Monterey Aquarium – Unpaid Staff (Part 2)
So again, I don’t claim to be an expert on volunteer recruitment or maintenance. Rather, I am taking some time this week to reflect on what it is that I think might drive people to give their time as staff at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Hopefully these things can help me to become a better leader as well.
The second thing aspect I came up with that makes volunteer opportunities enticing…
The Vibe
If you’ve ever been to the aquarium in Monterey, it is just a cool place to be. As you walk in the doors you
are immediately immersed in this marine atmosphere with a giant whale skeleton hanging above you and the anticipation of visitors as they hustle by. I remember walking into a current exhibit there, The Outer Bay. It is a one million gallon exhibit with ginormous tuna and hammerheads. You walk up to a huge glass pane in a darkened room with theatrical style lighting illuminating the underwater world in front of you. Again, incredibly immersive.
This was one that Dave threw out as we were chatting in the parking lot of CLC after a week of installing sound equipment. As an example he cited a well known ministry in the area. Vintage Faith Church recently opened a coffee shop at their building where bands play after the Sunday night service. They hope to open it full-
time to the public when they get all the permits. This place is legit. The vibe is way cool. Check out some pics from my visit Sunday night:
His point: why wouldn’t you want to volunteer a shift at the counter there? It’s a fun place to be. Now a lot of churches don’t want to put money, or even more than that, effort into creating an environment that allows for a "cool vibe." Some would even go so far as to say that it is superficial and bad stewardship. I would throw out this question though: If our church is an environment that not even those who follow Christ want to be in, why in the world would someone who doesn’t even want to step foot in the door?
It doesn’t always have to mean new technology and cool lighting. But whatever the method, what are we doing at our churches to create and atmosphere that people want to spend time in? Volunteers and unchurched alike. Why not put forth the effort to create an environment that allows for community and energy?
