Ministry-To-Children.com » Volunteers

Do You Make These Mistakes With Your Volunteers?

Amy Brown — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:31:51 +0000

Volunteers are essential in every children’s ministry, but too many get discouraged and eventually quit because leaders make the following mistakes. We simply can’t be careless with the people resources God has sent our way. Work to avoid these mistakes and help keep your volunteers committed and serving in the children’s department. Click here to add your comment to this conversation.

1. Matching volunteers with the urgent need (and ignoring where they are gifted)

Matching service opportunity with gifting is the first and most important step to keeping your volunteers, yet it can also be the most challenging. A volunteer will be most committed and give their best when they are serving in a position where they are gifted. Many times in churches we are hasty to fill an open spot and we do not take the time to find the best person for the job.

When you have a church member who wants to volunteer in your children’s department, sit down with them to discuss ways they would like to serve. Talk with them about areas in the church where they have served in the past. Work with them to determine where their gifting lies. A person who is serving where they are gifted will find joy in their service.

This may require you to shift some of your volunteers around to new roles. How often do our volunteers get stuck in ruts because they are just serving where they have always served? Perhaps a person could be better used in a different area or new role? Going about carefully placing volunteers requires time, discernment, and sometimes tough conversations. But, following this first step will pay off in the long run because you will have volunteers serving where they can best be used by the Lord.

2. Not establishing (and using) job descriptions

Volunteers need to know exactly what is expected of them in their role. This will be beneficial to both you as the director and to those who volunteer. When asking a person in your church to volunteer, they need to know exactly what they are volunteering for. If you can hand them a detailed list of what you expect from them, then they will know what is required and can make an informed decision before they make a commitment to you.

Maintaining clear job descriptions helps you as the director make sure every necessary task is being accomplished. With job descriptions you will avoid having more than one person covering the same task and also ensure no task gets left undone. A volunteer is more likely to work hard when they know what is expected of them.

3. Inconsistent communication

There is a fine line to walk here. You need to be in regular contact with your volunteers to make sure they feel supported. Yet, you also do not want to check in with them so often they feel you do not trust them to fulfill their role with competence. Beware of micromanaging and trust those whom the Lord has entrusted to your ministry.

Send out an email or make a phone call promptly when there is vital information about upcoming dates or changes they need to know. And reply promptly to any emails or phone calls from your volunteers. They need to know you listen and care about their concerns and suggestions.

4. Assuming you’ve given “enough” encouragement

Volunteers can get bogged down and lose sight of the bigger picture. Point out to them when you see their gifts being used by God to touch children’s hearts. When a parent gives you an encouraging comment about how their child is doing, pass it along to your volunteer who works most closely with that child. Consistent encouragement from you will help spur on your volunteers to continue working hard and remain committed to your ministry.

Above all else, get to know your volunteers. As you get to know them more, you will learn how to better support and equip them to effectively minister to the children within your church.

Potlucks: The Meeting Idea Volunteers Will Love

Lauren Foster — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 13:42:49 +0000

A potluck is a gathering where each person or group brings a dish of food to be shared.

That’s right, I said potlucks are a great ministry resource. Some churches call this a pitch-in dinner or covered dish supper. Whatever the name, this could be the key to your next children’s ministry training.

I am at a smaller campus of our church and potlucks fit the informal atmosphere. It just feels right when everybody brings a covered dish and enjoys a time of fellowship.

Typically, when you advertise a training meeting the same 5-10 dedicated volunteers show up who already know everything you are going to discuss—The other 20 who most need to be at that meeting are no-shows.

Last year we had our first Children’s Ministry Potluck. It was held in August right before our children promoted up a grade and our Wednesday night program geared up. I encouraged my volunteers to bring a dish and be ready for a time of fellowship.

At the potluck, I had 80% of my volunteers turn out! Not only was I able to hold an important meeting, but I was also able to fellowship with my volunteers and their families.

