How To Grow Volunteers Into Leaders
There was a point in my ministry when I had plenty of volunteers; however, the ministry wasn’t growing. The problem was a lack of leadership. People...
Setting up tables, serving pizza and helping out with a trip is all good. Volunteers are needed to create a safe environment, but as a youth minister you want healthy, you want vibrant and you want more.
Courtesy of Carlos Varela/Creative Commons License
Your team could give you more. Your volunteer ministers are the people to bring your ministry to a new level. To build that team takes faith that God will bring them along for the journey, but to get them to do more you need to:
SHOW THEM GRATITUDE
Your ministers will leave if they don’t feel appreciated. Show them gratitude by thanking them and praising them publicly. Invest in them and check-in with them. Remind them that they matter to you.
KEEP IT SIMPLE
When youth ministry gets complex it becomes frustrating. To be simple takes hard work; however, simple brings clarity and efficiency.
Look at your expectations, and systems and answer the question, “Is this intuitive?” If the answer is no then it’s not simple. Even if the answer is yes get feedback of others.
INVEST IN THEM PROFFESIONALLY
These people are more than volunteers. They are people who will take your ministry to new level. You know a leader needs to grow, so the question is, “How are you helping them grow?”
Take them to workshops, and give them the resources that you’ve used. Make sure they are constantly learning and growing.
GIVE THEM MORE THAN JOBS
You have certain initiatives and tasks that need to be accomplished. That’s simply telling people what to do. But, if you want your leaders taking the burden off of your shoulders you need to learn how delegate.
To delegate give them more than a task. Invite them to solve a problem or create something new. Give them more than just a job by allowing them to lead from the vision.
If you want the best from your leaders you need to know how to unlock their potential. Invest in them, and show them your gratitude. Think of them as your partners. Love them like friends and watch how they’ll lead you and the ministry closer to Christ.
[reminder] How do you get more from your volunteer ministers? [/reminder]