How to recruit and retain volunteers
Children’s ministry is unlike most other core church ministries. Not just anyone can step into that role and be successful or beneficial to the ministry. So, I am going to tell you what I have learned over the years that has helped me build and keep great volunteers in my kid’s ministry. This is just how I run my ministry at a medium size church with around 40 to 60 kids on any given regular weekly activity. I hope you can use all or even parts to make your ministry an optimized volunteer opportunity.
Advertising for the right kind of volunteer.
We never want to discourage someone from volunteering; however, we can’t just take warm bodies. It is important to get the right people in place ministering to the next generation of the Church. What has worked best for me is the direct invitation approach. Announcing from the stage or even a creatively designed slide is great but when you are fishing for a specific fish you need specific bait. You don't want volunteers that scare easily or who have zero experience with children of any age. Let’s face it, that would be like throwing steak in a lion's cage. Far be it we scar someone for life in volunteering for any ministry. Think of people in your church who fit into some of these categories.
Teachers - Current or Retired
School Employees
Preschool Workers
Vetted Babysitters
Foster and Adoptive Parents
Homeschool Parents
Active Grandparents
Responsible Older Teens
These are all great places to start because you know they will have some experience with children in some way. Search them out before or after a church service and just ask them. I have been told yes way more times than I have been turned down with this method. I usually “invite” them to be a part of our growing ministry and give some different examples of how we could use them. Let them know we use Ministry Safe for Sexual Abuse Awareness Training and back ground checks, then ask them to pray on it and get back with me next week.
Start with those but definitely don’t stop at them. A ministry friend of mine once told her youth pastor husband, “Don’t count someone out before you give them the opportunity to make the choice for themselves because then you are making the choice for them and could be costing them the opportunity for God to use them.”
2. What are you offering
Why should they volunteer in kids’ ministry rather than other ministry opportunities in the church that might be less scary or involved? Here are my top reasons why volunteering in kids ministry is the best.
Children are like sponges and watching them soak up the word of God is one of the most rewarding experiences
Being a constant good in the life of a child for one week or 12 years makes all of the work worth it.
No other ministry allows you to play games, do crafts and have snack time pretty much every time you meet.
Seeing a child get excited about coming to church.
Having a child minister to you through the love of Christ.
Being on the ground floor of teaching a child who Jesus is and how much he loves them.
Holding babies and crawling on the floor with toddlers.
3. The fish took the bait. Now what?
Set your volunteers up for success. No one likes to be unprepared when starting something new. If your new volunteer is going to be running your check in system, set aside a time when you can fully show them how all of it works. I have a laminated copy of step by step instructions that stays with our stations just in case a new volunteer gets lost or I am not available. If they will be teaching, have them shadow a current teacher. Give them plenty of time and material for what they will be doing. I like to have a gettogether to refresh and check in on volunteers twice or more a year.
Introduce them to some of your well established core volunteers. Depending on the size of your church and your ministry, new volunteers may not know anyone on your team.
4. Don’t get’em and forget’em.
They are resources and need to be taken care of, used and replenished. Kids ministry can be mentally, physically and emotionally challenging at times. Keep a check on your volunteers. Give them breaks, appreciation (in the form of cards, words of encouragement, gifts, and social events that are kidless but provide childcare for those in need) Let them know that their efforts can have eternal dividends. What they do matters and if your ministry is anything like mine it surely is not a solo act. My ministry is what it is because I have amazing volunteers.
Bonus: Here’s a link to download my printable Notes for the G.O.A.T. ‘s
5. Change up not burnout!
Burnout is one of the leading causes for volunteers leaving. As a ministry leader I never want my volunteers to get a bad taste for my ministry. Periodically ask your volunteers to fill out a survey to let you know if anyone is wanting/needing a change of age or responsibility, time off or want a change of curriculum or discuss any new ideas they have. Here is a link to mine. (Volunteers have given me some of the best ideas) If a volunteer seems burnt out before it’s survey time, pull them aside and talk. Odds are they don’t want to let you down and are trying to make it through but that can be damaging. Sometimes life happens and volunteering full time in a ministry doesn’t fit and that is okay. Take care of them now so they can and will want to volunteer again in the future when life isn’t in full tornado mode.
6. The right post for the right peep
Making sure you have the right job or post for your bag of very different volunteers is key to running a smooth ministry and keeping those volunteers happy. In my ministry I have 4 main categories that my volunteers fit into and 3 sub categories.
Weekly teaching/discipling volunteer - these are my most comfortable volunteers with the most experience and the schedule availability to be reliable on a regular basis. These volunteers are my second in command and have volunteered long enough with me to fill in pretty seamlessly at any post including mine from time to time. These volunteers definitely have their favorite place to volunteer but are the most versatile.
Rotation teaching/discipling volunteer - Like the weekly volunteers these are reliable and comfortable in their positions but they do not have the flexibility in their schedule to volunteer on a weekly basis. Their schedule is regular and these are the people who I call on first to sub for weekly teachers that are out.
Rotation secondary helper volunteers - Not every volunteer is confident enough or feels called to teach but they are great at class management. Most of these volunteers in my ministry are older teens who are learning what it means to be an active serving member of a church. Because of our Ministry Safe Guidelines and Rules these teen volunteers are not permitted to be the main leader or teacher in the class and work under one of our more seasoned adult leaders. Their responsibilities include participating during discussion as an example to the children, passing out snacks, reminding kids to stay seated and to not talk during the lesson, being an extra set of eyes and ears during play time, etc.
Tech and Check In - Again, these volunteers are on a rotation and consist of mainly older teens. These volunteers are what I like to refer to as “kid adjacent.” They do interact with the kids in a limited and minimal capacity. Our curriculum on Sunday mornings during our regular worship time has digital components. We have a computer, projector and bluetooth sound system that allows us to incorporate countdown videos, digital stage games, video bible lessons, worship and more. All of this is run by one of these volunteers. Another job that is covered by our tech volunteer is making sure our nursing room is unlocked, lowlights are on and our live stream is playing so nursing moms don’t miss any of the service. Check in is the last responsibility of a tech volunteer which simply involves checking in all returning and new kids, printing their name and pick up tags and welcoming them to the Children’s area.
Listeners - The first of the sub categories are used on an as needed basis for our mid-week service. We use the Awana Clubs program for our Wednesday nights and we have a special group of people who very simply come and listen. They listen to kids recite scripture and sign off completion when they reach goals. These volunteers are vetted the same as any and have included staff, elders and members of our over 50 ministry.
The Givers - This is the only children’s volunteer that doesn’t have to be vetted through our Ministry Safe program because their volunteering doesn’t put them in contact with children. These volunteers simply give to support our ministry. Children’s ministry can cost money and sometimes more than you have budgeted. We rely on these volunteers to give and support our ministry based on what God calls them to give. I am blessed to be at a church that has such a giving spirit. If we have a big need we just put it out to the church and these special Giver volunteers come through for us every time.
The Holders - The last of the volunteer groups but probably one of the most fun. Pretty much any vetted volunteer can do this job. Hold and rock babies in our nursery. Like other churches we go through waves of having tons of babies to few babies. This is another place where we station our older teens and our over 50 volunteers.
Volunteers are a vital part of any ministry, however they are a priceless and non-negotiable necessity for children’s ministry. Children require so much love and instruction and discipleship, how could we expect for one person to be able to provide it all. Even Jesus had peeps!