How to Find the Quality Volunteers You Need
One of the top questions we hear from children’s directors is “How do I get more volunteers?” But a much better question may be: "How do I get the right volunteers?"
One of our leaders came into our ministry over 15 years ago. When he came on board, he said, “Put me wherever you need me,” so we assigned him and another man to lead a group of 5th grade boys. These men have become great friends and they return every fall to lead the next batch of 5th grade boys. Even when we are on break, these guys take the time to have bonfires or cookouts with their group. One of the sweetest sights was last year when a couple of their boys put their faith in Jesus and they asked their leaders to baptize them. We could tell so many more stories like this one.
That's the kind of leaders we want, and the kind of leaders you can have!
In this article, we’ll talk about:
- What to look for (and what to avoid) in a volunteer
- How, when, and where to find great volunteers
- Keeping and Motivating great volunteers
- When and how to Dismiss a Volunteer
What to Look For (and What to Avoid) in a Volunteer
Companies go through lengthy processes to be sure they’ve hired the right employee, and when they’re wrong, it costs them thousands of dollars. A bad recruit in children’s ministry is much more costly, as it can cost the spiritual nurturing of a child.
Remember this: God is not desperate, and neither are you. When you belong to Jesus, you are God’s child and an heir to all that He has for you–including an awesome team of volunteers to reach the next generation. (We teach this promise to our kids, but do you believe it for you?!) So put aside any tendency to beg, and realize that children need so much more than just “anyone” to disciple them. We simply can’t settle for the wrong volunteers.
What you do NOT want in a Volunteer
- Just a “warm body” or “crowd control”
- Needy
- Emotionally Unhealthy
- Self-centered
- Tightly wound
Don’t feel obligated to just take anyone! Pray and search diligently for the right people. Avoid high-maintenance people or people that you have to compensate for over and over (ex: they’re always late, they don’t call when they’re out, they aren’t prepared, or they aren’t team players). Of course these people are completely welcome at church, but they should not be mentoring our kids.
Apathetic, difficult, or spiritually unhealthy people won’t reflect God’s heart accurately to your kids. And those people can repel the wonderful volunteers you really want on your team. It is far better to battle for our kids with a few stellar volunteers than many who aren’t whole-heartedly on mission for the next generation. Having the right people on your team makes the workload light and fun! And having a dynamic, bright, energetic team will attract more of the right kind of leaders.
What you DO want in a Volunteer
- Those who clearly have a relationship with Jesus
- Engaged
- Called
- Passionate
- Flexible
- Relational
- Positive
- Patient
These people will truly invest; they’ll go the extra mile. Their eyes will light up when their kids walk in the room – which is the heart of God. These people are already living out the life you want your kids to mimic. And, as iron sharpens iron, these leaders will make each other better. They’ll learn from one another. And as we all know, joyful, positive people are like a magnet for other joyful, positive people. They’re fun to work with!
How, When, and Where to Get Amazing Leaders
First Things First
The most important step is prayer. Acknowledge that it is God who calls people to serve!
Jesus told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field. - Luke 10:2
Ask God to show you who He is calling. Ask Him to open your eyes to the natural gifts He has given to those around you that would be a beautiful fit in your ministry (Romans 12:4-8). What are you lacking that He has gifted someone else with? Who is He drawing? Ask some of your best volunteers who they think would be great in a similar role, and pray over the names they suggest.
How, When, Where to Ask
After God reveals someone to you, contact them personally. Face to face is by far the best. Everyone wants to feel connected. There’s no better way to connect than looking someone in the eye and reading the expression on their face. In an email message they simply can’t hear you express your heart. And by meeting in person, you’ll already begin to model what you want from your leaders - personal connection.
And in that personal connection, always share the VISION for the ministry that you’re inviting them into.
For example, we recently met with a principle of an elementary school in an area that is filled with refugee children. We wanted to see how we could be a blessing to the school in hopes of one day having an after school Bible club there. In our meeting, we found out that at lunchtime, in her district, kids are not allowed to pick up trash or wipe down tables. So the principal actually spent two hours of her day cleaning in the lunchroom! She didn’t complain about it at all, but immediately I knew that if we could fill that need, the principal would have time for more important things like interacting with kids and teachers.
So… I could say to a potential volunteer: “Hey, we need someone to clean tables and mop floors.” Or I could CAST THE VISION by saying: “We have the amazing opportunity to serve this dedicated principal so she has time to pour into her kids like only she can. You could really help us build a great relationship. And in doing this, you might be opening the door for us to have eternal impact on all these kids that God has brought to our backyard from all across the globe!
Which version do you think would motivate someone – not only to come, but also to have an amazing attitude while they are there?
- Make sure they have heard the overall vision of the ministry
- Let them know exactly what their role will be
- Be specific in the expectations (ex: every week, for the entire summer)
- Communicate timelines (the beginning and the end) for the commitment
Consider the invitation sandwich: bless/need/bless “Cindy, I am blown away when I hear you talk about the difficult circumstances you grew up in and how God was always there for you. I have a few girls who are coming from the exact same background and I’m having a hard time connecting with them. I can really envision them relating to you. Will you pray about whether God would like you in that role?”
