Recruit Me! Train Me! Keep Me!
It’s that time again! The fall season is fast approaching, promotion Sunday is just a few weeks away and you, the Children’s Minister, must recruit volunteers for the new school year. You make your appeals from the pulpit, beg and bargain with your friends and plead with the parents of the children in your group and still, you find yourself with more children than volunteers. Volunteer recruitment can be the Children’s Minister’s least favorite part of her job and is often the most difficult. If only you could get into the mind of your perspective volunteers and see what they are thinking…what can you say or do that will produce some positive results?
It’s that time again! The fall season is fast approaching, promotion Sunday is just a few weeks away and you, the Children’s Minister, must recruit volunteers for the new school year. You make your appeals from the pulpit, beg and bargain with your friends and plead with the parents of the children in your group and still, you find yourself with more children than volunteers. Volunteer recruitment can be the Children’s Minister’s least favorite part of her job and is often the most difficult. If only you could get into the mind of your perspective volunteers and see what they are thinking…what can you say or do that will produce some positive results?
I spent the last 3 months asking a variety of volunteers from a variety of locations the following questions: 1) What made you want to volunteer? 2) What kind of training do you need and would you come to? 3) How can I serve you so that you will want to remain on the CM team?
Understanding that much prayer is a given and based on personal experience and the responses of committed volunteers, following are some suggestions to help you in your recruitment process.
1. Recruit me with a personal invitation
It’s not that I am ‘high maintenance’; it’s more like I am a busy person and while I may have heard your appeal from the pulpit and even saw the insert you put in the bulletin, I may still forget to get back to you. Your phone call will remind me of your need and will also tell me you value the ministry (and the children) enough to seek out individuals to join you. More importantly, do not apologize for asking nor think that you are bothering me. God does not need me to do His work, He can do the work Himself. God chooses to allow me/us to participate in His work with Him and blesses us in fantastic ways when we do. You are not bothering me when you ask; you are doing me a favor. So ask me!
2. Cast a vision
If you want me to follow you, you need to show me where you are going. If you want me to join you, show me what I’m joining. I love God and I want to serve Him. He has probably burdened me with some of the same things He’s burdened you with but I won’t know that unless you share your heart and your vision with me. Casting vision tells me you’ve prayed about what you are doing and where God is leading you. If I know you are following God, I will be more than happy to follow you as well.
Sadly, I must end here for today. I will continue my recruitment list in my next blog. In the meantime, pray that God would provide you with direction and vision and pray He opens your eyes to see who would be a great asset to your team. Then be bold and just ask!