I think just the name “potluck” makes meetings sound less threatening and boring. People can take a personal interest in coming by planning what they will bring and being held responsible for bringing those 2-liters! By including families, you are providing an opportunity for the whole family to get out and do something fun that doesn’t cost a lot of money. Potlucks can offer a relaxed environment for you to get to know your volunteers, as well as cover meeting information in a non-boring fashion.

At my Children’s Ministry Potluck, volunteers were given the meeting agenda and handouts when they arrived. We first spent time eating and fellowshipping, before I took 30 minutes introducing the new year and covering important information. I used my meeting time to talk about upcoming events, discuss new security procedures we had in place, talk about teaching curriculum to our children, and handing out silly awards to volunteers. It was such a successful time that I had volunteers asking if we could do it again in the winter!

If you are a discouraged director with poorly attended meetings, plan a potluck or cook-out and see how many volunteers will come out at the prospect of food. Click here to share your own experience with this kind of event.

Helping Ministry Volunteers Connect

Jenny Funderburke — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 12:27:26 +0000

How many times have you heard a volunteer say that they want to quit serving because they feel disconnected from other adults? I know I’ve heard it more times than I can count. This is a legitimate need and most adult will eventually burn out if their connections to other adults is limited. Therefore, an important part of a leader’s job is to help adults connect with each other. This is often tougher than it might sound, but there are some things we can do to connect volunteers to one another and build community that is valuable.

1. Break into teams: If you have more than 5 volunteers, divide your leadership into teams. It is easier to get to know 5 other people than 10. Look for intentional and natural times for these teams to connect. It may be prayer before the service or a quick meeting following the service.

2. Fellowship together: Create events for volunteers and their families with the purpose of getting to know each other.

3. Prayer partners: Assign every volunteer a ministry partner. Encourage them to touch base with you to discuss children’s ministry, but also pray for each other.

4. Put someone in charge of care: You have someone in your ministry who is gifted in caring for others. Put that person in charge of coordinating meals when volunteers are in need, checking in periodically with volunteers, and keeping an eye open for needs that develop.

5. Share the wins: As the leader, you likely hear all the good stuff (and the bad, too, of course). Communicate regularly with the whole team and share all the good things God is doing. Brag on volunteers by name, as many of them as you can. Celebrate volunteers with the whole team. Share volunteers’ accomplishments. This helps volunteers see more of the big picture and helps them feel less isolated.

6. Host group meals: Every now and then host a meal that involves a few volunteers who may not know each other well. You could do lunch after church on Sunday, an occasional supper, or a weekday lunch in different locations for those that work close to that area.

7. Find a project outside of church: Your volunteers likely have servants’ hearts anyway. Periodically find a project that your team can do together outside of Sunday morning. This gives them opportunities to connect with each other and also to be reminded of the bigger picture of God’s work.

Volunteer Recruitment: Why “Easy” Is the Wrong Motivation

Wayne Stocks — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 10:00:18 +0000

Recently, I was talking with someone about volunteer recruitment in kids ministry. A well-meaning conversant suggested we should publicize the fact that volunteering in children’s ministry is “easy.”

I totally understand the heart and sentiment behind the suggestion – that we need to help assuage the fear and trepidation that many people feel about volunteering in children’s ministry so that they will take that step into serving.

That said, I do have worry about trying to “sell people” on volunteering just because it’s easy. Here is my reasoning:

