Fall is almost here, and once again it’s time to enlist, equip and empower new volunteers.
Share you best practices.
What things have you done to successfully FIND and SIGN-UP new volunteers?
Pastor Greg Sidders
White Pine Community Church, North Yarmouth, Maine
First Serve: Sunday morning “ministry fair”, coupled with message on spiritual gifts/serving, that allows people to sign up for a one-time serving opportunity.
Announcements in church don’t work; it has to be a personal invitation.
Jenni Huter, Children’s Ministry Director
Rancho Community Church, Temecula, CA
Contacting those who have just taken the summer off is always the easiest. It’s just a matter of getting people plugged back in. A well-deserved break usually regenerates enthusiasm.
Last year our lead pastor invited Daniel Watts, Executive Director from Every Generation Ministries, to speak during our weekend services. He spoke on Matthew 19 and shared Jesus’s heart for children. In conjunction, we promoted a new ministry called “30-Family Challenge.” It encouraged families to serve together in Children’s Ministry. It was very successful. We had an influx of families, as well as individuals who enlisted to serve with us. Many of them are still with us today. It was a children-focused weekend, and it was awesome!!
We’ve also found that those who partner together and serve every other week—utilizing a team-teaching approach to the same group of children—provide their own coverage when out-of-town and tend to stay with us for longer periods of time. This seems to ease a “daunting commitment” for those who are nervous.
When all else fails, we start scrolling through our contact lists and make massive amounts of phone calls until all the holes are filled!
Rob Foster, Church Administrator
Temecula Hills Christian Fellowship, Temecula, California
No. 1—I find someone to partner with me who is good at successfully FINDING and SIGNING-UP volunteers. (ha! ha!) I am totally serious. This is a weakness of mine so I have intentionally focused on bringing someone in who does this well, and we team up to make it happen. Currrently, we have a part-time staff member with the title Ministry Facilitator.
No 2:—(and its a distant second) Personal invitation. I know the needs in the church so as I get to know people I ask about gifting, desire, etc. then try to match their gifting with the needs.
We do use announcements from the front, notices in church communications, etc. but those are best for creating awareness and almost useless in actually getting people “on the team”.
Tara Thomas, Interim Children’s Ministry Director
Sunridge Community Church, Temecula, CA
The obvious answer is Pray! Matthew 9:37-38 says, “Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
As for recruiting tools the ‘personal ask’ seems to be the best but the questions are how do you know who to ask and how can you prepare someone for it?
First, there needs to be some preparing of the heart. A sermon on Spiritual Gifts and how the Church works together as a body is a great start. Leaders need to get people excited about the mission of Children’s Ministry so they can see how they fit into God’s bigger picture.
Don’t take it all on yourself! Empowering and encouraging volunteer leaders to do their own recruiting is essential. In bigger churches it’s impossible to know everyone. Home groups, Bible studies, and service groups that your team are a part of are great ways to get to know people and their gifts.
Debbie Walton, Ministry Through Sport Director
North Coast Calvary Chapel, Carlsbad, California
There is some much discussion that goes into this question. Hard to put into a small answer, but here is the heart:
It all comes through the vision, the main goal, of the ministry. Recruiting toward need is not the answer, yet, we find ourselves in this situation most of the time. Being able to give a vision for the full focus of the ministry is the heartbeat of why people stay with the ministry.
We run a camp every summer for kids called KidsGames. The vision for this camp is to grow the local church. We keep our stats to see if this is working.
How many kids are from our church, how many from other churches and how many are not attending church at this time. Also, we are focusing on follow up after the camp is over. Who invited the kids, casting the vision to keep inviting those you have invited back to other opportunities in the church.
The small group leaders of KG know the vision for the week, and they are the relationship builders. Very important job. Each position of KidsGames leads to the vision.
This year:
1286 Children attended
1/2 of the kids did not attend our church
329 were unchurched
We had 596 volunteers
1/2 of them were menIt is working because of the vision.
This takes constant communication to cast the vision. Then training to prepare to be successful in implementing the vision.
Finally – CELEBRATING the success of vision.
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