Having someone on staff in charge of the assimilation of new members is not enough. Although they may work hard to develop an effective process, and they may bring together the resources needed for that process, some people will only go so far with it. The new member may have ideas of their own as to how much they want to get involved with the new Church. We tend to presume that they want to go 100%, but in reality they have a certain “comfort zone” in mind. How do you discover this degree of assimilation that represents their comfort zone? Well, why not ask them? You can use an online survey for new members to gauge how far they have gone down the path of assimilation. On that basis, you could offer them an opportunity to get involved with a specific ministry in a different way, one that was not listed on the annual ministry opportunities brochure. This opens the door for them to move to the other side of their comfort zone, which is probably the most that can be expected. After all, people have work commitments, family commitments, and commitments to friends and social groups. You want them to be effective in their own style of ministry, be that meals on wheels or an ad hoc outreach to one person who needs them as a friend. Be flexible, and look for ways to involve people the most in things they’ll enjoy doing. The Church as a volunteer community will then really take off!