When we tell people that volunteering is easy, we devalue the work we all do in children’s ministry. When we say, “Look, it doesn’t require hardly any effort at all. If you’re willing to put in the minimum amount of time, you can do this too,” we sell short the hard work that we really do in children’s ministry of sowing a foundation of God’s Word in a child’s heart. Things that are easy have very little value.
The fact that something is “easy” is not a sufficient motivation for doing anything. When I look around for something to do, I want something that will challenge me. That fact that I can do something easy to check it off of a to do list is a lot less appealing than doing something difficult that will have eternal implications.
When things are made “too easy” for people, they never take ownership of them. You don’t want to give the impression to potential volunteers that you are just looking for warm bodies. They should feel privileged to have to opportunity to volunteer in the most dynamic and impactful ministry in the church.
When we endeavor to make things “easy” it gives the impression that who volunteers isn’t really important. If it’s that easy, then anyone can do it. You want volunteers to know that they are special, and we need them!
Selling volunteers on “easy” will discourage them from being innovative. Innovation happens in response to problems and issue that arise in the normal course of marriage. If you make things “easy” on your volunteers then the only innovation in your children’s ministry will be limited to your own imagination. In making things “easy” you effectively shut out all of the creativity of your volunteer team.
In addition to discouraging creativity and innovation, if your volunteers start from the vantage point that their service in children’s ministry is supposed to be “easy,” you are likely to squelch any internal motivation that your volunteers bring to the table.
If you sell people on “easy,” there is a good chance that you are lying to them. If it’s done right, children’s ministry should not be easy no matter what your position is. We should labor in preparation. We should labor in prayer. We should labor in grief over the eternal souls of the children we serve. No, children’s ministry was not designed to be easy.

So, next time you’re out their recruiting volunteers, don’t take the “easy” approach. Invite people to join your team and share your vision for the children’s ministry. Explain to them the impact that they can have on children’s lives and invite them to a ministry that will be challenging, tiring, and fulfilling.

For more great articles for and about volunteers, check out Kidmin1124.com, the only blog on the internet written entirely from the perspective of bi-vocational and volunteer children’s ministers.

Helping Volunteers Become True Ministry Partners

Jenny Funderburke — Sat, 21 May 2011 13:51:04 +0000

We all have them. Volunteers who agree to help, but only do the minimum. They arrive for their assignments with seconds to spare and leave right when it’s done. Of course we desire for them to be more committed than that. There is no magic bullet, but there are some things we can do to help move them to a higher commitment level.

1. Treat them as more than a name on a spreadsheet. Often volunteers live up to what we expect of them. If our highest expectations are that they show up, then they will meet those expectations and be done. Communicate your expectations to them. Be genuinely glad to see them and

2. Invest relationally. Pour yourself into your volunteers. People respond much more to relationship than they ever do to requirements. Connect with your volunteers. Call them during the week. Ask how you can pray for them. Know the names of their kids. Invite them over to dinner.

3. Get their input. Ask for their help in a valuable way. Take them to lunch and ask their opinions of the ministry. Include them on a planning team to brainstorm about the future. The more they feel like they are contributing, the more they will up their commitment.

4. Help them build relationships with others on the team. Again, relationships are key. But they don’t need to be just with you. Help your volunteers be more than just individuals serving in the same place. Help them truly be a team. Help them be friends. Look for opportunities to connect them with each other and build true community.

5. Hold them accountable. If they don’t show up or don’t do what you need, talk to them about it. When we don’t hold them accountable we communicate that it really doesn’t matter. Don’t nag. Make sure they know the big picture reasons of why you need them to give a more.

6. Encourage them in what they are doing. People can tell when we are displeased with what they are doing. When volununteers feel like they are disappointing you, they will tend to become even more unreliable. Show appreciation for what they are doing. Even though they may not be what you want them to be yet, you will get them there faster through encouragement than through nagging.

Learn this One Skill and You’ll Become a Better Ministry Leader

Lauren Foster — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 16:44:23 +0000

Effective ministry leaders learn to listen carefully to their volunteers.

A couple of months ago I scheduled a time to meet with my Sunday morning elementary volunteers. Having become the director of preschool through elementary at this church last summer, I had been taking my time to observe what was taking place and look for ways to improve the ministries. After taking a bit of time to see how things were functioning and running in our elementary area, I decided it was time to meet with my volunteers to discuss Sunday mornings and get their feedback on this ministry. My goals for the meeting were to thank my volunteers by taking them to dinner, decide on a new curriculum, plan some new events, as well as see if they had any suggestions on how we could reach our kids and challenge them even more spiritually. The outcome of our night was quite productive and I realized how vital it is to listen to seasoned volunteers.

