From Burnout to Best Fit: How to Transition Over-Committed Volunteers

Many churches struggle with volunteers who are spread too thin—serving in three, four, or even five roles. In this episode, we explore why narrowing volunteer focus actually increases effectiveness and joy in serving, and how to transition your church to a healthier, more sustainable volunteer culture.

Hosted by Scott Ball and A.J. Mathieu of The Malphurs Group, this conversation walks you through practical steps any church can take. If you're new to the Church Revitalization Podcast, Scott and A.J. bring decades of combined church consulting experience, helping churches grow healthier through strategy, leadership, and intentional systems.

In this episode:

[00:01] Setting the stage: volunteers doing too much and the 80/20 problem
[02:18] Why people fear reducing volunteer roles—and why it actually works
[03:20] Step 1: Creating a realistic, intentional timeline for change
[07:20] Step 2: Helping volunteers find their best-fit roles through Divine Design
[12:20] Step 3: Engaging volunteers in recruiting their successors
[15:27] Step 4: Why a Leadership Pipeline is essential to prevent the problem from returning
[17:41] "Slow is smooth, smooth is fast" applied to volunteer transition
[18:47] Building systems instead of just filling slots

Links & Resources:

• Healthy Churches Toolkit → https://healthychurchestoolkit.com
• Full episode article → https://malphursgroup.com/320
• Website → https://malphursgroup.com
• Facebook → https://facebook.com/malphursgroup
• Instagram → https://instagram.com/malphursgroup
• YouTube → https://youtube.com/themalphursgroup
• X (Twitter) → https://x.com/malphursgroup