Your Guest Services Team sets the tone for every new person walking into your church. In this episode, we unpack insights from Maryanne Sibley and Rebecca Carlisle’s Engage Session, Stoke Your Guest Services Teams. They share a practical, proven framework for training, inspiring, and caring for volunteers so every guest feels seen, welcomed, and valued. If your hospitality ministry feels understaffed, overwhelmed, or stuck in a cycle of burnout and recruitment, this conversation will give you a fresh way forward.

Main Ideas 

• Creating a culture of appreciation through specific encouragement, personalized thanks, and honoring past volunteers transforms the volunteer experience and strengthens your church’s first impression.
• Regular debriefs with structured questions help volunteers feel heard and invested. When volunteers know their insight matters, engagement and ownership grow.
• Shared experiences (like huddles or game nights) deepen relationships and move teams from task-based functioning to true community.
• Volunteers thrive when they understand why their role matters. Clear expectations, safe boundaries, and thoughtful offboarding help them commit with confidence.

Why It Matters
Hospitality isn’t just a ministry; it’s a discipleship opportunity. Creating a culture where volunteers feel valued, heard, connected, and purpose-driven doesn’t just improve Sunday mornings; it strengthens your entire church’s ability to welcome and shepherd new people well.

Call to Action

• Click here to subscribe to the Tech In Church Podcast
• Share this episode with another church leader who may be facing the same struggles.
• Visit the Text In Church website for tools and resources to help your ministry communicate clearly and connect with more people.

Shareable Snippet

"Your volunteers don’t just fill roles—they carry your church’s welcome. When they feel valued, included, connected, and challenged, they create the kind of hospitality that changes lives."

The Tech In Church Podcast is a Text In Church team production. For more information about this podcast, go to https://podcast.textinchurch.com. For more information on Text in Church, visit https://textinchurch.com.