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I need how many volunteers?
I remember asking myself this question when I first began serving in children’s ministry 16 years ago. I had been in youth ministry for the previous eight years. While I definitely needed volunteers for youth ministry, the number of volunteers didn’t come close to what I would need to serve as a children’s ministry director. How am I supposed to recruit and train so many volunteers? Where will they come from? Are there really that many people willing to serve in children’s ministry at my church?
What I really wanted in those early days of children’s ministry was a magic formula that would have people beating down the doors to serve in children’s ministry. I didn’t want to ask. I just wanted people who love kids and love teaching the Bible as much as I do to serve without requiring me to do anything!
I quickly learned there’s no magic formula. And there definitely aren’t people calling me every day saying they want to serve in children’s ministry! Recruiting volunteers is a process. It can’t be packaged into a magic formula where if you do this, this and this, then you’ll be set! Every church looks different. Your needs and your church people are different than my needs and my church people.
But there are things you can do to effectively recruit volunteers. Here are some things I have learned in my ministry that can help you as you recruit volunteers:
Pray
I know this may sound like a given. We work in a church, so we pray a lot! But we often don’t pray specifically for the volunteers we need. We map out the positions for our children’s ministry and how many leaders we need. Then we try to find the people on our own. Yes, we definitely need to do these things. But before we do anything, we need to go to God in prayer. Ask God to provide the volunteers needed for your ministry. Ask God to show you the people you need to ask. Ask God to remove the worry and burden you feel when you look at how many volunteers you need. When I have taken the time to pray for these things, I am always blown away by God’s faithfulness and His provision. Take the time to pray, then believe in His provision for your ministry!
Get to Know People
Whether you’re new at a church or have been there for a long time, get to know the people in your congregation. When I do this, it helps me know them as a person, know what they love, know where they have served in the church and know where they would like to serve. You can talk with them during services, at meetings or by taking them to coffee or lunch.
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that not all parents make great children’s ministry volunteers. A few parents have told me they love their own children but absolutely don’t like other people’s kids and don’t want to serve. When I got to know them, they felt comfortable enough to tell me that. I appreciated their honesty!
When you get to know people in your church, it’s also helpful in doing my next tip.
Personally Ask
I quickly learned that asking for volunteers from the Sunday morning stage is not very effective. Neither is sharing the volunteer positions we needed in a bulletin or newsletter. These aren’t bad things to do; they just aren’t very effective. Everyone thinks someone else will volunteer, and then you end up with no one helping!
Personally asking someone to serve in children’s ministry is much more effective. If I actually take the time to get to know the people in my church and build a relationship with them, then asking them personally is not hard to do. Will they always say yes? Absolutely not. But I do know that most of them appreciate being asked directly.
When I take the time to pray about the volunteers I need, get to know the people in my church, and make the personal ask, my burden becomes lighter. I don’t worry or stress over the holes in my volunteer schedule. I am at peace because I know the Lord will provide. I love watching how God uses these volunteers in children’s ministry too! I have seen volunteers grow in their faith, worship with the kids, build relationships with them, laugh at all the funny things kids say and show up every week filled with the joy of serving.
Volunteer recruitment is difficult. It takes effort, patience and trust in the Lord. It’s something every children’s director struggles with at some point, so please know that you are not alone. We all understand the struggle of volunteer recruitment! I pray you will find encouragement in knowing that our God loves you, He sees you, He knows your every need (like all those open volunteer positions), He is faithful to provide (even in those last-minute cancellations) and He is for you. Have faith in God and do not fear the monumental task of volunteer recruitment. I know the Lord will provide for you.
For more on a journey to faith that lasts, check out Awana’s newly released book, From Children’s Ministry to Child Discipleship: A Journey to Faith That Lasts.
