I don’t care how gifted, relational or vision minded you are as a youth pastor, you can only effectively shepherd 5 or 6 students. If your ministry is bigger than six, volunteers are a necessity. The more effectively your volunteers serve, the more effective your ministry will be. As we approach the fall season, there are 5 things our volunteers will be asking. Answer these questions well and your volunteers will have a fantastic experience.
HOW DO I DO THIS?
Most people want to do good work. Volunteers wouldn’t be volunteering unless they cared deeply about the ministry. The trouble is that we don’t often provide volunteers with the tools to do ministry effectively. Providing your volunteers with constant training is important. In our ministry, we start every large group program with 30 minutes of volunteer training.
Secondly, provide your volunteers with clear expectations. In the absence of clarity, people come up with their own expectations. You won’t always be happy with what they come up with. Make it clear and equip them for the work and then sit back and watch the magic.
HOW AM I DOING?
A lack of feedback drives people mad. “Does she like me?” “Did I pass the test?” “Is my spinach casserole tasty?” It’s no different with volunteering. People want to know if they are doing a good job or not. And, in the absence of feedback a new volunteer will almost always feel like they are bombing. It’s important that ministry leaders see and praise good work. On the flip side, if a volunteer isn’t doing a good job, gently tell him. Most of the time, the issue is a lack of clarity on expectations.
DO I MATTER?
We all have a revolutionary streak. We all want to belong to something big and meaningful. Thankfully, kingdom work is incredibly compelling. Share stories of why your volunteers matter. Highlight the wins. Paint a picture of what a caring adult can do in the life of a lonely teenager. Stories are fuel for volunteers. And, volunteers who deeply believe in the mission of the ministry and the importance of their role in it will likely stick around for years.
HOW DO I HANDLE THIS?
Crisis situations can be terrifying for a volunteer (and staff!). “She is cutting. What do I do?” “He’s addicted to porn and his parents don’t know.” “She says that her dad hits her.”
The best thing you can do for a volunteer is help her understand the process of how your ministry handles these situations. And, it needs to be in advance. Make this process very clear. Help your volunteers understand what they are legally responsible for in terms of mandatory reporting. The more you communicate these things in advance the more at ease your volunteers will feel.
Secondly, make sure they understand that they are not alone. Staff should take lead on crisis situations as soon as possible. Don’t leave difficult conversations with parents and calls to CPS to your volunteers.
ARE YOU LISTENING?
Every person had a deep inner need to feel significant. There is one simple test to determine if someone values you as a person—do they listen to you?
Your volunteers will naturally develop opinions about the ministry and their experiences. If they don’t they aren’t truly engaged in the ministry. The way in which you listen to them will tell them very clearly whether or not you value them. Volunteers who don’t feel valued will not stick around for long. However, volunteers who feel significant will likely plug in for years.
Listen to your volunteers. Provide simple ways for them to provide feedback. Survey Monkey is one of our favorites. Also, regular talks over coffee are a key ingredient to our care strategy.
Volunteers are crucial to student ministry. Great ministries have great volunteers and a lot of them. Equipping and keeping great volunteers isn’t rocket science but it does take intentionality and hard work. These are the 5 questions I believe volunteers are asking. Feel free to add a sixth if you think I’m missing one.
