We’ve got volunteers…but we don’t really have the number of volunteers we want to take our ministry where we want it to go. Here’s 4 things I believe will help us make our goal.
1. GETTING REAL. Deciding how many volunteers you really want to take your ministry where you envision it. For small groups, we know we need 183 more because we really envision small groups as being small groups (not 1 adult for 20 kids). For our tech team we need an additional 45 for our new family service and regular elementary worship. I believe it’s important to get real and decide what you really want to take your ministry where it needs to go…instead of just getting by on what you have.
2. PHONE CALLS OVER EMAIL. Let’s be honest. It’s really easy to send out an email, and on the reverse end, it’s really easy to ignore an email. It’s so tempting, but I firmly believe that personal things like face to face interactions, meals, phone calls, and cards are the best way to go.
3. SPAN OF CARE. I think this is the most important one. Let’s be honest one more time. One person CAN’T have a meaningful relationship with 85 volunteers,and schedule them, mentor them, communicate with them, and be there for them at all times. I firmly believe that a one to four ratio is the way to go. Having four people, who take care of four people, who take care of four people makes more sense both for organization and ministry. It would be hard to make 85 phone calls…but it wouldn’t be hard for someone to make 1 call a day only 4 nights a week. If the person working with our elementary tech volunteers at church worked himself out of a job because he had such an awesome span of care in place, I would give him a RAISE!
4. CREATIVITY. I attended a session at CPC about that talked about getting specific about the needs of the ministry when writing volunteer job descriptions. I felt called to build on that by making a 5 minute DVD with video of the actual positions we needed filled, with a voice-over explaining what needs we have (room set-up, worship leader, small group leader, bible study teacher, tech team and so on). It’s a great tool to have available for parents when they drop their kids off, and this way perspective volunteers can really find out where their strengths would fit in…and in turn, we can get people in areas of their passion. There are SO many creative ways to connect people with serving that we haven’t even discovered yet.
Of course, Jim Wideman’s CD’s are a great resource too! Trying to get connect volunteers excites me…instead of trying to get people to buy Amway, Baskets, Popcorn, Coupon Cards that you won’t use, and Season Tickets to the Opera as Children’s Ministers we’re trying to get people to serve in the Kingdom. That’s where it’s at! That’s not business…that’s ministry.
I couldn’t agree with more on everything you are talking about in this post.
I really love what you said about how “One person CAN’T have a meaningful relationship with 85 volunteers, and schedule them, mentor them, communicate with them, and be there for them at all times.”
Peter Drucker talks on this subject saying how “spending a few minutes with people is simply not productive. If anyone wants to get anything across like vision, training or mentoring, one has to spend a fairly large minimum quantum of uninterrupted time”.
If you don’t spend this leisurely amount of time with people Peter Drucker goes on and shares of how “studies have also shown that you will either lose enthusiasm and become a time server or you could begin to direct your energies toward a specialty of yours or from opportunities and needs of your organization” or church.
Hey, Todd…can you tell me what Drucker resource you were quoting from? I’m working through that whole issue right now and would love to have some more resources to look through. Thanks.
Greg,
I think every person in leadership of any kind should read Druker’s “The Effective Executive!”
Nevan,
3 resources I reccomend for those needed to recruit and manage volunteers are
1. My book “Volunteers That Stick”
2. The CD single “Recruiting Like Jesus Did”
3. Another book that goes along with what you were saying is “Children’s Ministry Leadership- The You can do it guide.” In chapter 12 entitled “Attracting Volunteers” I give 10 steps of things to do before you start your recruiting push.
All of these are available in the kidzmatter store.
bj
The effective Executive by Drucker is the reference I was referring to.
But as Jim has mentioned I would recommend reading stuff by Drucker but I also think that the references that Jim gives that he has produced are superb resources. I personally have each one of the resources he mentioned and can tell you that they have helped me so much. The other benefit of using what Jim has produced is that it is specifically directed toward children’s ministry and so you don’t need to sort through and try to apply, they just apply.
Links for those who want to take the next step:
1. Jim’s book “Volunteers That Stick”:
https://www.kidzmatter.com/Details.cfm?ProdID=939&category=8
2. Jim’s CD “Having Enough Workers”:
https://www.kidzmatter.com/Details.cfm?ProdID=956&category=8
3. Jim’s book “Children’s Ministry Leadership- The You Can Do It Guide”:
https://www.kidzmatter.com/Details.cfm?ProdID=940&category=8
4. Here’s one that Jim didn’t mention but it’s excellent:
https://www.kidzmatter.com/Details.cfm?ProdID=505&category=8
Thanks for these insights. I am guilty of relying too much on email too. I just posted worksheet to estimate how children’s ministry volunteers are worth in $$ amounts - My Children’s Ministry Volunteers Deserve $42,900 Per Year.