Getting to fellowship at dinner was a huge benefit of the night. On Sunday mornings my time is full of checking on volunteers, meeting new visitors, and being available to help where needed. I seldom get the opportunity to have meaningful conversations with my volunteers and never get to talk with them on the level I would like to. Actually sitting down to dinner with these volunteers allowed for me to talk with them and discuss what’s important to them. The dinner also gave me an opportunity to thank them for their hard work and spend time showing them how much I appreciate their daily effort in ministering to our children.

During dinner, I listened with paper and pen in hand as they shared their hearts and vision for our elementary children. I was blown away by their passion for our kids and the overflow of ideas they had to improve the elementary department. They quickly pointed out the issues they were having with the curriculum and described what they would love to have to work with for their lessons. My teachers also described that they wanted to challenge our kids on a deeper spiritual level and wanted to have curriculum that would reflect these goals. The ideas they had made selecting new curriculum so much easier and pinpointed for me a direction to take.

We also discussed new ideas to pursue, as well as new events to implement. They peppered me with new ideas on getting kids excited about giving to missions, easy events we could pull off, as well as new ideas on reformatting our Sunday morning program. By the end of our time together, I was blown away at how passionate they were about Christ and desiring to lead our children to Him. I walked away with pages of notes, as well as an excitement about my volunteers. In having an effective children’s ministry, it is key to have volunteers who want to serve and desire to see their children come to know Christ and grow in their relationships with Him. I encourage you to get to know your volunteers and spend time investing in their lives. You may not be in a situation where you can take them all to dinner, or even want some of their input, but it is vital that you take an interest in them and show them that you are open to their ideas. Who knows, you may be surprised by their answers!

5 Reasons Ministry Volunteers Quit

Mimi Bullock — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:38:32 +0000

Volunteers are needed! How many times have we seen this sign or posted it ourselves? Too many! We lose good volunteers and sadly ministry helpers do come and go. Sometimes the volunteers quit for reasons we could have prevented. While that is not always the case, leaders should know the five reasons why this most commonly occurs. Retain one of the most important elements of your ministry, the volunteers, and build a stronger team and reach all the children in your community.

1. The Endless Tour of Duty
People do want to help, but they want parameters, time limits. Between work, home and shuttling kids around, volunteers have schedules stuffed full. Ask for specific volunteer time frames, like one to three month rotations. With this kind of volunteering time frame, your helpers can step out and step back into the kids ministry schedule rather than just flat out quitting.

2. No Planning
Unless they specifically asked for roles in planning, most volunteers do not want to be assigned planning tasks. This is especially true if this is generally your job. While a helper may not mind stepping up when you are sick or out of town, they will expect you to prepare the lesson. Have an extra lesson or two on hand complete with teaching details to give to unprepared helpers. It is also worth noting if you want to “lead” volunteers, you have to be ready for everything. Give volunteers the tools they need to succeed, or they may not stick around.

3. Low Standards
Not everyone will agree with your methods of leading but helpers do want to be involved with a ministry that has a high standard of excellence. Take pride in your ministry, in the kids you lead and in your church. Avoid talking or acting negatively with those you mentor. Talk up to someone on the pastoral staff when you need to vent or feel frustrated. Raise the standard high so workers will have plenty of room to shine without being discouraged by our low standards.

4. No Thanks
Everyone enjoys an “atta boy” occasionally, more so after a difficult class or during a spiritual trial. While we know that part of leadership is learning how to “encourage yourself in the Lord” not everyone has reached this revelation. And truly, there is nothing wrong with being shown appreciation or hearing a heartfelt thanks. Award your volunteers a special gift, certificate or word of public praise during and after their service is completed.

