Your church may have been feeling it for a while, but now the data is in: Churches across Canada are facing widespread volunteer decline.

The latest report from Statistics Canada: Volunteering and Charitable Giving in Canada, 2018-2023 was released in June. The overall volunteer rate decreased by 8% in 2023 compared to 2018. 73% of people volunteered in 2023, compared with around 79% in 2018. The decline in formal volunteering–that is, volunteering through organizations–is even more concerning: Among people aged 15 and older, there were close to 11 million volunteers, for a formal volunteering rate of just 32%. This compares with a rate of 41% in 2018.

While most church leaders blame COVID, burnout, or generational shifts for this decline, there's a deeper problem silently driving volunteers away: poor communication.

What if the solution isn't about finding more volunteers, but keeping the ones you have? The answer is already at your fingertips: the church management software you already use can help transform your volunteer communication strategy. This article will help you figure out how.

The Communication Crisis Behind the Numbers

Here's what the research shows about volunteer retention across organizations: The national average for volunteer retention rates hovers around 65%, meaning that one out of every three volunteers will discontinue their services sooner than expected. Even more concerning, 76% of volunteers who decide to no longer volunteer with an organization expressed that feeling under-appreciated was a factor in their decision.

Organizations that prioritize clear communication see better volunteer engagement. Any successful communication strategy relies on these two best practices: consistency and responsiveness.

The organizations that are successfully retaining volunteers aren't just lucky—they're strategic about how they communicate with their volunteers. Many are using church management software to create communication systems that actually work.

Strategy 1: Create Clear Communication Channels

Clear communication of roles, responsibilities, and impact can attract more volunteers who align with your church's mission. Yet many organizations still rely on scattered emails, text message chains, and word-of-mouth to coordinate their volunteers.

Connect & Groups transforms this chaos by creating dedicated communication spaces within your church management software. Instead of hunting through email threads or wondering if everyone got the message, group leaders have a central hub where all ministry-related communication lives.

Picture this example: Your children's ministry team has their own group space where the leader can share lesson plans, post photos from last Sunday's activities, announce upcoming training sessions, and celebrate volunteer milestones—all in one place. No more "Did you get my email?" conversations or important details falling through the cracks.

When volunteers know exactly where to find information and feel confident they're not missing anything, they're more likely to stay engaged long-term.

Strategy 2: Implement Regular Check-ins, Not Just Crisis Calls

Many churches only communicate with volunteers when something goes wrong or when they desperately need coverage. This creates a transactional relationship that leaves volunteers feeling used rather than valued.

Consistent communication with your volunteers lets them know that your church and its leadership are reliable. Connect & Groups makes it easy to maintain regular touchpoints through integrated communication tools. Ministry leaders can send weekly updates, share prayer requests, highlight wins from the previous week, or simply check in on how volunteers are doing.

Consider setting up regular communication rhythms where group leaders share brief updates about the upcoming week, celebrate volunteers who went above and beyond, or ask for prayer for specific ministry needs. This consistent rhythm of communication transforms volunteers from occasional helpers into true ministry partners.

Regular communication also creates opportunities for volunteers to provide input and feedback, making them feel heard and valued rather than just assigned tasks.

Strategy 3: Make Volunteer Scheduling Collaborative, Not Dictatorial

In the past, volunteer scheduling often felt like a guessing game—leaders made assumptions about availability and volunteers either complied or feel guilty saying no. This approach is a recipe for burnout and resentment.

Connect & Groups revolutionizes volunteer scheduling by making it truly collaborative. Instead of scheduling people based on guesswork, volunteers can input their availability, indicate their preferred responsibilities, specify how often they'd like to be scheduled (such as twice per month), and the system will even warn volunteers when they have scheduling conflicts across different ministry groups.

Today's volunteers want flexibility in how and when they contribute, clear communication every step of the way, and assurance that their personal schedules are respected. The auto-assign feature takes volunteer preferences and availability into account, creating schedules that work for everyone.

Consider this scenario: Instead of a worship team coordinator spending hours trying to figure out who can play what instrument when, volunteers simply update their availability, indicate their preferred roles, and the system creates a balanced schedule. Volunteer scheduling that actually respects people's lives—what a concept!

This collaborative approach also reduces last-minute scrambling when someone can't make their shift, because the system can help group leaders quickly identify available alternatives.

Strategy 4: Share Impact Stories Regularly

Volunteers want to know that the time they donate to your nonprofit directly impacts the lives of others. Yet many church volunteers serve week after week without ever hearing how their efforts are making a difference.

Ministry leaders can easily post photos from events, share testimonials from people who were served, update volunteers on ministry goals and progress, and celebrate collective achievements.

Here's an example of how this works: Your outreach ministry could post photos from the community dinner they organized, share a note from a family who was helped, and highlight how many meals were served. Your children's ministry could share a parent's testimony about their child's spiritual growth or post artwork created during the lesson.

When volunteers see the tangible results of their service, they're reminded why they started volunteering in the first place. This transforms individual efforts into collective celebration and keeps volunteers emotionally connected to the ministry's mission.

Regular impact sharing also helps volunteers understand how their specific role contributes to the bigger picture, making even seemingly small tasks feel meaningful and important.

Strategy 5: Build Community, Not Just Task Lists

Communication in any organization takes effort, good policies, tools, and leaders who practice what they preach. Too many treat nurturing volunteer relationships like a secondary to-do list.

Sunergo facilitates genuine community-building through group messaging, resource sharing, and peer connections. Ministry teams can encourage each other, share resources, pray for one another, and coordinate support during busy seasons.

Here's how this might look in practice: Your worship team rallying to help the children's ministry during VBS week, offering to set up equipment early so the children's volunteers can focus on preparation. Or your hospitality team sharing recipes and serving tips with each other, building friendships that extend beyond Sunday mornings.

When volunteers feel connected to each other—not just to the ministry—they're more likely to stick around through challenging seasons. They become invested in the relationships, not just the responsibilities.

This community approach also creates natural mentorship opportunities where experienced volunteers can support and encourage newcomers, reducing the training burden on ministry leaders.

The Canadian Church Advantage

When choosing church management software, Canadian churches need solutions that understand both volunteer scheduling challenges and our unique regulatory requirements. 

Sunergo's Connect & Groups is built specifically for Canadian churches, with data stored on Canadian servers to meet CRA requirements while providing the communication and scheduling tools that keep volunteers engaged. This means you get powerful volunteer management features without compromising on regulatory compliance.

Stop Losing Volunteers to Poor Communication

The volunteer crisis facing organizations across Canada is real, but it's not inevitable. The choice is yours: continue losing volunteers to poor communication, or invest in habits, systems, and solutions that build engagement through better volunteer scheduling and communication.

Your volunteers are already out there—they just need to feel heard, valued, and connected. Sunergo's Connect & Groups feature provides the tools to make that happen, transforming scattered volunteers into thriving ministry communities.

Ready to see how better communication can transform your volunteer engagement? Schedule a demo to see how our church tools can turn your volunteer burnout into lasting engagement.

Ready to transform your volunteer communication strategy? Contact our support team to learn more about how we can serve your Canadian church's volunteer management needs.