Or, “Jack, every time I see you, there are guys around you laughing and having a great time. We would love more godly male role models for our 5th grade boys. I believe that hanging out with you might be the best part of some of our boys’ week. Would you pray about whether God would like you to join our team?”
Who doesn’t want to hear something wonderful that you see in them? The best part is, it will be something that God has called to your attention! It’s not manipulation. It is truth.
Keep kids safe!
No matter who you ask to join in your mission, be sure to do your due diligence. After they say yes, make sure you have a thorough application process that includes questions about their spiritual walk, references, and a background check. We’d love to trust everyone, but the truth is, there are predators out there who are very good at gaining trust and fooling people. Never let anyone in contact with your kids unless they have passed a background check and you have contacted their references.
Beyond this, trust your gut. If everything comes back fine, but you still don’t feel good about the volunteer, find a different place for them outside of kids’ ministry. A great litmus test is to say, “Would I want this person as the spiritual mentor for my own child? Would I want him or her as my child’s counselor in their cabin at camp?” If the answer is no, do not use them. Kids only have one childhood. You only have this one chance to show them the heart of God. Their safety is our priority.
Mass communication is necessary, but it is not the same as recruiting!
Information about volunteering in your email newsletter, church bulletin, or even announcements at church, get the word out. They lay the groundwork by making people aware that there are opportunities to serve. Never beg or plead when you announce open positions; it’s a privilege to serve with kids. In fact, your announcements are best after a great story of the fruit you are seeing. But mass communication is not effective in getting a response. Sending an email is not recruiting. Personal contact is by far the MOST effective! People take time, but they are worth the investment.
Places for you to make intentional contact with potential volunteers:
At your school–Start building a relationship with people you meet at school.
In Neighborhoods – Be on the look-out; welcome them; help them remember your name; remember their name
People already serving in your church - Go to top volunteers, reiterate the qualities you are looking for, and ask each of them to look for one more person who shows those qualities and is not already serving.
Summer: Sign Up and Show Up
A great tool for summertime is Sign Up and Show Up. This is a simple procedure we use to find “fill in” volunteers for the summer months. We always give our regular leaders the summer off (in fact we insist on it!), so in June and July, we ask the members of our congregation to simply sign up and show up for one week. During these weeks we rework our program a bit so there’s no prep involved for the volunteers, and there are no strings attached. When we explain that we are giving our regular leaders time off, people are happy to sign up. So this fills your summer need, but as it turns out, it’s a great recruiting tool also. When new people enter the doors of our ministry, their eyes are opened to how intentionally we are pouring in to the kids, they realize we are talking kids deep into God’s word, and they are blown away by the thought of having eternal impact on the next generation. Each summer we are able to identify adults and teens who are great with kids and would be a great fit in the ministry. And most times these people are excited to coming back in the fall on a regular basis. It’s a win/win all around! (Every Sign Up and Show Up volunteer must do the background check as well.)
Keeping and Motivating Great Volunteers
Once you have great volunteers, you want to keep them!
Always set your people up for success
● They need to be trained well:
- Never waste their time, make sure training is helpful and empowering
- Do overall training once or twice per year with supplemental pieces through year
- Thorough training helps you avoid SO many problems to begin with, and gives you
a place to point back to if a problem arises
● Volunteers must have a clear path to get help with any issue they encounter
● Encourage community with co-leaders
● Always have everything prepared for them. They show up (spiritually prepared) and everything they need is in their room or leader bag. (Stuffing bags is a great job for a volunteer who may not be able to serve with kids.)
● Good communication is key! Weekly emails are imperative.
● Use good materials that feed leaders as well as the kids
We have leaders every week who tell us how much they are getting out of the materials we use. This motivates them to stay involved!
Relationship building: Intentionally shepherd people! That’s what you’re asking recruited volunteers to do with our kids, so you should model that and do it for them! When you genuinely care, you will become a “people magnet.” Others will notice and you will have people coming to you to volunteer.
● Phone calls to check on them – either you or a grade director/shepherd
● Face-to-face conversations
● Look for ways to bless and encourage them every opportunity you get. Treats (weekly, holidays, end of season)
● If they have a prayer need, pray, get others to pray, and contact them.
● When they’re sick, bring them dinner (or arrange for someone else to do this – another great job for someone who loves to cook but can’t volunteer with kids).
Recruiting, training, equipping, praying for, and shepherding volunteers are among the most important facets of your job. It is our volunteers who are making the most direct contact with our children. Be prayerful and intentional for Godly volunteers!
When and How to Dismiss a Volunteer
So what do you do if you have a volunteer doesn’t seem to work out?
As mentioned, you start by telling every volunteer what you expect of them from the get-go. Training them well upfront will curb a lot of issues before they ever arise. Tell them what you do want–joyful leaders who love kids, courteous, respectful, team players, etc. And tell them what you don’t want–no physical discipline, no short tempers, no inappropriate social media postings.
