The Volunteer Revolution can be a motivational read for anyone who is looking to serve their church, but is not quite sure where to start. It can also be a stimulating resource for church leaders who manage volunteers. Written from a Christian perspective by Bill Hybels, a pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, this book draws largely from his experience in recruiting church volunteers, and, from the outset, he declares: "I have never done a single thing of value without the assistance of others."

In one important chapter entitled "Just Jump In," Hybels urges his readers to take the initiative in creating their experiences of church volunteering by assessing and using their spiritual gifts. However, Hybels fails to explain what he means exactly by "spiritual gifts" and how they differ from ordinary gifts. His book assumes readers at least have heard of "spiritual gifts," but those unacquainted with this concept may get frustrated as they keep reading, since Hybels states clearly how important it is to the foundation of church ministry: "I felt strongly about starting from the point of spiritual giftedness, because early in my ministry I discovered what happens when you don't."

Whether or not one understands "spiritual gifts," one concept that Hybels drives home is the importance of passion in one's church ministry. He believes that volunteers should serve not only where they are most needed, but also where they feel most passionate about service. For example, he describes how one woman converted her love for hairdressing into a ministry when she opened a salon that hosts an occasional "Day of Beauty" providing hairstyles, makeovers, and manicures to women in hardship.

While Hybel's book offers reasonable encouragement to prospective church volunteers, more information about how they can deal with challenges to church service, such as church politics and bureaucracy, would have been useful. However, to his credit, Hybels does acknowledge that churches can sometimes be slow to tap into talents present in their congregations, and he urges volunteers to exercise persistence in finding their niche in the church. It also would have been enlightening to find more examples here of how a church ministry doesn't just entail serving the actual church, but could involve a "road ministry" in which stewards do the work of God in ways and places outside of the physical church.

Overall, this well-meaning book may just provide the incentive that volunteers need in order to plunge into the world of church ministry, and will hopefully spark more literature and discussions on this subject.

For citations to additional materials on this topic refer to the Literature of the Nonprofit Sector Online, using the subject heading "Voluntarism-administration."