5. Wrong Reasons
Many starry-eyed volunteers sign up for all the wrong reasons and quickly become disillusioned with the real challenges of kids ministry. Truthfully, many of us began our teaching ministry in much the same way but pressed through to find our real purpose. Helpers who are contemplating quitting may be facing this disillusionment. Prayer and encouragement should be given, but ultimately the volunteer will need to “reconnect” with God about their ministry future.

Know the five reasons volunteers quit so you can stop the loss of these crucial members of your ministry team. Surround them with prayer and make your volunteers your friends. Build your team by overcoming these five challenges.

Do Kids Ministry Pros Need Training Too?

Tony Kummer — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 05:42:08 +0000

Sometimes we assume ministry leaders outgrow their need for training. I don’t think that’s right, as this video below points out. Even your very best people need to review procedure and recall the why behind the what.

Special thanks to Courtney and Bill from the LifeWay kids blog for making this lesson come to life!

Even if you’re the kids ministry leader, make a point to review policy and remind yourself how things work. Click here to share your thoughts.

For more training tips visit the newly upgraded LifeWay Kids Ministry 101 blog

What Volunteers Really Learn When You Don’t Train Them

Tony Kummer — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 04:29:45 +0000

Let’s just be honest here.

Most kids ministry volunteers don’t get the kind of training they need to be effective. Time after time, churches learn this the hard way.

But have you ever asked what message are you sending to those workers? Here are 5 things they will learn if you do not train them.

The church only cares about warm bodies to fill the roster.
You are not concerned about their growth.
What they actually do doesn’t matter – just show up.
Kids ministry is a chore they must endure.
They better learn to say “NO” next year.

So what’s your plan? Click here to respond.

3 Ways to Fill Volunteer Gaps in Kids Ministry

Mimi Bullock — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 18:43:33 +0000

Children’s ministry volunteers are the precious jewels of your ministry, the force that keeps the vision moving forward. Unfortunately, at some point in your ministry, you will likely experience a volunteer shortage or some in cases a drought of willing hands. A lack of these cherished volunteers can put a strain on your first string, tried and true helpers and leave you feeling discouraged—not the place a children’s minister wants to be. While you continue to pray and actively recruit new help, you need to find ways to fill in the children’s ministry volunteer gap.

Encourage Child to Child Ministry
If you have a shortage of “mature” volunteers, take this opportunity to teach some of your children leadership. Hand-select a few children to mentor. Teach these children how to minister to the rest of the flock by instructing them in assisting you in the ministry. Here are some tips to help you.

Give kids a peek behind the scenes. Show them how you plan the message, what resources you use and listen to their input. Let them see how you choose object lessons, games and skits.
Do not recruit kids just because they are needy. The number one requirement should be choosing a child who is teachable.
Teach kids “example leadership.” Explain to the children you want them to lead by their good example not by their ability to be bossy.
Respect a child’s wish to quit your leadership program and accept it with love.
Make a list of areas you can use child volunteers in before you begin your child to child ministry. Some suggestions would be during prayer time, altar services, collecting craft supplies and room clean up.

Outside Help
If you need visitor bags stuffed or folders filled, but there are no free hands available, go outside the church. Simple tasks like these do not require a college degree or church membership. Elderly neighbors or family members who are out of church may still help you by performing small tasks. Some other ways outside help can assist you is by making snacks, helping you find crafts or sewing puppet clothing. This could be a fine way to minister those “outside” the church and maybe even gain a church member.

Go High Tech
Sign your children’s ministry up for Twitter or Facebook. Start a fun feed to keep your volunteers, potential volunteers and fringe church members posted about your ministry. Do not use these high tech communications for recruiting. Instead keep it inspirational. Add messages like “Congratulations Susie Mills for winning her school’s spelling bee!” Get involved in your kids lives and keep your excitement level high. People are naturally drawn to these kinds of ministries. Use your Facebook page to get important messages to kids about an upcoming service, something a volunteer would normally do.