But after you’ve done your due diligence in training, if you still find a volunteer who isn’t working out (you notice she’s habitually unhappy or you get complaints about her), it’s time to address it.
1. Invite God into every aspect of the situation.
Yes, prayer is step one! Ask the Lord to give you insight and discernment as you go through this process. He alone knows the heart of every person. He has seen all the circumstances unfold (even the ones you are completely unaware of). He ushers light into areas of darkness. He brings peace to volatile situations. It’s amazing how beautifully things resolve when God is invited into the center of them.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28
As you pray, be sure to ask God if there is anything you have done incorrectly; earnestly ask if you are responsible for any part of this problem so you can make it right.
2. Evaluate the problems of the volunteer to see if they are solvable or not.
Find a time and place where you can get together to have a real conversation with the volunteer. Questions are always a great starting point. Non-accusatory questions show that you care and they allow the recipient to give you her perspective. We learn so much by asking good questions.
“How is it going with your 2nd grade small group, Beth?” If at first you get a, “fine,” keep delving. “Do you like working with that age group?” or “Does that time of morning work for your schedule?”
Listen for answers. If you still don’t get much information, gently state your concern.
“I’ve noticed that you seem a bit stressed when I’ve seen you with your group over the past few months. Is there anything I can help with?”
In many cases, the volunteer will do the work for you. She’ll tell you her list of complaints. For you, the director, this is the best-case scenario. Chances are, when you hear her response, you’ll know whether these are real and solvable problems, or if kids’ ministry is just not the place for her.
Examples of Solvable problems:
She is truly outnumbered. Solution: Find her a co-leader.
Her co-leader rarely shows up or is unprepared. Solution: Address the co-leader.
She’s having a temporary problem at home. Solution: Give her time off to focus on home/family.
She’s not confident working with kids. Solution: Spend more time observing and training her.
Not-so-Solvable Problems:
She really just doesn’t have the temperament to work with children.
She’s high-drama or self-centered.
She’s rude or belittles others.
Her own walk with the Lord is not where it should be.
She’s with kids all day, every day, and really wants to be with adults.
If the problem is not-so-solvable, determine if there is a better place of service for this volunteer. If this is the case, how should you phrase it? If a volunteer knows she’s not happy, you can easily parlay the conversation into finding a place of service that is a better fit for her. If she has been unaware of how badly it’s been going, the next step will be a little more tricky, but the more you talk through what you are seeing, the easier it will be.
3. Release the volunteer from their current position while offering a positive alternative.
Before you say anything, pray some more. Ask God for the right words (Luke 12:12), the right tone, and even the right look on your face. Ask Him to soften her heart and receive what you are saying in the loving way you are offering it.
It’s a good idea to “sandwich” your comments by giving encouragement at the beginning, stating your concern in the middle, and speaking a blessing over the volunteer at the end.
“I really appreciate your dedication to be here every week. It sounds like working with kids is not a perfect fit for you right now. I think you would be amazing in the coffee ministry where you can meet and greet adults every week.”
“I absolutely love your perfectionist nature and attention to detail. From what you’re telling me, though, the way 4th grade boys are always chatting and wiggling really goes against your nature and is sort of wearing you out. Have you thought about helping with administration? We could really use your keen eye in keeping records and getting everything ordered every week.”
Win/win
The truth is, if someone is unhappy in any ministry, you’ll be doing them a favor by helping them articulate it, and by giving them a graceful way to leave. God wired each of us differently (1 Corinthians 12:27) and there is a place for every person to serve in their sweet spot.
What to Teach
As a church who felt the need to develop our own curriculum, we’ve put a ton of thought into the non-negotiable aspects of curriculum–things 100% Bible based, applicable, engaging, memorable. You can read more about that here.
If you have curriculum that you love, that’s great. But if are looking for a fun, dynamic, fruitful curriculum, we’d love for you to check out our comprehensive mid-week program called KidzLife, and new KidzLife Essentials.
For 25+ years, we had a bustling Wednesday night program. We had hundreds of kids and leaders, but each week we were constantly altering lessons to go deeper. The old program was high on scripture memory and high on awards. And it was good. You can never go wrong memorizing God’s word! But we kept feeling that we were missing something.
- Did the kids really understand what they were memorizing?
- Did they understand all about God’s kingdom?
- Did they understand how to apply it to their lives?
- Did they recognize God’s voice speaking to them every day?
We wanted more. More of a kingdom emphasis. More understanding. More heart change. More lives eternally changed. We PRAYED for weeks. We got a white board and did some blue sky brainstorming. What would the perfect program look like?
This is what we ended up with:
K-5th all together in the same passage each week
Honing in on the kingdom of God, and how it is so different from the world around us
Dynamic, memorable large group lessons (with power points)
Discussion-based small groups
Truly Interactive journals
Verses set to music – fun songs in every style that are word-for-word
Toddler program with lessons, puppet shows, crafts, Bible memory flash cards
2-year-old program with lessons and crafts
We are praying that God reveals more amazing volunteers that can help your kids get to know Him!
Additional Volunteer Resources:
