“And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25
Recruiting and retaining children’s ministry volunteers is on the minds of most ministers in small, medium, and large-sized churches. How do you recruit effectively? How do you retain volunteers for the long term?
After I was called into ministry and the answers to these questions became important, I thought about leaders who had ministered to me personally throughout my lifetime. I remembered the adults who worked with students while I was in middle school and high school. As I recall, the leaders were committed to the student ministry. Most of the leaders taught, led, and chaperoned throughout the six years I spent in the youth group. Why were they committed to our group? The adult leaders were involved in the lives of students; they liked the student minister, and they liked each other. The leaders and the students were family. We were not a perfect community, but we knew each other, and we loved each other. When I became a children’s minister, I wanted to replicate this model. In recent days, this seems impossible to replicate in children’s ministry because there are a lot of moving parts! In many churches, the preschool and children’s ministries need more volunteers than most areas in the church.
As a seminary professor, I enjoy taking graduate classes to visit various churches. It is enlightening to tour children’s spaces and talk with children’s ministers. My favorite church visit was to a large church in a neighboring town. During the visit, I asked the preschool minister if it was different to recruit and retain volunteers. Her answer was shocking to me! She said the retention rate was so high that she hardly had to replace leaders. Of course, I wanted to know her secret. Basically, the preschool minister had established a community of leaders who loved ministering together.
The question is, how can children’s ministers create a community of leaders who love each other and enjoy leading together? What are the elements of high retention with a healthy recruitment rate? I believe the answer is creating an environment where people find community among others who enjoy ministering in the same area of the church. It is the responsibility of the minister to create this environment. I believe there are two elements that are needed to develop a Christian community within the ministry. The environment must give opportunities for relationship-building in a healthy spiritual climate.
The first element is the opportunity for relationship-building. Creating an environment where people enjoy working together requires the prayerful building of teaching teams. The minister leads the charge in gathering spiritually healthy leaders to work together as they teach children the ways of our Lord.
When recruiting people to serve in your ministry, spend time with them. Learn about their strengths and weaknesses. Listen to their testimonies. Find out where they like to serve. Before placing a person on a team, invite the recruit to spend time in various classes. This helps them see various teaching teams and children of different ages. Also, it allows teaching teams and recruits time to see where a person fits best.
Fellowship is an important element of relationship building. People want time to enjoy the fellowship of others. Time is precious, but there are many ways to offer fellowship opportunities for ministry leaders. Relationships are built when people pray, work, and play together. Plus, a healthy, close-knit community is enticing to others; they want to be a part of groups that enjoy working together.
The second element of Christian community within the children’s ministry is spiritual support of team members. Prayer binds people together. When can teachers gather to pray as a group in your church setting? For example, begin teaching times with prayer, announcements, and fellowship. To use this valuable time efficiently, ask for prayer requests by email and provide the list of requests at the prayer time. Also, consider randomly assigning prayer partners for the week. People develop relationships when they pray for each other. They also feel supported by fellow Christians who are praying for them.
Home groups are effective ways of building community. Consider a home group for children’s ministry volunteers. Children’s teachers, volunteers, and leaders enjoy spending time together. These are the adults in the church they know. Small groups allow for a time of Bible study, opportunities for missional work, and the routine of gathering with other adults, with the added blessings of friendships. If home groups are not a part of your church culture, how can you create spiritual support among the teachers? What works for your church?
CRU defines community as “a place where believers connect with each other on a soul level and, in doing so, spur each other on to a deeper relationship with God. A community is more than just individual friendships; it is an atmosphere of deep relationships, a synergistic place where friends connect in grace and truth. In such a community, believers can authentically challenge each other through words and deeds toward being like Christ.” Creating community within a children’s ministry develops love, patience, and kindness among your team. Doing ministry with friends and family brings life to your church. The synergy that is the outpouring of the community created makes others want to join the ministry with children. Thus, increased recruitment and retention is likely. The unexpected fruit is the example your teams will model for children. It is the hope of all who work with children that they love Jesus and His church.
