Or perhaps more accurately, why do volunteers volunteer, and then call every week to say that they can't make it?

Being the technical director, I have a crew about fifteen volunteers underneath of me who help make the services possible - I know it's an overused phrase, but the veracity of the statement remains unchanged..I couldn't do it without them. I've tried the "Doing It All Myself" method, and I can state from firsthand experience that it's not something that I would like to do on a regular basis.

Commitment:(noun) An agreement or promise to do something in the future.

When I started volunteering for what would eventually become my full-time job, I took it very seriously. After all, if people are counting on you to do something, not showing up is about the worst thing you can do to them. Once I made a commitment to volunteer, I was faithful and showed up when I said I would, because, ya know, that's what a commitment is.

So imagine my frustration when every week, one of the scheduled volunteers calls, usually Friday or Saturday afternoon (2 hours before performance) to say that they're so sorry, but something came up, would it kill you if I couldn't make it tonight?

Yes, it actually might.

I realize that these people have jobs, kids, and families to think about, but why the aech-ee-double-hockystick did they volunteer in the first place if they're too busy to follow through on their commitment? I'm counting on them, along with two-thousand people per week who come to this church expecting a service, and I can't do it all myself.