Visiting England’s Silcoates School in 1935, Dr. Albert Schweitzer looked out at the sea of students and said, “I don’t know what your destiny will be. Some of you will perhaps occupy remarkable positions. … But I know one thing: The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”

Our destiny is to serve God and others. As disciples of Jesus Christ, following our calling is not merely a task, but a journey into holiness. This journey, nurtured through prayer and expressed in stewardship of all that is entrusted to us, shapes our relationship with God.

What do invitations to serve within the kingdom of God have to do with happiness? Everything. Invitations are pastoral and spiritual opportunities to foster discipleship and grow in communion with Christ.

Pastoral leaders who are serious about inviting others into the life of Christ and his Church may need to rethink the way they invite others into service. It’s not a one-and-done event, taking place once a year or every three years at a parish ministry festival. Rather, it is a process of cultivating and nurturing disciples. Let’s look at the entire process and how we might improve the way we extend the invitation to parishioners and others to commit their very selves to the Lord.

As our bishops affirm in the pastoral letter “Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response,” this commitment begins in “conversion, change of mind and heart” and is “expressed not in a single action, nor even in a number of actions over a period of time, but in an entire way of life.”

A Welcoming Spirit

A community that welcomes well forms disciples well. Gallup has found that 76% of those who feel accepted at church are satisfied with their relationship with God. The American Beliefs Study consistently finds most parishioners seek a place where they find “warm and friendly” encounters. Church growth studies show that strong friendships influence longterm involvement.

Hospitality is much more than being kind, greeting people, installing signage or running a hospitality desk. It is evangelization in action. It’s a culture of presence: noticing who’s new, referring to people by name or calling a sick community member. For members of the Body of Christ, hospitality starts with each of us extending an invitation to another. St. Paul reminds us, “Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you” (Rom 15:7).

Nurturing hospitality includes challenging parishioners to be hospitable in everyday life. Challenge them to reflect on how they react in small daily moments — at the grocery store, in traffic or when someone sits in “their” pew. Do they greet newcomers in Church, even if they aren’t part of the greeting team?

Msgr. Thomas McGread, the Kansas priest considered by many the “Father of Catholic Stewardship,” advised, “When you offer people a sense of prayer, hospitality, belonging and community, then they’ll be ready to hear the call for responsibility and service.”

A Spiritual Foundation

Any effort toward an invitation to service must begin in prayer. Before we invite people into ministry, we invite them into the presence of God.

Some parishes begin their “time and talent” efforts with Eucharistic adoration or retreats. Small faith-sharing groups or a homily series on stewardship creates context and cultivates hearts. Inviting others to prayer at the start and end of parish meetings and activities helps to cultivate a relationship with God. Ministry rooted in prayer yields fruit. If we want disciples who serve with joy and conviction, we must form them spiritually first.

An invitation to serve God begins with the realization that God has uniquely gifted and called each one of us. “Come, follow me” was not meant only for some fishermen 2,000 years ago. Those words are meant for you and me. God’s call may come as it did to Moses, Samuel or Mary — or it may come through a friend, a spouse or a pulpit invitation. As pastoral leaders, our responsibility is to invite people to hear the call, understand it and act upon it.

Invite people to discern where God is calling them. Personal interviews, gift inventories and small group workshops invite reflection on one’s passions and life experiences and how they might contribute to God’s kingdom. Gift-based service aligns passion with purpose.

Avoid the “fill-a-slot” mentality. Several years ago, my husband and I attended Mass 2,000 miles away from our home. After Mass, the director of religious education, who did not know us, approached us and invited us to be catechists without knowing our qualifications or abilities. She was looking for warm bodies to fill slots.

Follow up!

Before you invite, it is most important to have a follow-up plan and procedure in place. One of the worst things to do is invite people to explore ministry further, get them excited, ask them to serve and then ghost them. When a person says “yes” to an invitation to ministry, they are giving God, the Church and the parish a gift. Our responsibility is to ensure a follow-up process is in place before an invitation is extended, so ministry leaders may respond in a timely way.

What indirect message do we give the disciple if a parish leader fails to follow up? The disciple may read into the lack of follow-up as a message about themselves: “I wasn’t very confident I had the gifts for that, and apparently they don’t think I do either” or “I just don’t fit in here” or “You have to know people well here before you are able to help out.”

Ghosted disciples also form impressions of the parish, which they may express to others. Impressions like: “That parish is so disorganized” or “The staff and lay leaders in this parish sure want to control everything. They only ask their friends to be involved” or “I haven’t got time for this charade. I’ll go assist somewhere in the community where they are serious about wanting to use my talents and time” or “I signed up on a time and talent form in a parish several years in a row and never got called. Guess what? I don’t go to that parish anymore!”

Best practice: Invite only when you’re ready to follow up. Failure to connect with someone who expresses interest can cause harm and disillusionment, and it may take years to repair the damage. Some leave the Church forever.

