FIND THE "KID PEOPLE"
It took me a while, but I finally came to the realization that not
everyone in my church is called to work with kids. It's hard to
imagine that not everyone loves kids and is great with them when
you are. Nowadays, my goal is to find the people who are "kid
people." That's where prayer comes in. I need my eyes opened to see
these people. I must be able to discern who the right person is for
my team--and I've realized it's not always the people I assumed it
would be. A perfect example...I used to think the right person was
someone who was looking to build relationships, so I emphasized
that our ministry was a place where people could be part of a
team.
We build teams within our ministry to kids, so
naturally I thought that the relationship piece was what would
attract people to join us. Sounds pretty solid, right? But what I
later realized was that the people I was attracting with that
specific message were most often people who didn't relate well
within the mainstream. They struggled relating with our team and
with the kids. Clearly, I wasn't reaching the people I needed to; I
had to clarify my target and rethink my message.
Now, as I target the right "kid people," I communicate specific
ways they can be involved in ministry to kids. When I need
volunteers for a specific purpose, I consider what the right people
need to hear and know about the position before I approach them.
For every position, I include detailed information about the amount
of time each week volunteers serve kids, the skills (if any)
needed, and the length of commitment required. In the past I didn't
give volunteers an end date for their commitment.
Ending dates are scary; what if a volunteer's
time is up and I have no one to take that person's place? But the
reality is that by asking volunteers to commit for a specific
period of time (with built-in time off), I actually prevent burnout
and get people who enjoy ministering to kids to keep returning year
after year. In fact, I have one volunteer who's served in our
ministry for over 20 years...and he still loves it!
PLAY MATCHMAKER
When you help people find the right position (even if it means a
bit of shuffling to begin with), they'll have a more satisfying
experience…which means ultimately your overall load of recruiting
will drop. I like to categorize volunteer positions into groups;
for instance, opportunities to work with kids or administratively,
to volunteer weekly or monthly, or to volunteer with a specific age
group. Categories tend to attract the people who want to serve in
them. When you give people the options available, they'll seek out
what appeals to them.
You may still have to play a bit of matchmaker, though. That means
recruiting a volunteer for one position and then tweaking the
position or the volunteer's role until the fit is more complete or
compatible. I had one high school girl who initially really wanted
to work with preschoolers. She was faithful in coming each week,
but I couldn't get her to stay in the room for the whole hour. She
continually found excuses to leave the room to go visit her
friends.
After many conversations about her commitment and
the position description, I encouraged her to volunteer with an
elementary age group, assisting the kids as they checked in using
our computerized check-in system. Not only was she great at
overcoming any computer glitch, she worked alongside another high
school girl and the two became good friends. Putting her in the
right place made everyone a whole lot happier.
Helping people find their place to serve in the body of Christ is
one of the great joys of leading people. Even though my job has its
periods of stress and challenges, I know that I'm making a
difference not only in the lives of the kids but also in the lives
of the volunteers serving in our ministry. And I'm not doing my job
alone. What I do matters to God. He wants kids to know him, become
like him, and make him known in their generation. The more
volunteers I have, the more children's lives we can
impact--together.
Becky Olmstead is the children's pastor at
Vineyard Church of the Rockies, a large, multi-campus congregation
in Fort Collins, Colorado. In 2008 she was appointed to lead a
National Task Force for Children's Ministry in the Vineyard
movement, which sponsors conferences, develops resources, and
raises awareness across the country.
What a Volunteer Wants
In a recent study of volunteers commissioned by the Girl Scouts of
America, people listed these requirements for a successful
volunteer experience:
• Flexible schedule
• Clearly defined roles
• Opportunities that match volunteers' interests
• A welcoming environment
• Reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses
• Training, mentoring, and other support services
Source: Voices of Volunteers 18-29
