5 Steps To Learning Why Your Youth Ministry Exists
I have a five year old, which means he loves asking the question, “Why?” While it can get a little annoying it’s a question we need to be asking...
How To Recruit Volunteers Without Leaving The House
Christopher Wesley
Jul 14, 2020
A big question I get these days is, “How do I recruit volunteers while I’m stuck at home?” It’s a challenging question because our exposure to others is limited. Even with parishes reopening, people aren’t comfortable hanging around and striking a conversation. While there is nothing more effective than in-person recruiting, it’s still possible to build your team.
We need to recruit people to help us recreate ministry. We need different minds, perspectives, and experiences which are going to help us reach people while limited by social distancing. To get started, look at your digital media resources and start looking at:
SHARING THE STORY OF SERVING
Why do you love your ministry? Is it because of the people, the tasks you do, or the change it’s created inside of you? You got into ministry for a reason, and it’s a story worth sharing. Your account can inspire others to serve because it’ll answer the question, “How will serving impact me?”
And it doesn’t just have to be your story capture the testimonies of men and women already serving in your ministry. Have them share 3-5 minutes of why they got involved and why they love being included. If you know someone with a specific situation, have them share that in detail. Not only will this help you recruit, but it’ll create a culture where witnessing one’s faith is more common.
DEVELOPING TANGIBLE JOB DESCRIPTIONS
One of the big reasons people are reluctant to serve in ministry is because there lacks clarity around responsibilities and expectations. To create clarity, develop a job description for your volunteers (Visit our MYM Store for Volunteer Job DescriptionTemplate). Keep it simple, by giving the position a title, followed by expected outcomes and responsibilities.
Post the position on your parish website along with the steps they need to take to get involved. (e.g., orientation, safe environment training, etc.). Having a job description for your volunteers will help you with your recruitment. You can focus more on your pitch on the vision and send them to a website with the details. They can look over the materials and take time to discern whether the decision to serve works best for them. Creating a job description will not only help with recruiting individuals; it’ll help you with hiring the right ones.
CREATING AN ONLINE CAMPAIGN
Once you have job descriptions and testimonies captured, share them with your parish. Use Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to push your opportunities. In your church, live stream ask your pastor to plug the page where they can learn more about serving.
To create a campaign, make sure you use all of your digital outlets to make the plug. Be consistent and persistent in your marketing and be sure to direct people to a location that can answer questions (e.g., a webpage with job descriptions and FAQs). Create a culture where opportunities are shared online, make it a part of your regular communications so that people know what to do.
HOLDING A DIGITAL OPEN HOUSE
In addition to sending people to a website, consider creating an event where they can learn more about serving. But, make sure this is more than an info session. Make it memorable and engaging by incorporating games and activities. Invite your current team and teens to share why they love the ministry.
In addition to having games, think about asking someone to help you with the chat. You might have some people who will ask questions or share through the chat feature. Set up slides for those who are visual learners. Put as much energy (If not more) into a youth night as you would with this experience. If people see that your ministry is creative, enthusiastic, and authentic, they’ll be encouraged to jump on board.
Recruiting people online is a challenge, but only because we’ve never done it before. At the same time, this is a perfect opportunity to do something new. Clarify what you need, share it with your audience, and remind them that even though ministry looks different, they are still needed to advance the Kingdom.