newell & Associates. According to Al Newell, the high impact model involves “an organizationwide commitment to select and disciple volunteers to effectively reach kingdom goals.” The high impact volunteers within that model is specifically selected to serve in a given volunteer position. For UGM, this position typically requires a weekly commitment of at least four hours or more, or  is a position that directly relates to the LifeChange recovery community. Such roles include lobby desk volunteers, teachers, mentors, children’s workers, and many more. This does not mean that any particular volunteer role would be considered less than any other. However, certain roles require a greater commitment, and specific skill-set while offering a unique opportunity to affect the core of UGM’s ministries.

At UGM, we believe that every volunteer comes to us through God’s design, and our job and responsibility is to steward each volunteer well. As such, we use a volunteer process that seeks to unearth each person’s individual gifts, heart, and skill-set. We then align those with the best possible volunteer position. It is our heart’s desire to see God’s kingdom come through the work that we do here. We know that this most likely happens when we have the right volunteers (and staff) in the right positions using their God-given gifts, hearts, and skill-sets to further the kingdom work that we do here.

By pursuing the high impact model, we invite God into the process of recruiting, selecting, and training volunteers while we open the door to even greater impact. UGM values its high impact volunteers, not because of how hard they work or how much money they save us – though, certainly, we appreciate those things – but because of the volunteers’ personalities, and their willingness to invest their lives in meaningful kingdom work here at the mission. We cannot  measure the true value of a high impact volunteer; however, UGM’s high impact volunteers absolutely play essential roles in every aspect of our ministry.

Click here to read about our high impact volunteer, Paul Schramm!  Or find out how YOU can become a high impact volunteer by signing up to attend a Volunteer Encounter!

Volunteer Director, Teresa Dosh, wrote this article and oversees all volunteer activities at Union Gospel Mission. You can contact her at teresad@ugmportland.org

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