A vibrant kids’ ministry requires passionate people who are inspired by a vision and well equipped to live it out. But how can you ignite that passion in your church as a way to recruit new volunteers to serve in your ministry?
Over the past few days, we’ve had some of the leading voices in kids’ ministry share advice for overcoming the challenge of getting people plugged into ministry. Today, I wanted to cap things off with some creative ideas you can implement in your ministry.
Three Creative Ways to Recruit Kids’ Ministry Volunteers
Here are three creative ways to encourage people to get involved in your kids ministry:
● Provide a “test drive” opportunity that allows people to try out serving in kids’ ministry. Find four to six Sundays a year where you give people the opportunity to find out what it’s like to serve as a kids’ ministry volunteer. This shows people that you’re more committed to helping them find the right opportunity to serve rather than using them to fill an opening. This is an excellent way to get volunteers plugged into any type of ministry, and it is incredibly effective at providing church members with an “inside look” at your children’s ministry.
● Work with other staff members to find creative ways to help people find their place in the ministry your church is doing. This is a great idea I found after reading this post from Joshua Kansiewicz. Essentially, their staff takes the time to identify potential volunteers who aren’t serving, and invite them to a connections event. Those attending the meeting share what they have learned about their passions, personality, and strengths. The pastoral team assesses their understanding and response to the gospel, answers any questions they have, and helps them get connected to the right ministry. Working with your team to create an event like this is an incredible way to solve the volunteer challenges across your entire church. A simpler approach is to invite church members to a “volunteer fair” type of opportunity that highlights the various areas of ministry and allows them to choose one that resonates with them most.
● Stop doing ministry to start building teams. Something probably needs to stop so you can begin investing in people and inviting them to join your team. The leader who pours into students can’t minister to every student. The leader who loves kids can’t personally invest in every kid. We need to equip others to multiply our influence. When you take the time to build a team rather than being involved in every aspect of ministry, you’re able to focus more on recruiting volunteers and solving other ministry problems.
These are not three easy shortcuts to double the number of volunteers you have overnight. However, these strategies can help you recruit and retain volunteers in the long run. If you’re interested, here’s a great starting place for kids ministry leaders looking to build a team of volunteers and a culture of ownership within their ministry.
What are some other creative ways you are working to recruit volunteers for your kids’ ministry?
