Dr. Angie BaumanAssistant Professor of Christian Education, NOBTS

Recruiting, Training, & Motivating Volunteers

Youth Ministry Theory & PracticeCEYH 6240

Why can’t we pay others to do it? The biblical mandate for every Christian

to get involved using their spiritual gifts to build up the local body of Christ is violated with this approach.

Paying others to do the work prevents others from spiritual growth.

Leaders are to equip others to serve and give them the opportunity to do so.

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ. Eph. 4:11-12

Obstacles to Recruitment Lack of Prayer Insecurity of the senior pastor/ministry leaders Competition among church staff

“Stealing” or “double usage” of faithful volunteers

Hesitation to ask Expectations are set too low Poor choices and misguided priorities

Administrative roadblocks Church policies

Requirement of Church membershipRequirement of profession of faith

Limited vision of the future People’s lack of confidence in

themselves

Obstacles to Recruitment

How to Staff Staffing the church’s educational

organizations is the responsibility of the church nominating or Christian education committee/ministry team in consultation with staff ministers.

The committee’s/team’s task is to discover and enlist potential leaders as requested, not to decide organizational patterns or needs.

Class Response: How does your church enlist volunteers for ministry positions?

Staffing Principles Develop a master file of potential church leaders Encourage leaders to suggest potential volunteers Describe Christian service opportunities

Make mention of Christian growthOpportunities to influence and enrich livesPray about what God wants you to do in the church

Class Response: In your church, who is responsible for monitoring volunteer enlistment, training, and evaluation?

Starting Point . . . Aspects of Working with Volunteers

(Tidwell, Church Administration: Effective Leadership for Ministry, p. 129)

Pray . . .the Lord . . .to send out laborers.Develop qualifications for volunteer leadership positions.

○ Written job (position) descriptionsPosition titleBrief description of job to be doneSpecialized of specific skills neededResources availableTime commitmentsLength of serviceObjectives and goals of the educational organizationEmphasize the service to be rendered, not the position or the title

Identify needs (in ministry) for leaders.Discover potential leaders.

Provide basic pre-service training for potential leaders.

Enlist volunteers for specific positions. Give specialized training for specific positions. Continue development for volunteers.

Church training, through association, through state convention, position conferences, etc.

Create an environment for lifelong learning & growth

Aspects of Working with Aspects of Working with Volunteers Volunteers (cont.)(cont.)

Supervise volunteer leaders. Motivate volunteer leaders. Evaluate volunteer leaders

(their work/service). Recognize volunteer leaders appropriately

and regularly.

Aspects of Working with Aspects of Working with Volunteers Volunteers (cont.)(cont.)

Before you can “work with

volunteers” you must ENLIST

VolunteersWhat are some effective What are some effective approaches to approaches to enlisting enlisting volunteersvolunteers that you have that you have observed personally?observed personally?

The Enlistment Process “So our first task as recruiters is to remind

ourselves what it is we are doing. Recruiters are asking people to share their faith with other Christians. . . this is being done because the church places a very high value on Christian growth. So, set aside the cloud of doom, and approach the task of recruiting teachers for the church’s educational ministry with the prayerful energy that it deserves.” (Carolyn Brown)

The Enlistment Process Set a time to talk with the person when you

have privacy and adequate time. Pray for the submission to and leadership of

the Holy Spirit as you prepare for the interview. Present the challenges & possibilities of the

position. Prepare and present prospective workers with

a packet of curriculum materials and other available resources.

The Enlistment Process (cont.) Be realistic about the job. Describe scheduled activities for pre-

service and in-service training opportunities.

Ask the person to pray and study for a week or two before giving you an answer.

Set a date when you will call or return to receive and answer.

The Enlistment Process (cont.) Check with the person in a few days

to clarify the role and answer any questions.

Call or visit to receive the answer. Don’t text or e-mail decision.

Follow up with other opportunities, if no is the response.

Thank the person for considering the position.

What are the keys to wise volunteer selection?

Time Prayer Discernment

“When interviewing prospective leadership, you need to be prayerful, patient, and perspective. The “right” person is worth waiting for.”

Bruce Jones, Ministerial Leadership in a Managerial World, p. 30

Staff members train volunteers in ministry area.

Utilize a training consultant from an SBC agency or other ministry.

Establish an apprenticeship program.Support leadership team of veteran

leaders.

Training Opportunities:Training Opportunities:

Volunteers visit other ministries and dialogue with persons fulfilling same/similar roles.

Ministry-specific workshops.SBC agency training sessions.Library resource & Internet training.Certificate programs at NOBTS.

Training Opportunities:Training Opportunities:

Training Opportunities

Books and written training materials Assigned readings/discussion Video and audio training Mentoring In-house training with a specialist Ministry conferences/conventions Teacher/leader meetings

Motivational Principles

Realize that you cannot motivate another person long-term; motivation is both external and internal.The question to ask is “Why don’t they want to

do serve?”

Believe in Christ to empower His children Permit people to work in their own way Emphasize results, not methods

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yCommitment to others

•Empower others for success•Enhance others service opportunities

Communicate expectations•Clarify primary tasks•Write job descriptions•Create priority lists

Don Cousins, “Overseeing Staff” in Mastering Church Management, p. 138

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ityPersonalized Leadership

•No two persons are the same•Know how to lead individuals

•Direction •Coaching•Support•Delegation

Accurate & Honest Evaluation

Don Cousins, “Overseeing Staff” in Mastering Church Management, p. 138

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ityMy addition - Provide appropriate reward

“The currency is not cash; it’s challenge, growth, peace, comfort, information, encounter with God, friendships, significance, satisfaction, and all the other important things money can’t buy.”

Anderson, Leadership That Works, p. 79-80

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ityPurpose of MeetingsIf your primary purpose for calling a meeting is to communicate your agenda – morale will suffer!Consider using meetings . . .•To meet leader needs•To grow leaders spiritually•To enhance leader effectiveness•To show leaders how to lead

Don Cousins, “Overseeing Staff” in Mastering Church Management, p. 138