HP Delivery Coordinators: What’s the role involve? (Updated for 2022)

Instead of writing an article, this page is a ‘job description’ for our Hope Project Delivery Coordinators (key contacts) throughout the motu.

The role  – with tips

1. Connect with the local pastors / churches to request involvement

• For clarity – What are you asking? You are asking if they are willing to help to prayer walk the streets near their church (or their members homes) while delivering the Hope For All Easter booklets to the letterboxes.
• Doing this at a pastor’s group meeting is the easiest, because many are present. Where processes are clear, this only needs about 10 minutes. However, discussing how this can be leveraged for greater good is worthy of more time. Please see the ‘benefits’ of doing this as a volunteer-based delivery below.
• Re timing: Gaining general agreement in November the year prior is useful – unless you have established relationships and have done this before. February can be fine if that is the case.
• So that boundaries are noted:  This point is in red so it is not missed. No one has to help. In the DNA of our work we see God as our provider – not churches, and not people – even though God will use churches and people. None are obligated to us. We all serve God as best we can. We therefore do not give any DC permission to express any annoyance at any person or church who does not help.  When there is a problem, we pray, and then we innovate. With these values, very little has been hindered in this work yet! Where things have been ‘hindered’ – that has often been catalytic for other things. We believe God is working amongst us here with purpose!
• Next step: You then pass them the relevant maps for their delivery (we’ve created delivery route maps for most cities/towns of more than about 10,000 people), and let them know where to pick the needed booklets up from.
  • Re timing:
    • You could pass them maps immediately
    • …while sending a reminder when you have the booklets for them to pick up (unless you drop them off to them because it’s easier, or for the relational opportunity that yields).
    • If your churches want (or already have) a combined-church prayer gatherings or services, timing one for approx 2nd week March would mean the booklets are with you, so these could be passed out to volunteers at that same occasion. (For 2022: Easter is the second weekend of April in 2022)
  • Re booklets: These will be trucked to the central city of each province in or by the second week of March.
    • DCs in towns then drive to pick up what they need for their town. We will tell you how many your town/city needs.

As an example, I coordinated the delivery in Tauranga where I live.  A meeting with 6 or 8 pastors saw half the city covered (this took 5 to 10mins of a coffee we were having together – while showing them a map of the delivery areas of the city). A dozen phone calls by myself and a friend then saw another 8 churches involved. Once the booklets arrived a different friend then helped to drive boxes of booklets to the churches or homes of those pastors – and it was done. I also then contacted the DCs of all other towns in the Bay of Plenty, so they could pick their booklets up (though team members offered to drive these to half the towns, saving them a drive).

This effort demonstrated to me that the process can be simple if the person coordinating has relationship and trust with various of the pastors in a city or town. 

2. Make sure pastors who participate have the tools needed so they can find volunteers easily

• The PRIMARY KEY TO FINDING VOLUNTEERS is that the church hands sign up forms along the rows of their church IMMEDIATELY AFTER the request for volunteers, during the service.
  1. If they do this, as many as 40% of members might volunteer.
  2. In contrast, if they only ask people to sign up in the foyer afterwards, maybe 5% will remember.

We have found that church members want this to happen. There is no lack of heart for this, and walking streets isn’t difficult! (It’s actually healthy)

Note that via AllTogether.co.nz/hopeproject anyone can download a flyer, power point, and sign up form.