Celebration, Not Solicitation

Create pathways for people to employ their gifts. This is where ministry festivals thrive. They’re not meant to be sign-up drives. A ministry festival is a place of discovery, a celebration of the Body of Christ in action. Festivals are not only for those new to ministry. It’s a time to also invite those in ministry to recommit, or to look at other opportunities where they may serve or participate in the kingdom of God.

The purpose of a ministry festival is fourfold:

1. To celebrate ministry and the accomplishments of the community as they contribute to God’s work. Celebrate through creative, interactive displays, or with a master of ceremonies who highlights the ministry to those in attendance.

2. To inform others about the mission of the ministry and how it contributes to the overall mission of the Church. Ministry leaders should be ready to share information about the ministry and provide descriptions and expectations.

3. To give thanks to those who currently serve in ministry. The pastor, staff or pastoral leaders (including pastoral council members) should stop by each booth and thank and affirm the ministry and those serving in it.

4. To invite others to consider learning more — not through aggressive solicitation, but by inviting parishioners to reflect more on the ministry and their participation in it.

This can be done through personal dialogue between the ministry leader and the inquirer, or through materials or through an information session. No one who stops at a ministry festival display should feel coerced to sign up. If someone does feel trapped into signing up, he or she may avoid the event in the future or not even show up for the ministry.

In terms of planning, be sure to schedule the festival after Masses for greater visibility and participation. Invite all ministries to host a booth with engaging materials. Offer child-friendly activities and food stations. Utilize greeters, scouts or young people to welcome those attending. Ensure there is no solicitation by saving sign-ups for the next Sunday. Anchor the event in prayer by organizing a “Week of Prayer” before or after the festival.

Create teams to help design the entire effort. A publicity team develops themed materials to set the stage. Set-up and clean-up teams are crucial, as is a youth activities team, which gives parents the time to explore ministry while their children are engaged. A hospitality team organizes food and establishes an inviting and welcoming space, and an administrative team assists with the dissemination of pre-weekend and follow-up materials.

With preparation, joy and prayer, a ministry festival becomes a living expression of the Body of Christ at work.

Placing Gifts into Service

After the festival, it’s time to make the proper invitation. Send out brochures and commitment forms or have commitment forms in each pew the following week, “Covenant Sunday.” This gives parishioners time to pray and reflect before responding. Some parishes choose to spend time at Mass asking for commitments or recommitments. Make available a commitment form that includes not only the title of the ministry, but a brief description.

Best practice: Every person expressing interest should be contacted promptly in some way — ideally within 72 hours.

Other ministries may choose to host information sessions where they invite interested parishioners to spend time learning about the ministry in depth, followed up with a request for a commitment.

Once someone has expressed interest, follow up with a phone call, email or letter. Share a clearly written ministry description that also defines the qualifications needed and the commitment required, including purpose, time commitment, responsibilities and training. These descriptions aid planning, recruiting and evaluating for both the ministry and disciple.

Coaching and Supporting Disciples

Remember, the invitation to serve is two-way. If the person is not gifted in a ministry, the parish leader should, kindly, not extend an invitation to serve. For example, in many of the parishes I have belonged to, parishioners interested in being a reader have been expected to audition. In its ministry description, the Proclamation of the Word was limited to those who were chosen after the audition.

Once disciples confirm they wish to serve, be sure the ministry leader notifies the administration who is serving. This allows the pastor and pastoral leaders to thank parishioners and their families, as well as evaluate the growth of the ministry. Create a tracking system to ensure ministry leaders contact everyone who expressed interest. When people are welcomed, placed and supported well, they flourish.

Coaching and training are essential to support those who serve. Volunteers in ministry are not a resource to be ignored, they are disciples to be formed. This means nurturing the disciple to become the best they can be for God and God’s Church.

Ministry leaders should provide orientation sessions for those new to ministry and provide clear expectations. Consider a public commissioning for those serving. Engage senior members of the ministry team as mentors.

Those serving in ministry need ongoing spiritual nourishment and formation. When people are trained and appreciated, they are more likely to stay and thrive. And God’s mission and the Church thrives.

At its best, a “time and talent” effort is a moment of transformation. It is an opportunity for faith to meet action and discipleship to become visible. We place so much effort into inviting our community members to be active disciples because we believe each person is a gift. And once members recognize their giftedness, the natural response is a life lived in gratitude and service to God.

“Mature disciples make a conscious, firm decision, carried out in action, to be followers of Jesus Christ no matter the cost to themselves” (“Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response”).

DR. LOIS LOCEY, DMin, is chancellor for administration and chief operating officer for the Diocese of St. Petersburg in Florida. She received a Doctor of Ministry from The Catholic University of America with an emphasis on pastoral leadership, church growth, stewardship and increasing ministry effectiveness.