3 Ideas for a Summer Volunteer Drive

What’s the one ingredient your VBS, Kids’ Crusade and summer events all require? Volunteers! Especially during those warm months when most everyone’s mind is focused on vacation and leisure activities. Children’s ministry does not shut down when the weather gets warm; it’s still an important function of the church that needs multiple hands to make it work. You might think finding summer help is impossible but we’ve got some ideas that might help you get the help you need.
Jot down a few “job” descriptions and determine how long you’d like volunteers to work. I have found over the years that giving volunteers a start and end date makes them more willing to sign up. (Remember these four steps when implementing new volunteers: #1 Tell them what to do. #2 Show them what to do. #3 Do it together. #4 Watch them do it.)
Summer Mentor Program: Plan for the future by offering teens a summer mentor program. Your volunteer program should offer the up fledgling teacher the opportunity to learn how to plan and teach a lesson. Plug this group into your summer camp or VBS too.
Backyard Barbecues: Potential volunteers will have many questions. Providing a small group setting allows this group to ask questions in a casual environment. Keep the invite list low so you have time to talk to each one. Let them know by agreeing to come, they aren’t promising anything. Surprise attendees with a summer fun pack. I put cool summer items like bubbles and sidewalk chalk in inexpensive sand pails. I present them as take home gifts and tell them I can show them how to win kids to Christ with those tools!
Summer Craft Night: I started volunteering in kids’ ministry after a friend asked me to help building a prop for a kids’ crusade. There, building a giant smoke-breathing paper mache dinosaur, I knew this is what I had dreamed of doing. I never forgot how God reached me — through arts and crafts! In my kids church, I like having craft examples to show kids during the craft sections. That means we volunteers get to do the crafts first. I’m always also in need of someone who can draw posters or paint pictures. I wrangle a group together every month, often outside of my current volunteer list. These kind friends often ask questions about children’s ministry and decide to put themselves on the list.
Summer is the perfect time to reboot your ministry. Use fun summer activities to draw new faces to your kids’ church.